India, Sept. 21 -- The 1980s were an interesting time in Kerala - and in Malayalam cinema. The ideological certitudes that dominated politics in the previous decades were making way for transactional coalitions that emphasised negotiation and compromise. Malayali youth migrated to West Asia rather than to the Indian metros. Cinema had gone colour and was in search of new stars - it no longer pivoted around the trio of Sathyan, Prem Nazir, and Madhu, who dominated the industry until the 1970s. The idea of the hero itself was changing. A new cast of directors and writers preferred a light-hearted take on the daily life of Malayalis and sought actors who could portray the average Joe, with a penchant for mischief and comedy, on the screen. I...