Kerala has the highest literacy rate in India, and its audience has been weaned on a steady diet of political pamphlets, short stories by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer, and the sharp, minimalist plays of C. N. Sreekantan Nair. Consequently, the audience rejects the fantastic. When Mammootty or Mohanlal plays a village school teacher or a toddy-tapper, they do not wear designer knits; they wear a wrinkled mundu (dhoti) and a faded banyan .
: J.C. Daniel, the "Father of Malayalam Cinema," released the first film, Vigathakumaran Mallu sindhu hottest scene nip show target
The soul of Malayalam cinema is built upon centuries of Kerala's traditional art forms: Visual Legacy : The "moving images" of Tholpavakkuthu (shadow puppet dance) and the dramatic visuals of Koodiyattam Kerala has the highest literacy rate in India,