This tradition continues today with greater nuance. Contemporary classics like Sandesham (The Message) explore the polarization of politics in the household, while Kayyoppu (Blank Space) deals with the struggles of a writer. The culture of Kerala is one of open debate and dissent, and the cinema reflects this. A Malayalam film is rarely just a love story; it is a love story set against the backdrop of the Gulf migration, the agrarian crisis, or the shifting dynamics of religion.