Hollywood has New York; Bollywood has Mumbai. But Malayalam cinema has the ghats , the kayal (backwaters), and the tharavadu (ancestral homes).
The first Malayalam film, "Balan," was released in 1938, marking the beginning of a new era in Kerala's cinematic history. The film, directed by S. Nottan, was a critical success and paved the way for future filmmakers. In the early days, Malayalam cinema was heavily influenced by Indian mythology, folklore, and literature, with many films based on classical stories and epics.