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{{Short description|Genre of softcore pornographic films produced in Kerala, India}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}

{{Infobox art movement
| name = Malayalam softcore pornography
| image = Indiafilm.svg
| alt =
| caption =
| yearsactive = {{circa|1985}} – {{circa|2005}}
| country = India
| majorfigures = {{br separated entries|[[Abhilasha (actress)]]|[[Silk Smitha]]|[[Shakeela]]|[[Reshma (B-grade actress)]]|[[P. Chandrakumar]]}}
| influences = {{br separated entries|''[[Adipapam]]''|''[[Kinnara Thumbikal]]''}}
| influenced =
}}

'''Malayalam softcore pornography''' was a popular genre of [[softcore pornography]] produced in the Indian state of [[Kerala]] in the [[Malayalam|Malayalam language]]. Popularly known as '''Mallu porn films''' or '''B-grade films''', they are mostly recognised as low-quality films with fairly [[Low-budget film|low budgets]]. They emerged alongside mainstream [[Malayalam cinema]] of Kerala in the 1980s.

''[[Adipapam]]'' (1988) is regarded as the first successful Malayalam film with softcore nudity, and it is considered to have started the trend of softcore films in Malayalam.<ref>{{Cite news |date=9 December 1988 |title=Mudhal Paavam |pages=5 |work=[[The Indian Express]] |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=P9oYG7HA76QC&dat=19881209&printsec=frontpage&hl=en |access-date=4 December 2018}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Despite facing a temporary decline in the 1990s, the genre's popularity grew after the successful release of ''[[Kinnara Thumbikal]]'' (2000), which starred [[Shakeela]]. This period was termed the {{Lang|ml|Shakeela tharangam}} (Shakeela wave). There is a general consensus that the films, which critics called vulgar and crude, were the backbone of the Malayalam film industry during its worst period. In 2001, around 64% of the total films produced in Malayalam were of the softporn variety.<ref name=":7">{{Cite journal |last=Mini |first=Darshana Sreedhar |date=2016 |title=The Spectral Duration of Malayalam Soft-porn: Disappearance, Desire, and Haunting |url=http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0974927616667971 |journal=BioScope: South Asian Screen Studies |language=en |volume=7 |issue=2 |pages=127–150 |doi=10.1177/0974927616667971 |s2cid=193768554 |issn=0974-9276 |access-date=22 September 2023 |archive-date=27 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221227041329/https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0974927616667971 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription }}</ref> In conjunction with the rise of the [[internet in India]], the genre began to decline.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Menon |first=Vishal |date=2020-05-16 |title=Shakeela, Superstardom And A Softporn Wave That Threatened The Survival Of Malayalam Cinema |url=https://www.filmcompanion.in/features/shakeela-superstardom-and-a-softporn-wave-that-threatened-the-survival-of-malayalam-cinema |access-date=2023-10-05 |website=www.filmcompanion.in |language=en |archive-date=28 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220928184232/https://www.filmcompanion.in/features/shakeela-superstardom-and-a-softporn-wave-that-threatened-the-survival-of-malayalam-cinema |url-status=live }}</ref>

To evade the [[Central Board of Film Certification]], certain scenes were shot separately and not shown to the board. Many theatre owners and distributors illegally inserted nudity from foreign films or [[hardcore pornography]] into the films.<ref name=":1" />

== Characteristics ==
Although Malayalam softcore pornographic films had sexually suggestive plots, [[Film historian|film historians]] do not consider them overtly explicit or simply [[Pornographic film|pornographic]].<ref name=":9" />

=== Portrayal of women ===
In mainstream Indian movies, the hero (male lead) is normally central to the plot. Malayalam softcore pornographic films presented their heroines at the center. Female leads often portrayed unfaithful wives, women with a busy sex life, or "everyday" women. In Malayalam B-grade films, male roles were functionally supplementary, with the heroine and her sexuality emphasised.<ref name=":5" /> Women in the films are stereotypically at least 25 years old and in desperate need of sexual intimacy. Heroines are often dressed in scanty clothes that exposed [[midriff]]s and [[Cleavage (breasts)|cleavage]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Pillai |first=Meena T. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6iiPSQAACAAJ |title=Women in Malayalam Cinema: Naturalising Gender Hierarchies |date=2010 |publisher=Orient BlackSwan |isbn=978-81-250-3865-8 |language=en}}</ref>

