It takes a village to raise a child, goes the popular African proverb. In the digital era, one could adapt that to 바카라It takes a village to raise a YouTube channel바카라, going by residents of Palamarneri village in Tamil Nadu.
The panchayat, located along the Kaveri river, about halfway between Tiruchirappalli and Thanjavur is a busy place these days, with every resident, from school-going children to grandmoms, carrying out designated tasks to run their village themed channel, officially called Palamaarneri Panjayatu, but popular in the district as Cinema Village. This is where they showcase their talents, in dancing as well as farming.
바카라We can바카라t afford to hire famous personalities from tinsel town. All we do is make people from our village learn the skills needed for making videos, and, in the process, teach them to work hard and find satisfaction in it. That is why most of our viewers are in foreign countries,바카라 says Kalaiyarasan, the founder of the YouTube channel.
A few minutes from Palamarneri panchayat is the Grand Anicut Kallanai (canal), commissioned by the early Chola king Karikala Cholan in 150 AD, which features prominently in the videos of Cinema Village, especially in the choreographed sequences of Tamil folk songs from the 1980s that first captured the attention of netizens, to whom, these videos, with a background of emerald paddy, banana plantations, flying cranes and flowing water, recreated what is popularly known as the Golden Era of Tamil cinema, when most Tamil films had similar pastoral settings.
Kalaiyarasan was born and raised in Palamarneri by parents who were agricultural labourers. When he decided to start his YouTube channel, he would cycle 7 km to Puthalur every day, from where he travelled by train for an hour to Trichy to learn editing. 바카라I started my YouTube channel when smartphones and internet were less accessible to people. When I started making these videos, no one helped me. So, dealing with the initial costs was difficult,바카라 he says.
Despite all the odds, Kalaiyarasan바카라s unique editing and cinematography style, unencumbered by canonical aesthetics, along with the quaint subject matters, caught the fancy of his viewers. Skills he learnt at the videography course, and later honed with his experiments, have now been disseminated among the villagers. As his channel gained popularity on social media, people from the neighbouring villages started approaching him for tutorials.
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The YouTube channel, which has around 5 lakh subscribers and has reached 13 crore viewers till date, fetches a steady income, and has diversified from videos recreating film songs to producing original songs, which talk about mundane day life in his village바카라love, lust, betrayal, lost love, farming woes, etc. Meanwhile Kalaiyarasan, who is the videographer and editor, has now progressed to become songwriter and producer of his own videos. One of his songs, on the theme of unrequited love, has 1.5 crore views. Not a mean achievement in this age of fickle attention spans.
바카라People like our videos of folk songs because of their originality and natural environment. These were once the sole entertainment of the rural working class. I think it is necessary to adapt these folk arts in modern mediums. Thanjavur is full of marvellous untutored folk artists and singers,바카라 says Kalaiyarasan, expressing his desire to expand his footprint while keeping the production low cost and free.
He says, 바카라I started my own production to uphold the latent talent in each of us. Why should we travel to Chennai and approach satellite channels for that, if we get the technical support here?바카라
Jebamalai Mary, the village matriarch, says, 바카라This channel has made a huge impact on us. Whenever there is a shoot, the village celebrates like it is a festival. Just imagine: had there been no Kalaiyarasan, we wouldn바카라t have known that our children can sing and dance just like film stars. He is God바카라s gift to our village, and everyone should make use of this venture to grow further.바카라
On the day of a shoot, the entire village buzzes with activity. Children and women help each other to make up and dress in costumes they have made themselves, while the elderly pack food for the outdoor jaunt, which turns into a picnic spot in no time.
바카라I have always been camera shy. But since no one came forward to act in a particular scene, I enacted the role of grandmother to my own grandson, Alwin, after Kalaiyarasan helped me get rid of my fears in front of the camera by enacting the scenes for me. I won바카라t forget that day ever,바카라 says Emalda Mary.
Her grandson Alwin, who studies in Class III in Thirukattupalli Government School, says his aim in life is to choreograph dance steps and make gospel videos. Palamarneri바카라s plucky star child actor recalls how his friends encouraged him to dance better when he forgot some steps, and how they helped him hide a scar on his nose with makeup.
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Despite all the excitement in their lives, the village youth are unhappy that they can바카라t take part in video productions all the time because of the harsh reality of their lives. 바카라Most people in our village don바카라t hold any land. They either work as agricultural labourers or go to cities for work. But all they say they have in their minds is to be part of the next shoot,바카라 says Kalaiyarasan.
Bala, 16, who does comic roles and mimics famous Tamil comedian Senthil, is one of the prime reasons for the channel바카라s success. Today, he is working in a brick kiln. Says Bala, 바카라I stopped studying after Class X board exams. During the Covid lockdown, we had to borrow money at high interest. I have to help my family.바카라 He pauses for a while and adds, 바카라But my mind is set on acting. So on sad days, I recall happy memories of my acting stint. Once I have solved our family바카라s immediate crisis, I intend to return to acting.바카라
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Bommi, a second year B.Com student, is popular among folk artists in the Thanjavur belt for a song written by Kalaiyarasan, about a woman바카라s desire for her fiancé, which has received 10 lakh views. She says her mom has stopped her from participating in any shoots till she finishes her studies. 바카라I have not trained in music till now. Singing came naturally to me, so I hummed along whenever I heard villagers sing while working in the paddy fields. I was surprised when my song drew huge appreciation among musicians,바카라 says Bommi, who hoped to persuade her mother to allow her to study music in Trichy Music College afterwards. Despite her mother바카라s strictures, the entire village is convinced this is what she should do.
바카라Filmstars Murali and Vijayakanth are my inspirations. They are dark-skinned, yet liked by people for their acting. I바카라m not bothered by popular definitions of beauty. All I want is to master acting skills,바카라 says the village 바카라hero바카라 Sathish, recalling a video in which he danced with a pair of transgenders to a film song, which was a huge hit. He adds, 바카라Only because of Kalaiyarasan바카라s help and encouragement of our villagers have I become what I바카라m now. Everyone in Thanjavur recognises me as the hero of Palamarneri.바카라
(This appeared in the print edition as "Cinema Paradiso")
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