I second that..there are malayalam school and classes..etc..the kids just don’t take intitiative themselves as they are drawn more the American culture, though many of them do have some touch of the malayalee culture except speaking the language. It just doesn’t interest them, though some may have a interest later on and will learn then. Thankfully my kids can at least understand malayalam though they don’t speak it after putting them in malayalam class for 2 years. It’s the mentality that makes them this way, and it’s nearly impossible to change the mentality of living. Yes you can hound the culture on your kids, but when they get older, they’ll end up making choices, sometimes the kind that parents will onject against. In any sense, parents shouldn’t blamed for this as it’ the exposure of the region they are living in. This not only goes with Malayalam, but also other Indian groups as well. By the way, today’s kids don’t care anyway regardless. Everyone lives for what they strive. As for films, I love Malayalam films because I am a native Keralite..I think malayalam films are only popular amongst NATIVE KERALITES..hardly any of those born and raised abroad will ever watch a malaylam film because today’s society is influenced by more modern and western style songs and such, which is seen in almost every country in the world, while Kerala is still one of the regions that appears to be living the “old days”, like when I was growing up. My own kids don’t really watch malayalam. It does not interest them, though they do know and are aware of Mohanlal, Mamoothy..etc. They do sometimes watch Hindi and a bit of Tamil. Globalization is happening everywhere and times are changing everywhere. Just my opinion.

also…a good melody is not all that is required for a song…you have to look at all the elements blending in one….i mean by your logic..a heavy metal song could never be good because its not traditionally melodic…thats an overly restrictive statement

to Murali- yes they are good composers but it’s ridiculous to think they are better that Rahman….the music of the others has no international appeal while Rahman’s music could be liked by non-Indians as well as Indians

u can’t denigrate him by calling him just an arranger…what about songs like Nila Kagirathu from Indira or Ekla Chalo from Bose?

Rahman is the king.

NO.

R D Burman composed the Raina Beeti Jaaye and Dum Maro Dum
Raveendran composed Sundari Sundari Onnorungi Vaa and Harimuraliravam
Even the plagarist Pritam composed Mere Dolna and Dhoom Again
Illayaraja composed the ultimate reethigowla song – chinna kannan and also Kattukuyile of Dalapathi

Rahman is a good arranger. There are better music directors than him.

ALSO…there is LESS music in malayalam..an average malayalam movie may have 2 songs while a film in another indian language has 4-6…..

id say that most malayalees think their culture is superior to that of indians in other states actually…

and those who compare Rahman unfavorably to Raveendran…look at it this way

Raveendran composed His Highness Abdulla

while Rahman composed Sangamam (full carnatic) AND Boys

can Raveendran (or ANY indian music director) do that?

NO.

Also…yes there have been many great movies in malayalam…but i think we overrate them by saying they are on par with world classics….of course they are on par with indian classics….but even very good indian films are far below the standards of the best american/european cinema

that being said…a good movie is a good movie (whether it is art/commercial/action/comedy/drama)…so no point in putting too much emphasis on language