Malayalam and Tamil actress [[Revathi]] criticised the concept of B-grade films, saying: "Why are we so obsessed with women’s bodies anyway? When we talk about [[sexism]], we keep talking about the same things. What we need is gender sensitization of everyone involved with the film industry".<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Sarkar |first=Urbee |date=2018-10-05 |title=[VoxSpace Selects] The Sex Quotient : Women In The South Indian Soft Porn Industry |url=https://www.voxspace.in/2018/10/05/south-indian-soft-porn-industry/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181017050342/http://www.voxspace.in/2018/10/05/south-indian-soft-porn-industry/ |archive-date=17 October 2018 |access-date=2023-10-05 |website=VoxSpace |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Actors ===
Several actresses launched their career through the Malayalam softcore pornographic films, including [[Abhilasha (actress)|Abhilasha]], who is considered one of the forerunners of this genre.<ref>{{Cite web |date=Mar 9, 2009 |title=Former sleaze queen's smart move |url=https://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/bangalore/others/former-sleaze-queens-smart-move/articleshow/22198962.cms |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231007134015/https://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/bangalore/others/advocates-polls-costly-affair/articleshowajax/22198959.cms?version=18&enforceseoatarticle=0&lastarticle=22198942&photocount=6&photoexclude=3 |archive-date=7 October 2023 |access-date=2023-10-07 |website=Bangalore Mirror |language=en}}</ref> [[Silk Smitha]], who had gained success with [[Item number|dance numbers]] in the early 1980s, also became an integral part of the industry.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Remembering India's evergreen sex symbol Silk Smitha on her 62nd birth anniversary |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/regional-cinema/story/remembering-indias-evergreen-sex-symbol-silk-smitha-on-her-62nd-birth-anniversary-2304535-2022-12-02 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230219021906/https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/regional-cinema/story/remembering-indias-evergreen-sex-symbol-silk-smitha-on-her-62nd-birth-anniversary-2304535-2022-12-02 |archive-date=19 February 2023 |access-date=2023-10-07 |website=India Today |date=2 December 2022 |language=en}}</ref> Many actresses and actors who gained success in other genres also acted in several B-grade films that were not explicit compared to the normal softcore genre.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mannanur |first=Sunil |date=2019-11-04 |title=ബി ഗ്രേഡ്‌ സിനിമകളും ചില കാണാക്കാഴ്ചകളും– Part 2 {{!}} PravasiExpress |url=https://www.pravasiexpress.com/behind-b-grade-movies-detailed-study-part-2/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230320091920/https://www.pravasiexpress.com/behind-b-grade-movies-detailed-study-part-2/ |archive-date=20 March 2023 |access-date=2023-10-05 |language=en-US}}</ref> These actors became well known within the genre, and included [[Prameela]], [[Unni Mary]], [[Disco Shanti]], [[Anuradha (actress)|Anuradha]], [[Madhuri (Tamil actress)|Madhuri]], [[Jyothi Lakshmi|Jyothilakshmi]], [[Kuyili (actress)|Kuyili]], [[T. G. Ravi]] and [[Ratheesh]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=തമ്പുരാട്ടിയിലെ ഗ്ലാമര്‍ രംഗം സ്‌ക്രീനില്‍ തെളിഞ്ഞപ്പോള്‍ ഞാന്‍ തലകുനിച്ച് ഇരിക്കുകയായിരുന്നു |url=https://www.mangalam.com/news/detail/430345-latest-news-prameela-opens-up.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009020701/https://www.mangalam.com/news/detail/430345-latest-news-prameela-opens-up.html |archive-date=9 October 2020 |access-date=2023-10-07 |website=www.mangalam.com |language=en}}</ref>

