Malayalam cinema was born in the 1920s, with the release of the first Malayalam film, , in 1930. However, it wasn't until the 1950s and 1960s that Malayalam cinema started to gain recognition. The films of this era, such as Nokketha Doorathu Kannum Nattu (1962) and Chemmeen (1965), were critically acclaimed and explored themes of social justice, love, and family.