Kerala’s rich performing arts—Kathakali, Theyyam, Mohiniyattam, and Thiruvathira—frequently appear not as ornamental insertions but as narrative devices. In Vanaprastham (Mohanlal as a Kathakali artist grappling with identity), Kathakali becomes a metaphor for the character’s internal turmoil. The Theyyam ritual, with its fiery gods and possessed performers, has been central to films like Kaliyattam (an adaptation of Othello) and Paleri Manikyam , exploring themes of caste oppression, divine justice, and primal rage. Similarly, the martial art of Kalaripayattu is depicted with reverence in films like Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha , a retelling of a North Malabar folk legend.

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