Malayalam cinema has the guts: Amala Paul on why the industry breaks conventions

Actor Amala Paul believes the willingness to take creative risks is one of the biggest strengths of Malayalam cinema. Speaking at the India Today South Conclave 2026 in Kochi on Tuesday, Amala, who has worked in several Malayalam films, said the industry stands apart for its rooted characters and its ability to tell stories without relying on “over-the-top” heroes.

Amala pointed to the industry’s tendency to build stories around ordinary and rooted characters instead of always relying on larger-than-life protagonists. “Everybody naturally tends to have a male protagonist who is over the top, someone special. But in the Malayalam industry, you can see the most normal and rooted people who we see in our real life,” she said.

She said the industry has historically allowed filmmakers and actors to move away from conventional ideas of what a hero or a mainstream film should look like. “If I had to answer in one word, I would say it’s the guts. Malayalees really have the guts, and I think we have always been like that, if we go back to the ’70s and ’80s,” she said.

Amala also highlighted how performance styles differ across the South Indian film industries. She said Tamil and Telugu cinema have their own acting conventions, which can vary depending on the director and cultural context. “In Tamil, there is an acting meter; in Telugu, the meter is different based on the director and the culture. In Malayalam, there is no meter. You have to be the character, and there is no other way,” she said.

Amala has worked across mainstream and unconventional Malayalam projects, including Mili, The Teacher, The Goat Life and Level Cross. Her last Malayalam releases were the 2024 films The Goat Life and Level Cross.- EndsALSO READ | I had guts: Amala Paul on navigating sexualisation, stereotypes in film industry