India, April 25 -- For the longest time, Malayalam mainstream cinema rarely found an audience outside Kerala, even as its independent cinema created waves on film festival circuits. Over the past five years, this has changed as the mainstream draws widespread attention too. The story of present-day Malayalam cinema's ascendancy cannot be told without talking about its past, from its humble beginnings to the formation of film societies in villages across Kerala in the 1960s, the rise of the new wave in the early 1970s, the evolution of middle-of-the-road cinema in the 1970s and '80s, and the era of the two superstars: Mammootty and Mohanlal. This book aims to introduce Malayalam films to an audience outside Kerala and broaden their understanding of the origins of this wellspring of good cinema. However, even those well-versed with the subject will find fresh perspective and insight here....