The late 1970s through the 1980s is widely regarded as the Golden Age of Malayalam cinema. This era saw the rise of the "Parallel Cinema" movement, spearheaded by visionary directors like Adoor Gopalakrishnan and G. Aravindan.

Malayalam cinema’s identity was forged through its deep ties to . Early landmark films like Neelakkuyil (1954) and

"Midnight cravings are the best, aren't they?" Aunty said, smiling at Mallu.