In no other industry is "silence" as powerful as in Malayalam cinema. Inspired by the rain-soaked loneliness of the state, background scores often use the rhythm of Chenda drums or the melancholy flute of the Kuzhal . Songs in Malayalam films have historically been actual poetry, written by greats like Vayalar Ramavarma, which are recited in school textbooks.

The golden age of Malayalam cinema, driven by the legendary screenwriter M.T. Vasudevan Nair and directors like Adoor Gopalakrishnan and G. Aravindan, focused on the crumbling feudal structures and the rise of the middle class.