What did the legendary movie Avatar do to an average Malayali?
We marvelled at the technological advancements in the film industry. Dropped our jaws wide open every time director, James Cameron's name was mentioned. Dressed our kids up as Avatar characters during fashion show competitions.
But, Lakshmi Menon derived positive energy from the movie and turned it to something productive. Inspired by the movie Avatar, Lakshmi visualized about her own new channel on YouTube.
The absence of Malyalis in this field finally gave her the impetus to make this dream a reality.
Releasing numerous videos ranging from social issues to pure entertainment topics, she surely is an epitome of versatility.
When quizzed on how she chooses these topics she said: "Current relevance is a major factorial for deciding. I also incorporate fun ideas suggested by friends or observed by me while browsing through the net. Films and TV criticism also constitute integral subjects in many of my videos"
One of her emboldened creations was the "rotten coconut awards" that celebrated the worst performances and contributions to the Malayalam film industry.
"All of us have watched awards given by channels in ceremonies laced with egoism. I felt it was high time to bring to attention the worst movies and the creators behind it. As someone who is close to a lot of people in the industry it is a bit of a hazzle, since, you might make more enemies than friends. However, I was actually taken aback by the sportive spirit of the Malayalam film fraternity. Further, I was even encouraged by a lot of prominent personalities who nudged me to conduct it every year. A downside to all the accolades that came my way was that I had to painfully sit through all the rotten movies produced in Malayalam." she added on a humorous note.
Her new video on net neutrality that simplified this complex topic was recently shared by Aashiq Abu. When queried on her reaction to this, she said, "Aashiq & Rima are two people who are not afraid to voice their opinions on any socially relevant issues .When I was researching on net neutrality the one thing that I found was most of the videos were too complex to be understood by a layman, so simplifying it for the audience was my primary agenda. Producing this concept in the simplest way possible induced Aashiq who viewed the video, to further share it. It was not only a huge boost to my confidence, it also increased the reach of the debate on net neutrality to the common man.”
A recurrent trait amongst Youtubers across the world is featuring celebrities in their videos, but Lakshmi not being a fan of the 'usual' said playfully: " My Vlog is my personal space, its just me myself and I.”
“Moreover, I wouldn't want anyone to steal my thunder." she added, giggling.
When asked if we could expect any future projects that may be in the pipeline she said rather exuberantly, "Yes yes, I have a lot of ideas in my mind, I'm now looking at ways to convert these ideas into videos"
She admits without a hint of hesitation that she's still working her way around the technical side of video making. "I am still confused how to make this wretched camera with 1500 settings to function. But, you can always count on me to search and employ various ideas and techniques to communicate my themes in a better manner. In fact, I recently invested on a new microphone for better sound quality." she added, clearly keeping the interest of her viewers in mind.
When quizzed about the support she receives from her family she said, "My family is my strength. Seeing my interest in this field my mum gifted me a new camera to aid my videos. While most of my angles on current issues are developed after a heated debate with my husband (which I invariably win), my daughter has been my only co star who is allowed to steal my thunder."
When queried where she sees herself and her channel in five years she said, "the only thing I know about is of the present because, I live in it and I do not know about the future."
Being a forerunner in this field amongst the Malayali community one might assume she would impart words of wisdom at the drop of the hat. But unpredictable as she is, she answered rather humorously, "Kids, don't start Vlogging. I do not like competition because you guys might do a better job than me."
Lakshmi Menon leaves you in stitches not only in her videos but with her fun filled answers as well. While her channel houses around 12,000 subscribers you can count on this endearing woman to produce more viral videos to appease her viewers palate.