Funtastically yours

To make an opinion heard or talent known, there’s no better platform than social media. Malayalis have, from the beginning, realised its immense possibilities, to easily advertise on the multi-utility space the things they want others to know. If it has to go down well with the audience, the easiest way is to be funny. As in the years gone by, trolls, videos and images made 2017 too much happening.

Troll posts or memes have successfully been raising the bar. If they arrived here as a medium to make people laugh, these have now become a go-to place to air your concerns on anything that matters to the public, with an added pinch of humour. Just browse through the popular troll posts and this becomes evident. Here you get a low-down on what has happened and what they were about.

Dubsmash videos done on an Android app got popular, to bring forth acting talents beyond the big and small screens. To imitate or lip-sync popular film dialogues (mainly humorous ones), many of them could showcase exceptional performances to be on par with actors who originally enacted it for cinema. From the comforts of their own homes, social media offered them an opportunity like never before to showcase talent at less or no cost. It was an ideal platform for those who love to experiment on novelty, like costumes, makeup, settings and so on. Malayalis living in India and abroad are in the popularity charts winning the hearts of lakhs of followers the world over.

Girl with the perfect comic timing

I wonder if I would have been known to this level had I been into acting. My daddy was a great visionary who predicted it well in advance that there is so much of scope in social media to establish one’s identity. I am getting the results by following his advice.  

As the daughter of Thara Kalyan, I have been receiving acting offers, but my parents always dreamt of making me a dancer, for which they sacrificed a lot.
For many, to be in cinema is a dream. Some are pushed into an utter state of depression when it does not take off. Social media is here and provided we utilise it well, there is immense possibility for all aspiring actors to fare well. All it takes is the love and support of the viewers. Our followers are the gifts we receive in return.

It has been a year and I could do as many characters as I wished. I could handle comedy and serious roles or be a hero or heroine, it all depends on my choice. If

I were in cinema, I’d have done a movie in a year. To do a Dubsmash video, I don’t have to wait for opportunities to come knocking and I can shoot the videos on my own. It’s a good stress-reliever also.

Even when I do my own videos, I never miss an opportunity to watch and appreciate the works of others. I get so many of them as messages and Facebook tags. Sometimes, I’d try pairing up with others and do a Dubsmash video.

(Artiste Sowbhagya Venkitesh is popular for her Dubsmash videos on social media)

‘Call it meme, dude’

It’s high time we got used to the word meme instead of trolls. Troll has sort of negative connotation since it does not support our motto of keeping a healthy platform for discussion. Widely discussed memes were mostly political. From demonetisation, black money, moral policing, fuel price hike, and the Nehru College incident to anti-national sentiments, we had a take on everything that mattered to the public. Our panel, of admins and moderators, has clearly stated that we’d not encourage any post that are anti-women or racial.

The top spots of popularity are occupied by posts on Kummanadi, emerged during the launch of Kochi Metro. It is followed closely by Mooppan in Pulimurugan to take a dig at extravagant boasting. Prime Minister Modi comes next. Whenever new reforms are announced, posts come. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan hogged the limelight for long. MP Shashi Tharoor’s widely discussed tweets were another favourite.

 In images and videos, new things were attempted. There was a bid to post 3D memes, which was not quite successful to mark the beginning of a trend. Chalu Pe Charcha, a talk show involving celebrities, is the latest from us.

(Hrishikesh Bhaskaran, admin of International Chalu Union)

Trollscape

The day when Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan lashed out a Kadakku Purathu against media, a pricey catch went to troll-makers. The remark was celebrated by the creative heads on various contexts

No other movie dialogue was hailed in Malayalam cinema in 2017 like Kauthukam lesham kooduthala of Hareesh Kanaran in Godha. It continued unabated till the end of the year

Ente Hridayathinte Vadakku Kizhakke Attathu was a short film that went viral on a single piece of dialogue, Enthinada chakkare nee achan pattathinu poye?  Internet had a swell time