[[Shakeela]], who was prolific in the early 2000s, is commonly considered the quintessential star of the softcore genre.<ref>{{Cite web |title=From the archives: Who is Shakeela Khan? |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india-today-insight/story/from-the-archives-who-is-shakeela-khan-1753973-2020-12-28 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220928162914/https://www.indiatoday.in/india-today-insight/story/from-the-archives-who-is-shakeela-khan-1753973-2020-12-28 |archive-date=28 September 2022 |access-date=2023-10-07 |website=India Today |date=28 December 2020 |language=en}}</ref> [[Reshma (B-grade actress)|Reshma]] and Maria were also prominent. Maria transitioned to the genre after acting in mainstream Malayalam films such as [[Nirnayam (1995 film)|''Nirnayam'']], [[Pallavur Devanarayanan|''Pallavoor Devanarayanan'']], ''[[Megham]]'' and ''[[Chandranudikkunna Dikkil]]''. In the early 2000s, the genre also featured actresses such as Sindhu, Rajini, Devika, Roshni, Sharmili and Alphonsa.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kottoor |first=Asim |date=2017-11-16 |title=ഷക്കീല,രേഷ്മ,മറിയ: ഇവര്‍ ഇന്നെവിടെയാണ്? |url=https://www.eastcoastdaily.com/movie/2017/11/16/shakkeela-reshma-and-maria-investigation-report/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230922174806/https://www.eastcoastdaily.com/movie/2017/11/16/shakkeela-reshma-and-maria-investigation-report/ |archive-date=22 September 2023 |access-date=2023-10-07 |website=East Coast Movies & Entertainments News |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=ഉടുതുണി ഇല്ലാതെ അഭിനയിച്ച പൈസ ഈ കുടുംബത്തിന് വേണ്ട എന്ന് ഉമ്മ തറപ്പിച്ചു പറഞ്ഞു : അനുഭവം പങ്കുവെച്ച് നടി ഷർമിലി |url=https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https://filmyglitzmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/img_3_1629386902508-1024x655.jpg&tbnid=9sPAKE10XA0mkM&vet=1&imgrefurl=https://filmyglitzmedia.com/sharmilishjcjf/&docid=OaBTiwR7YbwO7M&w=1024&h=655&itg=1&source=sh/x/im/can/1&sfr=vfe |access-date=2023-10-20 |website=WordMalayali |language=ml}}</ref>

==History==
===Roots and early years===
In the 1970s, Malayalam films that explore themes surrounding sexuality started emerging. The 1972 Malayalam film ''[[Punarjanmam]]'' (''Reincarnation'') is considered to be the first [[Erotic thriller|erotic psychic thriller]] in [[Cinema of India|Indian film history]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://spicyonion.com/title/punarjanmam-malayalam-movie/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208130253/http://spicyonion.com/title/punarjanmam-malayalam-movie/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=8 December 2015|title=Punarjanmam|accessdate=15 October 2014|publisher=spicyonion.com}}</ref> The film involves a man who is unable to have sex with his wife because she appears to him as his mother each time they attempt to [[Consummation|consummate]] their relationship. In 1978, ''[[Avalude Ravukal]]'' was released. ''Avalude Ravugal'', directed by [[I. V. Sasi]], is about an adolescent [[sex worker]].<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite news |date=2017-10-25 |title=I V Sasi 1948-2017: He picked raw subjects and served up a feast |work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/he-picked-raw-subjects-and-served-up-a-feast/articleshow/61213455.cms |access-date=2023-12-05 |issn=0971-8257}}</ref> It was the first Malayalam film to get an [[Central Board of Film Certification|A certification]], classifying it as fit for adults only. It was highly successful and was dubbed in [[Tamil language|Tamil]] and [[Hindi]]. Though currently regarded as a cult movie with a strong social message, the film was considered and marketed as pornographic, especially to non-malayali audience, when it was released.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Babu |first=Subash |date=2017-10-27 |title=IV Sasi's 'Her Nights' was a bold take on sex work that was unfairly dismissed as porn |url=https://scroll.in/reel/855475/iv-sasis-her-nights-was-a-bold-take-on-sex-work-that-was-unfairly-dismissed-as-porn |access-date=2023-10-05 |website=Scroll.in |language=en-US |archive-date=14 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190214093124/https://scroll.in/reel/855475/iv-sasis-her-nights-was-a-bold-take-on-sex-work-that-was-unfairly-dismissed-as-porn |url-status=live }}</ref> Also in 1978, [[Rathinirvedam (1978 film)|''Rathinirvedham'']] was released. The film is about a teenage boy who is sexually attracted to an older woman.Directed by Bharathan, the movie is considered a landmark film in Malayalam cinematic history. Some film analysts said that the influx of Malayalam softcore porn films during the next several years began after the release of ''Rathinirvedham''.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2011-06-19 |title=Can 'Rathinirvedam' remake recreate waves? |url=http://www.deccanchronicle.com/tabloid/kochi/can-rathinirvedam-remake-recreate-waves-823 |access-date=2023-10-05 |archive-date=19 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110619004805/http://www.deccanchronicle.com/tabloid/kochi/can-rathinirvedam-remake-recreate-waves-823 |url-status=bot: unknown }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Shaji |first=Neelima Menon,Sukanya |date=2023-05-21 |title=Rathinirvedam to Christy: The evolution of teenage-centric themes in Malayalam cinema |url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/kerala/rathinirvedam-christy-evolution-teenage-centric-themes-malayalam-cinema-177469 |access-date=2023-12-14 |website=The News Minute |language=en}}</ref>

