A STUDY ON BOLLYWOOD’S REPRESENTATION OF KERALA: ANALYZING MALAYALI AUDIENCE PERCEPTIONS

Abstract

This study examines how Bollywood represents Kerala and how Malayali audiences perceive these portrayals. Bollywood films often show Kerala through repeated visuals such as backwaters, coconut trees, Kathakali, festivals, and exaggerated accents. The research problem focuses on whether these portrayals are viewed as authentic or stereotypical by Malayali audiences. The objectives of the study are to understand audience perceptions, identify common stereotypes, and examine the impact of these portrayals on cultural identity. A quantitative research method was used for the study. Data was collected through a structured questionnaire using Google Forms from 90 Malayali respondents who had watched selected Bollywood films featuring Kerala. The collected data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and other basic analytical methods.

The findings show that most respondents feel Bollywood often misrepresents Kerala’s culture, language, and lifestyle through stereotypes. Many participants also believed these portrayals influence outsider perceptions of Kerala. The study concludes that Bollywood should focus on more accurate and culturally respectful representations of Kerala.