The first major novel in Malayalam was Indulekha and was written by O.Chandhu Menon. It was a landmark in the history of Malayalam literature. The story refers to Indhu, the main character, who is 18-year-old beautiful well educated Nair lady. This was written when Nairs in Kerala emerged as upper class and flourished with high education during British rule. Response was huge for the novel which encouraged many other novelists.