===Rise and peak===
From the mid-1980s, production of softcore porn gradually increased. An increase in [[Videocassette recorder|VCRs]] and [[Television|TVs]] contributed to the growth of the genre. In 1985, director [[Crossbelt Mani]] made the film ''[[Ottayan]].'' The film, which featured a rape and revenge storyline, was distributed in Kerala's main theatres. In ''Ottayan'', the heroine's blouse is pulled off during a six-minute rape scene and the villain massages her breasts. The film, which cost ₹1 million to make, made ₹1.2 million in two weeks until the censor board banned it.<ref name=":1" /> ''[[Dhoomam (1985 film)|Dhoomam]]'' (1985) director Chandrasekharan Thampi originally planned to make the film a black-and-white art film, but it was shelved due to financial difficulties. Later, he inserted additional sex scenes and released the movie through his own firm, distributing it only in isolated towns and villages; the film became popular due to word-of-mouth promotion.<ref name=":1" /> [[K. S. Gopalakrishnan|K.S. Gopalakrishnan]] then made the 1986 films ''[[Pidikittapulli|Pidikitapulli]]'' and ''[[Karinagam]],'' which featured several sex scenes and nudity that were not shown to the censor board. The sex scenes were absent when the censor board confiscated a print of ''Pidikitapulli'', but present when it played in a suburban [[Thiruvananthapuram|Trivandrum]] theatre two weeks later.<ref name=":7" /> At that time, K. V. Gangadharan, president of the Kerala film chamber and producer of the mainstream Malayalam film ''[[Vartha]]'' (1986), said that "super-hit family dramas in the cities are flopping in rural areas because the average male cine-goer in these areas is lured by these soft-porn films with inserted sex scenes."<ref name=":1" /> Following the ban, producers and distributors of soft porn films relocated from cities to the countryside. Students from Trivandrum made daily visits to [[Guruvayur|Guruvayoor]] or [[Attingal]] to see soft-porn films. In 1986, roughly 14 of about 32 films released had sex or nude scenes that were shot separately and were inserted into the film for screening in rural areas only after the rest of it had been shown to the censor board.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Soft-porn boom hits commercial cinema in Kerala like a bolt from the blue |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/society-and-the-arts/films/story/19860515-soft-porn-boom-hits-commercial-cinema-in-kerala-like-a-bolt-from-the-blue-800882-1986-05-14 |access-date=2023-10-05 |website=India Today |date=15 May 1986 |language=en |archive-date=5 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231005191353/https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/society-and-the-arts/films/story/19860515-soft-porn-boom-hits-commercial-cinema-in-kerala-like-a-bolt-from-the-blue-800882-1986-05-14 |url-status=live }}</ref> These reels were known as ''Thund'' (Bits) and popularising the term ''Bit/Piece padam'' (Bit film).<ref name=":1" />

