Psychiatric Disorders in Malayalam Cinema

Authors

  • Badr Ratnakaran Holy Cross Hospital and Mental Health Center, Koovappally, Kottayam. Author
    • Sethulakshmi Sreevalsam Anil Affiliation where work was done: Holy Cross Hospital and Mental Health Centre, Koovappally, Kottayam, Pin-686518, Current Affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. Author
      • Subin Thomas Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, United Kingdom Author
        • Sherin Daniel Ampanattu Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, George, United States of America Author

          DOI:

          https://doi.org/10.30834/KJP.28.2.2015.52

          Abstract

          Malayalam is the language spoken by people of Kerala, a south-western state in India. Cinema is an important form of entertainment in Kerala, and multiple films with themes related to mental illness have been produced in Malayalam. This review looks into the depiction of mental disorders in Malayalam cinema, and lists and analyses films which describe organic mental disorders, psychotic disorders, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, dissociative disorders and personality disorders. We conclude that Malayalam cinema is a rich source of films portraying psychiatric disorders, and can be used as a resource to teach psychiatry to medical students. However, one should be beware of many inaccurate and misleading portrayals of mental disorders in Malayalam movies. 

          Author Biographies

          • Badr Ratnakaran, Holy Cross Hospital and Mental Health Center, Koovappally, Kottayam.
            Consultant Psychiatrist
          • Sethulakshmi Sreevalsam Anil, Affiliation where work was done: Holy Cross Hospital and Mental Health Centre, Koovappally, Kottayam, Pin-686518, Current Affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

            Position where work was done: Medical Officer, Holy Cross Hospital and Mental Health Centre, Koovappally, Kottayam, Pin-686518,

            Current Position: Junior resident, Department of Psychiatry, Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
          • Subin Thomas, Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, United Kingdom
            Associate Specialist in General Adult Psychiatry
          • Sherin Daniel Ampanattu, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, George, United States of America
            PGY-3 resident, Department of Internal Medicine

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          Published

          08-12-2015

          Issue

          Vol. 28 No. 2 (2015): July - December 2015

          Section

          Psychiatry in Kerala

          License

          Copyright (c) 2015 Kerala Journal of Psychiatry

          Creative Commons License

          This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

          How to Cite

          1.
          Psychiatric Disorders in Malayalam Cinema. Kerala Journal of Psychiatry [Internet]. 2015 Dec. 8 [cited 2026 Aug. 25];28(2):195 – 203. Available from: https://kjponline.com/index.php/kjp/article/view/52

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