Family structures, particularly the matrilineal Marumakkathayam system (historically practiced by some communities), have also been scrutinized. While modern cinema focuses on nuclear family breakdowns, period films have explored the claustrophobia of the tharavadu (ancestral home), where dozens of cousins lived under a single, decaying roof.

For the uninitiated, the phrase "Indian cinema" often conjures visions of Bollywood’s technicolour spectacle or the formulaic masala of Tollywood. But nestled in the tropical lushness of India’s southwestern coast is a cinematic universe that operates on an entirely different frequency: .

"They’re calling us 'Mallu Queens,'" Meera laughed, scrolling through her phone.