Alive Cinema

You know what really hits different when watching a movie? It's seeing raw human experiences unfold right in front of you. Think about it - every protagonist is like a mirror reflecting both their world and the one we build in our heads. Every choice, every feeling, every little detail of their environment shapes who they become, crafting these beautifully unique identities. And we can only truly feel these deep connections through intimate conversations, getting lost in books, or losing ourselves in cinema.

Since my college years, I started to love Malayalam cinema. Even though I don't know the native language or never tried to learn it, the movie frames and subtitles help immensely. Beyond that, something very magical yet so simple happens - like you're seeing your neighbors' regular day-to-day life with so much beauty and real essence.

As a Marathi family growing up mostly watching Hindi masala movies on television, my taste in cinema has evolved significantly through age. Imtiaz Ali's characters have this way of touching something deep inside us, especially when we're carrying our own emotional baggage. Their struggles feel so real because they come from these messy, complicated parts of life that we all know too well. When these characters hurt, their pain feels so authentic that it somehow helps us understand our own wounds better. I grew to appreciate this kind of storytelling in movies and books, like Murakami's characters' pain and feelings, and how these people involve themselves in their timeframe and circumstances that leave something deeply emotional within us.

Recently I watched the Malayalam movie "Premalu," which might be the best film I've ever seen, or at least gave me a very unique touch. I always love to watch movies with my brother and after they end, we casually discuss how it was and all. What made it magical was its beautiful simplicity.

The main character dealt with love rejection, money problems as he wanted to go abroad for higher studies, from a middle-class family where parents have a kind of disconnected relationship and don't talk. Yet the film didn't let these struggles become their whole story. That was so unique and new to see without letting you feel bored for a moment. They faced the usual stuff - heartbreak, empty pockets, and those everyday hurdles we all know too well. That was the most unique and beautiful: life is much more than sticking to one thing and making it your whole personality. People learn, people grow, and life goes on.

These days, modern life can make us feel so alone, and we've gotten pretty good at turning that loneliness into some kind of art - in how we show it, talk about it, even how we sit with it. Malayalam cinema has opened my eyes in ways I never expected, stirring up all these different emotions and showing new ways to see the world. It's like finding a new language for feelings I didn't even know I had.