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During its exceptional run in Tamil Nadu, _Manjummel Boys_ became the first Malayalam film ever to gross over `50 crores from the state. While many believe the film’s ‘Guna-connect’ as the

major reason for its astounding success, Halitha disagrees. “People might easily attribute _Manjummel Boys_’ success to the impact created by the ‘Kanmani Anbodu’ song, but no, the film

succeeded on its own merit. There are several films, including Lokesh Kanagaraj’s works, where similar retro tracks are used, but how many have actually been this effective?” asks Halitha.

Novelty in themes and storytelling has always been instrumental in Malayalam cinema’s success. For instance, take _Bramayugam_—a black-and-white period horror film. Despite its experimental

nature, the film was lapped up by the masses and ended up earning around Rs 85 crores. “Mammootty’s negative role piqued the audience’s curiosity. It is not often that we see a superstar

headlining such an unconventional film,” reflects Girish Johar. Interestingly, despite Indian cinema’s obsession with stars, it’s not necessarily star appeal that has found these Malayalam

films so many takers across the country. For example, though _Bramayugam_ was a hit outside Kerala, Mammootty’s latest release _Turbo_—a mass entertainer—did not find many takers. Similar is

the case with Prithviraj’s _Guruvayoorambala Nadayil_, which came right after he delivered a massive blockbuster, _Aadujeevitham_. Venkat says, “When it comes to Malayalam cinema, Telugu

audiences prefer content-driven cinema over star vehicles. People thronged theatres for _Manjummel Boys_ and _Premalu_, but not for _Turbo_. It suggests that only strong content will work.”

“Content is the hero,” echoes Meenakshi Sundaram, adding, “If the content is good, Tamil audiences don’t care about the language. _Aavesham_ was not dubbed in Tamil, but still had a good run

here.” though, he is quick to add, “These Malayalam films came at a time when Tamil cinema was struggling to offer attractive content.” Halitha sees the lacklustre performance of Tamil

cinema this year as a “blessing in disguise.” The director is so much in awe of Malayalam cinema that she is releasing her new film _Minimini_ as a Tamil-Malayalam bilingual. Like Payal

Kapadia noticed, Malayalam cinema is known for accepting story-driven experimental films, and the tendency is often attributed to the Malayalam audience’s palate for a diverse range of films

cutting across language and culture. Curiously though, it’s also a land where the likes of Vijay, Allu Arjun and Shah Rukh Khan have been celebrated for their stardom. Perhaps then, all

this newfound fame and acceptance of Malayalam cinema outside Kerala can be regarded as a case of poetic justice. (WITH INPUTS FROM JAYABHUVANESHWARI B, A SHARADHAA, BH HARSH)