The Malayalam language, a classical Dravidian tongue known for its poetic and onomatopoeic richness, is the lifeblood of its cinema. Kerala has a high regard for literature, with a history of active readership and a thriving print culture. Consequently, Malayalam cinema has often turned to its literary giants—from M. T. Vasudevan Nair (whose stories defined the melancholy of the feudal Nair household) to Vaikom Muhammad Basheer (whose eccentric characters populate films like Mathilukal ).