In 1988, ''[[Adipapam]]'' was released. It is regarded as the first successful Malayalam film with softcore nudity. It was a big success at the box office, grossing ₹25 million against a budget of ₹750,000. The film's director, [[P. Chandrakumar|Chandrakumar]], went on to direct eight more softcore films. The leading actress, [[Abhilasha (actress)|Abhilasha]], became the most sought-after B-grade actress of that time. The success of ''Adipapam'' inspired a series of similar productions in the next few years.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-04-20 |title=ഞാന്‍ ഏകനായിരുന്നു |url=http://www.metrovaartha.com/2011/07/09042427/p-chandrakumar20110709.html |access-date=2023-12-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120420235343/http://www.metrovaartha.com/2011/07/09042427/p-chandrakumar20110709.html |archive-date=20 April 2012 }}</ref> The 1989 film ''[[Layanam]]'', starring [[Silk Smitha]] in the lead role, was also a big success at box office. Twelve years after its release, it was remade in [[Hindi cinema|Hindi]] as ''Reshma Ki Jawani''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bhattacharya |first=Roshmila |date=2002-11-08 |title=SEX SELLS: Another chottisi prem kahani makes money |url=http://www.screenindia.com/old/fullstory.php?content_id=8 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090307115127/http://www.screenindia.com/old/fullstory.php?content_id=8 |archive-date=7 March 2009 |access-date=21 November 2017 |website=[[Screen (magazine)|Screen]]}}</ref> Film historian Rajakrishnan said, "The boom of softcore pornographic films was fuelled by a lenient Madras Censor Board. When they were barred from censoring Malayalam films, they dried up".<ref>{{Cite web |title=rediff.com, Movies: Sleaze time, folks! |url=https://m.rediff.com/entertai/2001/jan/24mallu.htm |access-date=2023-10-05 |website=m.rediff.com |archive-date=11 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210111113216/https://m.rediff.com/entertai/2001/jan/24mallu.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Temporary decline in the 1990s===
Most of the softcore films that released after ''Layanam'' had a similar storyline with many of them having a weak screenplay. When family-friendly and comedy films became more popular in the Malayalam cinema industry, there was a temporary decline in the softcore industry. This caused a reduction in the rate of production of softcore films. Only a few of them were successful at the box office.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |last=Mannanur |first=Sunil |date=2019-10-22 |title=ബി ഗ്രേഡ്‌ സിനിമകളും ചില കാണാക്കാഴ്ചകളും – Part 1 {{!}} PravasiExpress |url=https://www.pravasiexpress.com/behind-b-grade-movies-detailed-study-part-1/ |access-date=2023-12-15 |language=en-US}}</ref>

===The Shakeela wave===
With the continued failure of comedy films and early-2000s theater strikes in Kerala, there was a comeback of B-grade films in Malayalam. By 2000, a majority of the Malayalam films were of soft porn genre.<ref>{{Cite web |last=rti_admin |date=2017-06-30 |title=A Peep into the Soft Porn Film Industry of Keralam |url=https://www.roundtableindia.co.in/a-peep-into-the-soft-porn-film-industry-of-keralam/ |access-date=2023-12-14 |website=Round Table India |language=en-US}}</ref> In March 2000, ''[[Kinnara Thumbikal|Kinnarathumbikal]]'', a low budget softcore pornographic film starring [[Shakeela]], was released. It was a major commercial success, grossing ₹40 million at the box office against a budget of ₹1.2 million. The film was dubbed in more than six languages.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chatterjee |first=Anannya |date=2020-12-25 |title=Richa Chadha's 'Shakeela' Releases Today; Here Are 7 Facts About The Malayalam Erotic Star |url=https://www.idiva.com/entertainment/bollywood/facts-about-shakeela-the-erotic-malayalam-star-behind-the-biopic-starring-richa-chadha/18016126 |access-date=2023-12-14 |website=iDiva |language=en-IN}}</ref> The success of ''Kinnarathumbikal'' triggered a series of similar low-budget softcore pornographic films produced in Malayalam.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Shakeela, the woman who inspired genres without ever doing porn |url=https://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/report-shakeela-the-woman-who-inspired-genres-without-ever-doing-porn-2112421 |access-date=2023-10-04 |website=DNA India |language=en |archive-date=28 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220928010000/https://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/report-shakeela-the-woman-who-inspired-genres-without-ever-doing-porn-2112421 |url-status=live }}</ref> There was also an increase in Malayalam softcore pornographic films starring Shakeela, leading to the Shakeela wave ({{Lang|ml|Shakeela tharangam}}). Around 57 of the total 89 films released in 2001 belonged to the soft-porn category and Shakeela featured in many of them.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pornography is big business in Malayalam film industry |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/cover-story/story/20020805-pornography-is-big-business-in-malayalam-film-industry-794685-2002-08-04 |access-date=2023-10-05 |website=India Today |date=5 August 2002 |language=en |archive-date=25 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230525015506/https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/cover-story/story/20020805-pornography-is-big-business-in-malayalam-film-industry-794685-2002-08-04 |url-status=live }}</ref>

