The year 2017 is drawing to a close and, we must admit, it has been quite eventful for the internet. From political developments to films and more, the year saw meme makers of the internet working on overdrive.
TNM looks at eight instances in Kerala when the internet burst with hilarious memes that cracked us up.
1) A few months after the central government demonetised Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes to fight fake currencies, a BJP youth leader from Kerala was caught printing fake notes. Erasheri Rakesh, a panchayat committee member of the Yuva Morcha, was arrested for running a counterfeit currency racket in Thrissur.
The internet naturally had a merry time trolling the BJP member, who had previously led a protest march against fake notes.
Sanghi says that shortage in currency notes doesn’t affect him, he just prints them at home without going to any scoundrel banks. Meme by Nisha Kurian Susan in Troll Malayalam.
Read the story in detail here.
2) In June, the internet went ballistic over Metro Man E Sreedharan being excluded from the list of guests to be seated on the dais for the inauguration of Kochi Metro.
The high number of tweets and memes that was generated resulted in #PMOInsultsMetroMan trending on Twitter.
Malayalees reaction when we hear Metro Man E Sreedharan was excluded from dias of Kochi Metro launch by PMO#PMOInsultsMetroMan pic.twitter.com/nRuOnaRv6D
— Sudeep Basu (@SuBasu94) June 14, 2017
Read the story in detail here.
3) Of course you remember the time when Shashi Tharoor, MP from Kerala, broke the internet with one tweet. No? What an exasperating farrago of distortions!
In May, Tharoor took to Twitter to slam the English news channel Republic TV for airing an “expose” on the Sunanda Pushkar case.
“Exasperating farrago of distortions, misrepresentations&outright lies being broadcast by an unprincipled showman masquerading as a journalist,” the MP had tweeted, sending the internet into a frenzy. And Google was exploding with search queries for the word 'farrago,' he tweeted.
Read the story in detail here.
4) When Amit Shah came to Kerala in June this year, Malayalis had the perfect chance to win over social media with hilarious responses to the senior BJP leader’s visit to woo voters in the state.
The party’s stand on cow slaughter did not help them significantly in winning over the people of Kerala or at least people on social media.
See meme:
We welcome #AlavalathiShaji to kerala pic.twitter.com/dspNM3WgKO
— White Cockroach (@vellurtweets) June 2, 2017
Read the story in detail here.
5) Everybody knows a Malayali’s pride is hurt when you touch upon three things – Cinema, beef and coconuts. Self-proclaimed film critic Kamal R Khan got a taste of Malayali wrath on social media earlier this year when he called legendary actor Mohanlal “Chhota Bheem.” Ouch.
Speaking about the upcoming film Mahabharata starring Mohanlal, KRK said:
“Sir Mohanlal, you look like Chhota Bheem so then how will u play role of Bheem in Mahabharata? Why do you want to waste money of B R Shetty?”
To say that this one tweet got Malayalis worked up is an understatement.
“Da, da, you are finished!” reads this meme.
And this is not the only one.
നിർത്തി പോടെ ഊളെ... pic.twitter.com/pSPfwmGcfi
— PB7 (@Pepp1_) April 19, 2017
Read the story in detail here.
6) Remember the time the song Jimikki Kammal created waves on social media? The Sheril version was so popular that it crossed the borders of Kerala and even reached the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu.
Did you miss the Vadivelu version of Jimikki Kammal by some chance? Watch it now!
7) The controversy that erupted after three Muslim girls performed a flash mob in Malappuram must still be fresh in your minds. When religious fundamentalists abused the girls on social media saying they will land up in hell for defying their faith, the internet rightly gave it back in style.
Muslim conservative lies unconscious in hospital. What has led to this, you ask? He happened to watch video, says one.
Another wants to know what the terrifying video is.
“He logged on to Facebook to update a ‘Free Hadiya’ post and ended up watching his sister’s flash mob. He then collapsed, lamenting that she has turned non-religious,” comes the reply.
Read the story in detail here.
8) An RSS leader from Madhya Pradesh got a taste of Malayali pride when he put a bounty on the Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s head in March.
Malayali users descended on the Kundan Chandrawat’s official Facebook page, hurling abuses for daring to speak against their CM. Supporters of CPI(M)-led LDF government in the state proceeded to launch a massive “campaign” against the RSS leader.
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Police officer (Chandrawat): “I have hired people to behead you. Expect them anytime.”
Mohanlal (Pinarayi): *Cries in mockery* “Ayyo, I am really scared, I am really scared.”
Mohanlal walks off as the police officials stare at him.
Mohanlal (Pinarayi): “If you want, have tomato juice and leave!”
Read the story in detail here.