Cinema is often looked upon as a source of entertainment. However, cinema has a much larger purpose to serve. As with any medium of art, cinema must offer an avenue for spiritual enlightenment. It must help us feel, think and reflect on the larger picture of our lives. It must help us build inroads into ourselves.

'Reel to Real' is a book that explores the human mind through an analysis of the characters portrayed in Malayalam cinema. It critically analyzes the human mind through the narrative of cinema and draws valuable conclusions with regard to the motivational drives of the human mind. The films mentioned under different themes in this book are valuable in the inferences they draw with regard to the factors that shape mental health. They breathe life into the theories of personality and shape our attitude to mental illness. This would be a valuable guide to film makers, mental health practitioners, parents and teachers.

In an era dominated by the progressive deterioration of mental health, there is a need to revive cinema from a psychological perspective. This book bridges science and art, and provides a rare perspective on mental health.