During the Shakeela wave, many of her old films were re-released, including [[Telugu cinema|Telugu]] and [[Tamil cinema|Tamil]] films. At one time, posters with Shakeela's half-naked body, a single name and a large "adults only" emblem were widespread in Kerala.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Malayalam soft porn star Shakeela recounts how a producer turned down her proposal |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/bollywood/story/malayalam-soft-porn-star-shakeela-recounts-how-a-producer-turned-down-her-proposal-1469285-2019-03-03 |access-date=2023-12-14 |website=India Today |date=3 March 2019 |language=en}}</ref> According to film scholar Darshana Sreedhar Mini, during the Malayalam film industry crisis of the early 2000s, the success of Shakeela films became critical to the industry's survival because her presence insured revenues and, hence, the survival of film employees.<ref name=":9" /> Shakeela became well known throughout the country as the [[Pan-Indian film|pan-Indian]] face of soft-porn. Many of her films were well-known outside of Kerala and were dubbed into other languages. With lower production costs and poorer quality than mainstream films, Malayalam B-grade films dominated a significant portion of the market, with considerable production.<ref name=":9">{{Cite journal |last=Mini |first=Darshana Sreedhar |date=2019-04-01 |title=The Rise of Soft Porn in Malayalam Cinema and the Precarious Stardom of Shakeela |url=https://online.ucpress.edu/fmh/article/5/2/49/109555/The-Rise-of-Soft-Porn-in-Malayalam-Cinema-and-the |journal=Feminist Media Histories |language=en |volume=5 |issue=2 |pages=49–82 |doi=10.1525/fmh.2019.5.2.49 |s2cid=181897151 |access-date=5 October 2023 |archive-date=18 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200718220318/https://online.ucpress.edu/fmh/article/5/2/49/109555/The-Rise-of-Soft-Porn-in-Malayalam-Cinema-and-the |url-status=live |url-access=subscription }}</ref> Many theatres, which faced shutdown, survived only because of the arrival and acceptance of such B-grade films and the market was flooded with many B-grade films.<ref name=":9" />

