As more and more malls open in the state, offering anything from high-end fashion to state of the art theatre screens under one roof, cities like Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram are becoming colourful hubs for socialising. The numerous open events held at the central courts of the malls on every occasion, like Onam, Christmas, Ramzaan, Independence Day,
Mother’s day, only adds to the colourful range of entertainment these spaces offer. With the launch of HiLite Mall in Kozhikode and eleven new screens opening at Kochi’s Centre Square recently and many more malls like the Prestige Forum Mall, Great India Palace in Kochi and Mall of Travancore and a second Lulu Mall in Thiruvananthapuram getting ready, the mall culture is reaching new heights.
“I head to the mall very often with my friends and it’s one of our favourite hangouts. Our favourite pass time is window shopping at these places. You don’t require much money, but you can still have lots of fun just walking around and checking out the different things on display. We rarely purchase stuff, unless we are heading out there with the specific idea of a shopping splurge,” says Sangeetha, a third year student of BA French in Kochi.
The many options like ice skating, gaming zones and 5D and 6D cinemas that are exclusive to these spaces are also an attraction for the youngsters.
A model and production executive with an event management company, Sangeeth Joseph says. “Mall is a place where one can shop, watch a movie or just head out for an outing with your friends. You have plenty of shops for all needs inside a mall and you don’t have to hunt down different shops or go from one place to another. You also have a lot of entertainment programmes that happen at the malls during festivals like Onam and Christmas and it’s a good way to pass time.”
Even the Mollywood industry is adapting to the mall culture with many are even giving up the high-end hotel settings for the more humble mall setting for their audio launches as the latter offers wider publicity.
For celebs too the malls offer a more high-end shopping destination where they can comfortably shop and many are frequently spotted in these centres. “To me malls are more of a place for shopping than for hanging out. You practically get anything and everything under one roof. While my mother can do all her grocery shopping at one end, I get to check out all the fashionable outlets at the other. So it’s a very convenient way for shopping for me,” says actress Namitha.
Shilpa, a second year BA Sociology student in Kochi agrees and adds, “Initially, when a new mall has just opened, it’s fun to head to the mall for just hanging out, but later, as the malls become over-crowded, there is a lack of privacy. So I don’t choose it as a hangout spot with friends anymore. But when I’m heading out shopping, malls are my first choice because you get everything under one roof. I also prefer the theatres in the malls when going for movies.”
