: Mollywood is distinguished by its preference for grounded narratives over extravagant spectacles. This reflects the "uncomplicated lifestyle" of the local population.
Landscapes are characters. The rain-drenched, claustrophobic villages of central Travancore in Joji (2021). The sprawling, arid high ranges of Idukki in Ayyappanum Koshiyum (2020). The dense, threatening forests of Wayanad in Jallikattu (2019). The culture of Kerala is hydrous and mountainous, and the camera lenses have learned to worship the monsoons as a deity. : Mollywood is distinguished by its preference for