Under Indian law, the publication and distribution of "obscene" material are restricted under the Indian Penal Code (Section 292) and the Information Technology Act. However, the definition of "obscene" is subjective. What is art to one is obscenity to another. As a result, bloggers have faced harassment, websites have been shut down, and many writers live in constant fear of legal action.

Some notable collections of Malayalam short stories include:

The genre became a commercially recognizable entity in the 20th century with the rise of modern Malayalam prose and the printing press. Popular weekly magazines and small-scale publishers began catering to a growing readership interested in "yellow journalism" and adult fiction.

Malayalam Kambi Kadhakal has its roots in traditional Malayalam literature, which dates back to the 10th century. The genre, however, gained significant popularity in the 1980s and 1990s, with the rise of erotic literature in India. Initially, these stories were shared through oral traditions, with traveling bards and storytellers narrating tales of love, desire, and sensuality.