Unlike other film industries where 'A' certificates are often synonymous with graphic sensuality or gore, Malayalam cinema has used this rating to explore .

If you are new to Malayalam cinema, do not skip the 'A' certified films. Do not mistake the sticker for a lack of substance. In fact, many of the industry's most intelligent screenplays and masterful performances reside behind that red circle.

(1978) , directed by I.V. Sasi, was a landmark "A" rated film that used its certification to tell a powerful social story about an adolescent sex worker.