Malayalam cinema was born in the 1920s, with the release of the first Malayalam film, Balan , in 1930. The early years of Malayalam cinema were marked by a struggle to find a unique identity, with many films being influenced by Tamil and Telugu cinema. However, with the advent of the 1950s and 1960s, Malayalam cinema began to take shape, with filmmakers like G. R. Rao and P. A. Thomas creating films that reflected the state's culture and traditions.