Volume VI Special Issue VI September 2026

Name of Author : Vaishakhi Pillai

Title of the paper : Digitalising the Never Ending Lives of Indigenous Folklore: Reframing Kalliyankattu Neeli in the Contemporary Social Media Platforms

Abstract: Any human conversation is an exchange of a unique story. Our culture is rich and dynamic when it comes to the number of stories that make up the identity of our society. Modern day storytelling methods have evolved into numerous forms that were born from an extended means of creative production. Folklore is such an art that existed in oral form, which was later spread by communal storytelling and created a community cultural memory. In this digital age, a contemporary approach to popularising the indigenous folklore is actively undertaken by social media platforms, which offer a wider range of audience and more creative endevours to represent the already known in a novel form. This study aims to understand the digital portrayal, preservation, and transformation of Kalliyankattu Neeli, a prominent supernatural figure in Kerala folklore history. Through the analysis of qualitative data and content study, this research makes use of major digital spaces like YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, podcasts, and online discussion forums as its primary resource of investigation. This paper argues that the digital spaces of modern times are helping in the reinterpretation and survival of the narrative of Neeli. They act as modern extensions of the oral storytelling traditions. While the new interpretations silently carry within them the aestheticisation, reinterpretations, and commercialisation of the folklore, it still maintains the relevance of indigenous folklore among the youth, with a wider spectrum of meanings assigned to it.

Keywords : Folklore preservation, Kalliyankattu Neeli, Kerala folklore, digital culture, social media, narrative representations.

DOI :

Page Number : 292-302