Regional Content Outshines Artificial Ring Light Clamour

For years, the term ‘content creator’ conjured images of ring lights and trendy dances. But as digital platforms have matured, something else took shape — an ecosystem where individuals with cameras and microphones began solving problems, amplifying marginalised voices and shaping public discourse. Today, content creators are educators, fundraisers, community-builders and sometimes, lifelines.

AKA Malayali

Sanish Bhaskaran from Kochi is a loved name among his huge Malayali followers. His journey as a content creator has been deeply inspiring. As a millennial, he grew up in a time filled with stories, meaningful conversations, and real human interactions. Back then, being good at cracking jokes or narrating movie plots could make you popular among friends—and Sanish loved being that storyteller. He was also fascinated by advertisements and how they conveyed powerful narratives in just a few seconds.

So, when he ventured into digital content creation, human stories came naturally. However, the digital world wasn’t part of Sanish’s initial plan. Sainish says, “It was only after I said goodbye to my 15-year corporate journey that I began to see digital media as a platform for content creation.”

But Sanish made it big even in the world of speech and expression. His first major step into this space was Made In Kerala, a podcast-style interview series with Radio City India featuring Bollywood celebrities of Malayali origin. The show won a national award and received extensive promotion on YouTube and Instagram, helping Sanish establish a distinct identity online. Soon, people began associating him with conversations about Kerala culture and Bollywood Malayalis—and that’s when his digital journey genuinely took off with the start of his stories known as ‘AKA Malayali’.

Sanish says, “I don’t use social media as a means of income or profession. Nor do I do brand deals or endorsements.” Social media has helped him connect with real-life heroes whose stories have genuinely struck a chord with him. From spending around 45 days or more with a person to seeing them work and toil around. Sanish adds, “We often put ourselves on a pedestal and glorify our own worries, but when you listen to other people’s stories, you realise how blessed you truly are.” Unlike other content creators, Sanish only posts when he has a story worth telling. He is not bothered about follower counts, views, and other metrics. Sanish shares how Ratnam Teacher (68), a woman paralysed by polio since childhood, received a motorised wheelchair sponsored by a couple from Kochi after her story was featured in a video he created. He says, “It was her life’s most cherished dream. Now she finally sees the sky every day.” He believes such achievements keep him going.

Made of Coimbatore

It all started with just an urge to present the city we grew up in and the people we grew up watching most authentically,” says Akshaya Chandrasekaran, Co-Founder of Made of Coimbatore. Akshaya believes that ‘raw authenticity’ is the hero of any content. It resonates with the audience. She views this work as an act of community building because it gives everyone in Coimbatore the agency to be part of the city’s narrative. Akshaya says, “Most of the people featured on our page have gained good recognition from the mainstream media after our content went viral. Many get good traction with their business.”

Akshaya aims to take Made of Coimbatore to greater heights and develop a stronger form of storytelling. She wants to explore more diverse content formats and bring local stories into mainstream media.

Content creation today is more than just product disclosures and brand marketing. It serves as a voice for those who are confined by life, situations and chaos. It’s these regional creators who remind us that every ordinary life holds a story worth telling, irrespective of the language. After all, the most powerful narratives are the ‘unfiltered’ and ‘unspoken’ ones closest to the home and heart!

Pink Lungi

Who says places confine you? Sometimes you live in a place yet have your heart pounding for your roots. The journey of Pink Lungi is no different. Aishwarya Gopinath and Govindan Kurumangattu, the Co-Founders of Pink Lungi, a page dedicated to their south-Indian roots, describe their journey as “a mixed bag.” A blend of passion, nostalgia, and difficult phases that tested their resilience. PinkLungi began in 2019 purely out of love for Kerala. While living in Mumbai, the duo found themselves constantly reminiscing about home, and soon realised how many others felt the same. What started as an emotional outlet—celebrating Kerala’s humour, people, quirks, and everyday charm—gradually evolved into something far bigger. Today, PinkLungi has become a space where Malayalis feel seen and represented. Aishwarya says, “My introduction to digital content creation happened almost accidentally.” She began as a writer at Fork Media, and also then ran The Indian Burger Blogger, a playful passion project that unintentionally honed her eye for aesthetics and visual storytelling.

Govindan, meanwhile, emerged from the blogging era, writing online since high school and later working as a Development Editor, where he sharpened his grasp of narrative and structure. When they built PinkLungi, her visual instincts and his editorial sensibilities merged seamlessly, shaping the platform’s voice and identity. Storytelling, for them,

is deeply tied to community. Govindhan says, “Kerala is filled with people doing extraordinary things, and we just want these things to come out through our platform.”

Whether it is about teachers knitting for cancer survivors or entrepreneurs building meaningful ventures. “For us, storytelling is community building,” they say. PinkLungi has become a bridge for the Malayali diaspora, helping people feel closer to home and proud of their roots.

The duo hope that PinkLungi strengthens global understanding of Malayalis—not through stereotypes, but through creativity, resilience, humour, and excellence. “If they grow, we grow,” they say, a philosophy at the very core of PinkLungi’s community-driven mission.