Actresses such as [[Reshma (B-grade actress)|Reshma]], Maria, Sindhu and Alphonsa, who arose with or after Shakeela, became an integral part of the industry. Shakeela's 2001 film ''Rakshasarajni'' was considered successful, especially as it competed against ''[[Raavanaprabhu]]'' and ''[[Rakshasa Rajavu]],'' which were larger films.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kottoor |first=Asim |date=2017-11-16 |title=ഷക്കീല,രേഷ്മ,മറിയ: ഇവര്‍ ഇന്നെവിടെയാണ്? {{!}} Cinema, East Coast Special, General, International, Kerala, Latest News, National, NEWS , maria, reshma, shakkeela |url=https://www.eastcoastdaily.com/movie/2017/11/16/shakkeela-reshma-and-maria-investigation-report/ |access-date=2023-10-05 |website=East Coast Movies & Entertainments News |language=en-US |archive-date=22 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230922174806/https://www.eastcoastdaily.com/movie/2017/11/16/shakkeela-reshma-and-maria-investigation-report/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Decline and end===
The rise of the internet negatively affected the Malayalam softcore porn industry, as freely-available online images and videos became more popular than video cassettes.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-02-21 |title=ഷക്കീലയ്ക്കും മറിയയ്ക്കുമൊപ്പം തരംഗം സൃഷ്ടിച്ച രേഷ്മ ഇന്ന് എവിടെ ? സിനിമ ജീവിതം യഥാര്‍ഥ ജീവിതത്തിലേക്കും പകര്‍ത്തിയപ്പോള്‍ സംഭവിച്ചത്... |url=https://www.rashtradeepika.com/reshma-3/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230426110641/https://www.rashtradeepika.com/reshma-3/ |archive-date=26 April 2023 |access-date=2023-10-05 |website=RashtraDeepika |language=en-US}}</ref> The directors of Malayam softcore pornographic films did not try to bring new actresses into the field, and the production of such films slowly stopped.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Prakash |first=Sadhu |date=2022-08-15 |title=Reshma:ഒരു കാലത്ത് യുവാക്കളുടെ ഹരമായിരുന്ന മാദകറാണി രേഷ്മയ്ക്ക് സംഭവിച്ചതെന്ത്? രേഷ്മ ഇപ്പോള്‍ എവിടെ? » Breaking Kerala |url=https://breakingkerala.com/what-happened-to-pornstar-reshma-who-was-once-the-charm-of-youth-where-is-reshma-now/ |access-date=2023-12-14 |website=Breaking Kerala |language=en-US}}</ref> The state censor board also took measures to "curb the spread" of erotic films.<ref name=":2" /> Between 2005 and 2007, the release of B-grade was limited.<ref name=":2" /> Some producers attempted to revive the genre between 2007 and 2010, but their films did not perform well.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=With the Advent of High-speed Internet, It's Curtains for Adult Movies in Theatres |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/2014/dec/06/with-the-advent-of-high-speed-internet-it%e2%80%99s-curtains-for-adult-movies-in-theatres-690923.html |access-date=2023-10-05 |website=The New Indian Express |archive-date=5 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231005191357/https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/2014/dec/06/With-the-Advent-of-High-speed-Internet-It%E2%80%99s-Curtains-for-Adult-Movies-in-Theatres-690923.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Aftermath ===
While the Malayalam film industry no longer produces softcore pornographic films, video clips and images from the older films are still major earners for [[Internet pornography|porn websites]] in India.<ref name=":6" /> ''Mallu aunty'' is a term commonly used on porn websites.<ref name=":3" /> The Malayalam heroine has been referenced in popular [[erotic comics]] that portray married female characters as the targets of [[Sexual fantasy|sexual fantasies]], such as [[Savita Bhabhi]] and Velamma.<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal |last1=Sreedhar Mini |first1=Darshana |last2=Baishya |first2=Anirban K. |date=2020-01-02 |title=Transgressions in Toonland: Savita Bhabhi , Velamma and the Indian adult comic |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23268743.2019.1590228 |url-status=live |journal=Porn Studies |language=en |volume=7 |issue=1 |pages=115–131 |doi=10.1080/23268743.2019.1590228 |s2cid=197853073 |issn=2326-8743 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231005191358/https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23268743.2019.1590228?cookieSet=1 |archive-date=5 October 2023 |access-date=5 October 2023|url-access=subscription }}</ref> In August 2022, Yessma, an [[Over-the-top media service|OTT streaming platform]] for adult content, was launched.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Yessma: Malayalam OTT platform for adult content goes live with Lakshmi Dheeptha's Nancy |url=https://www.ottplay.com/news/yessma-malayalam-ott-platform-for-adult-content-goes-live-with-lakshmi-dheepthas-nancy/002ee9e93a902 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220815004839/https://www.ottplay.com/news/yessma-malayalam-ott-platform-for-adult-content-goes-live-with-lakshmi-dheepthas-nancy/002ee9e93a902 |archive-date=15 August 2022 |access-date=2023-10-06 |website=OTTPlay |language=en}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Pornography in India]]
* [[Sex in Indian entertainment]]
* [[Sexuality in India]]
* [[Nudity in film]]
* [[Nudity in India]]
* [[Sex in film]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

== Further reading ==
* {{Cite book |last=Kasbekar |first=Asha |year=2006 |title=Pop Culture India!: Media, Arts, and Lifestyle |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=V6jOEAAAQBAJ&dq=malayalam+soft+porn&pg=PA235 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231005191352/https://books.google.co.in/books?id=V6jOEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA235&dq=malayalam+soft+porn&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&source=gb_mobile_search&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiv1qHXzN-BAxXfk1YBHZAvCysQ6AF6BAgNEAM#v=onepage&q=malayalam%20soft%20porn&f=false |archive-date=5 October 2023 |url-status=live |location=Santa Barbara, Calif. |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-1-85109-641-1 |oclc=62430899 |language=en |access-date=5 October 2023}}

{{Film genres}}

[[Category:Malayalam cinema]]
[[Category:Movements in cinema]]
[[Category:Malayalam-language films]]
[[Category:History of cinema in India]]
[[Category:Film industry in India]]
[[Category:Softcore pornography]]
[[Category:Erotic films by genre]]
[[Category:Film genres]]
[[Category:Sexploitation films]]
[[Category:1980s in film]]
[[Category:1990s in film]]
[[Category:2000s in film]]
[[Category:Pornography in India]]
[[Category:1980s in Indian cinema]]
[[Category:1990s in Indian cinema]]
[[Category:2000s in Indian cinema]]
[[Category:Indian erotic films]]

Malayalam softcore pornography - Revision history

ShermanGraham8 at 07:27, 15 March 2026