: A resurgence focusing on contemporary sensibilities, realistic acting, and diverse themes like mental health and gender dynamics. Recent global hits like Manjummel Boys and Aadujeevitham (2024) have further cemented its international status.

Later, filmmakers like T.V. Chandran and Shyamaprasad brought the narratives of the oppressed castes and religious minorities to the forefront. The landmark film Perariyathavar (2014) directly challenged the Brahminical fantasy of the Ayyappa pilgrimage. More recently, The Great Indian Kitchen (2021) used the spatial politics of the kitchen to expose the intersection of patriarchy, caste, and religion. In that film, the act of cleaning utensils or preparing sambar is not domestic; it is a ritualized performance of gendered and caste-based subservience, pulverizing the tourist-board image of Kerala as a utopia.