Kannur: English and Malayalam syllabi are no longer confined to the classics. At both Calicut and Kannur Universities, today’s curriculum reflects pop culture, contemporary media and visual storytelling—featuring everything from Michael Jackson’s music and Instagram reels to hard-hitting photo features and rap lyrics by Kerala's very own Vedan.

In Calicut University’s fourth-semester Malayalam syllabus, students now explore the evolving tastes of a generation through lessons that include reels, web series, podcasts and music by Vedan—a rapper known for blending social commentary with local flavour. One of his songs, "Bhoomi njan vaazhunna idam" is featured for comparative analysis alongside Michael Jackson’s ‘They Don’t Care About Us’ in a lesson crafted by academic Arun Potti. Both tracks are studied through their lyrical expression and performance style, aided by video links.

Adding further layers, the syllabus also explores the reimagination of classical art forms. For instance, the viral video version of the Kathakali padam "Ajitha Hare", sung by Gauri Lakshmi and popularised by the Kottayam PSC dance troupe and the Muringoor Sankar troupe, is included to examine how traditional arts are adapting to modern platforms.

Meanwhile, at Kannur University, the fourth-semester English course includes a poignant photo feature titled "Jeevanashini" (The Destroyer of Life), originally published in the 2010 edition of Mathrubhumi Weekly. The feature—captured by Mathrubhumi photo editor Madhuraj—depicts the suffering of Endosulfan victims in Kasaragod. It is part of a module titled ‘Non-textual Narratives’, which studies alternative forms of expression such as photojournalism, soundscapes and documentaries.

Also included is a documentary on the legendary Malayalam writer Kovilan, directed by M A Rahman, as students explore how multimedia storytelling contributes to collective memory and cultural studies.