Malayalam softcore pornography was a popular genre of softcore pornography produced in the Indian state of Kerala in the Malayalam language. Popularly known as Mallu porn films or B-grade films, they are mostly recognised as low-quality films with fairly low budgets. They emerged alongside mainstream Malayalam cinema of Kerala in the 1980s.

Adipapam (1988) is regarded as the first successful Malayalam film with softcore nudity, and it is considered to have started the trend of softcore films in Malayalam. Despite facing a temporary decline in the 1990s, the genre's popularity grew after the successful release of Kinnara Thumbikal (2000), which starred Shakeela. This period was termed the Shakeela tharangam (Shakeela wave). There is a general consensus that the films, which critics called vulgar and crude, were the backbone of the Malayalam film industry during its worst period. In 2001, around 64% of the total films produced in Malayalam were of the softporn variety. In conjunction with the rise of the internet in India, the genre began to decline.

To evade the Central Board of Film Certification, certain scenes were shot separately and not shown to the board. Many theatre owners and distributors illegally inserted nudity from foreign films or hardcore pornography into the films.

Although Malayalam softcore pornographic films had sexually suggestive plots, film historians do not consider them overtly explicit or simply pornographic.

In mainstream Indian movies, the hero (male lead) is normally central to the plot. Malayalam softcore pornographic films presented their heroines at the center. Female leads often portrayed unfaithful wives, women with a busy sex life, or "everyday" women. In Malayalam B-grade films, male roles were functionally supplementary, with the heroine and her sexuality emphasised. Women in the films are stereotypically at least 25 years old and in desperate need of sexual intimacy. Heroines are often dressed in scanty clothes that exposed midriffs and cleavage.

Malayalam and Tamil actress Revathi criticised the concept of B-grade films, saying: "Why are we so obsessed with women’s bodies anyway? When we talk about sexism, we keep talking about the same things. What we need is gender sensitization of everyone involved with the film industry".

Several actresses launched their career through the Malayalam softcore pornographic films, including Abhilasha, who is considered one of the forerunners of this genre. Silk Smitha, who had gained success with dance numbers in the early 1980s, also became an integral part of the industry. Many actresses and actors who gained success in other genres also acted in several B-grade films that were not explicit compared to the normal softcore genre. These actors became well known within the genre, and included Prameela, Unni Mary, Disco Shanti, Anuradha, Madhuri, Jyothilakshmi, Kuyili, T. G. Ravi and Ratheesh.

Shakeela, who was prolific in the early 2000s, is commonly considered the quintessential star of the softcore genre. Reshma and Maria were also prominent. Maria transitioned to the genre after acting in mainstream Malayalam films such as Nirnayam, Pallavoor Devanarayanan, Megham and Chandranudikkunna Dikkil. In the early 2000s, the genre also featured actresses such as Sindhu, Rajini, Devika, Roshni, Sharmili and Alphonsa.