In the 1980s and 1990s, Malayalam cinema witnessed a significant shift with the emergence of new wave cinema. Filmmakers like Adoor Gopalakrishnan, John Abraham, and I.V. Sasi introduced a new style of storytelling, which was more experimental and avant-garde. This period saw the rise of critically acclaimed films like Sreekuttan (1987), Perumazhayathira (1985), and Nokketha Doorathu Kannum Nattu (1991).