AI crows, Haaland, Mohanlal: How Kerala Police built a 2-million-strong Instagram community

A crow sipping beer before crashing into a tree to warn against drunk driving; Malayalam superstar Mohanlal delivering his iconic line, "Narcotics is a dirty business"; and an AI-generated Erling Haaland reminding Malayalis to wear helmets.

This is not the Instagram feed of a content creator. It belongs to the Kerala Police.

Humour, AI-generated reels and celebrity collaborations have transformed Kerala Police's Instagram page from a government notice board into one of India's most engaging public service accounts. The strategy has helped it cross 2 million followers, a first for an official police account globally, according to the State Police Media Centre.

Its Facebook page has also built a strong community with 2.3 million followers. By comparison, Delhi Police and Bengaluru City Police have around 793,000 and 593,000 Instagram followers respectively, while the New York State Police has just 164,000.

One of its most-watched reels, with 5.6 million views, highlights the dangers of reckless overtaking. It opens with the soothing Malayalam song “Thulasi... Nithya Kalyani” before a scooter attempting to overtake a private bus narrowly misses another two-wheeler. Just as a collision seems inevitable, the music abruptly cuts to an awkward "Usheee", catching viewers off guard before delivering the road safety message.

Another AI-generated reel, viewed over one million times, shows a crow drinking beer, munching peanuts and then flying straight into a tree. Set to the popular Malayalam lyric “Sangathi Kuzhanjallo, Thalayokke Karanganallo”, the video carries a simple warning: don't drink and drive.

When memes replaced notices
When the Kerala Police Social Media Cell was launched in 2018, it quickly gained attention for replacing dry government messaging with trolls, memes and witty replies on Facebook. Popular Malayalam film dialogues, internet humour and clever puns became its trademark.

"In today's digital world, policing cannot function without public engagement. Policing is for the people, and maintaining public order requires involving the public. Young people, especially, are on these platforms. Very few people read conventional notices or advisories anymore, so social media became the best way to reach them," says DGP Manoj Abraham, who first headed the social media team in 2018.

Despite the slick production and steady stream of viral content, the operation remains remarkably lean. The department's social media accounts are currently managed by Senior Civil Police Officer Arun B T and Havildar Nidheesh C under the supervision of Cyber Operations SP Ankit Ashok.

According to Abraham, the team was selected after identifying personnel with technical skills in designing posts, editing videos and creating digital content. They were later trained extensively, including with professional social media creators outside Kerala.

"Attitude was equally important," Abraham says. "They couldn't behave like conventional police officers who simply issue orders or argue with people online. They had to remain approachable."

The team was also trained in police procedures, relevant laws and handling public queries.

Walking the humour tightrope
Humour, however, comes with risks. To ensure posts remain appropriate, every piece of content goes through two levels of scrutiny, first by an Inspector and then by the Superintendent of Police before publication.

"Even then, mistakes can happen. Something intended to be light-hearted may offend a section of the public. When that happens, we simply withdraw the post. If we later realise something wasn't appropriate, we delete it," Abraham says.

He recalls one such dilemma during the Covid-19 pandemic.

"We had a video of police personnel dancing in uniform while explaining handwashing and other safety measures. I wasn't sure how people would react. Would they mock the police? We decided to try it. If it hadn't worked, we would have withdrawn it. That has always been our approach."

Celebrities & AI
The department has also increasingly turned to celebrity collaborations and AI to amplify its campaigns. Actor Nivin Pauly introduced himself as Kerala's "first Vigilance Commando" in a collaboration promoting Project Zero, with the caption: "Proud to be Kerala's first Vigilance Commando. Corruption ends where our resistance begins."

During the football season, Kerala Police posted an AI-generated video showing Erling Haaland riding a motorcycle on Kerala roads while wearing a helmet. The caption read: "Instagram is so cool. We posted a helmet awareness video featuring Haaland, and some guy named Erling commented, 'Nice'."

Weeks later, the department followed it up with another meme showing someone scanning Instagram through binoculars, hoping Haaland would comment. One user joked, "Bro we're about to lose 1000 Aura. Pls help." That reel alone crossed 4.6 million views.

"Every day we monitor what's trending. It could be a Lionel Messi goal or an outstanding save by a goalkeeper. We think about how we can creatively use those trends to communicate our message. The presentation style also has to evolve constantly. That's what connects with people," Abraham says.

Beyond humour, much of Kerala Police's content focuses on public awareness. Its Instagram feed regularly explains how to report hacked WhatsApp accounts, call the 112 emergency helpline, identify cyber fraud and stay safe online. Several campaigns also support the state's anti-drug initiative, Operation Toofan, through short-form videos aimed at younger audiences.

The department also uses social media to humanise the police force. Alongside enforcement videos are clips of officers changing punctured tyres, helping stranded motorists, playing with children and assisting people in distress.

The team closely tracks audience engagement.

"We monitor likes, engagement and public responses using software. We study negative comments to understand what triggered them and address those concerns. Our goal is always to build a positive perception.

"The challenge is that some incidents such as custodial deaths immediately affect public sentiment. The anger gets directed at our platforms. Managing that sentiment over the following days becomes a major task.

"We continue posting positive content consistently and gradually try to rebuild public confidence through regular engagement," Abraham said.