Art, literature and performance in the age of social media: Exploring alternative aesthetics in home cinemas of Malabar

Abstract

This paper introduces a new aesthetic framework to the media culture. It aims to examine the home cinema trend initiated in Malabar throughout the 2000s. Video films, referred to as home movies in Malabar, are a novel development in popular culture. The industry has generated several titles and elevated many producers, entrepreneurs, performers, and technicians to prominence. The phrase ‘home movie’ signifies an intermediary realm between television and cinema. The video business is propelled by local markets initially originating from Malabar, is expanding swiftly to other regions, particularly Gulf nations. The success of the home movie movement hinges on the acceptance or rejection of its dedicated followers who anticipate the eventual release of a new picture on DVD. We contend that these home videos originate from the Mappila, an indigenous Muslim group, and via these films, the artists endeavor to encapsulate the community’s existence inside the frame. These films chronicle and reconstruct socio-political and cultural events occurring both inside and without the nation’s boundaries, particularly in the Gulf nations. The community was promptly impacted by the home cinema, since they saw these films as closely connected to their culture and daily existence, accurately portraying the community.