The resurgence of ‘Malayalam Padam’ in Tamil pop culture

Movies By Avinash Ramachandran Apr 07, 2024 Read the article

Unprecedented in the digital age, where everything is exaggerated, hyperbole is the law of the land, especially in the world of cinema.

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But let’s take a closer look at this phenomenon and talk about the inadvertent effect Malayalam cinema in 2024 have imprinted on the theatre-going audience in Tamil Nadu.

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In the popular Tamil Nadu subculture of the 2000s, “Malayalam Padam” was synonymous with the then-thriving “B-grade” or “softcore pornography” films.

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Despite being a short-lived phenomenon, its impact was strong enough that for years after, the term “Malayalam Padam” was used with a sense of derision or milked for comic effect.

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But Drishyam (2013), Bangalore Days (2014), and Premam (2015) started shaping the landscape of Malayalam cinema for a Tamil audience that embraced the idea of social media.

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It was with Bramayugam and Premalu, that broke all existing walls between Malayalam cinema and its reception outside Kerala, especially in Tamil Nadu.

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The seeds of this movement were sown through the proliferation of OTT options that allowed audiences to revisit the classics to understand the rich legacy of Malayalam cinema.

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The content spoke louder than the stars, and many Malayalam filmmakers started finding a dedicated following in Tamil Nadu, and across the country.

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