Some people become famous without ever really becoming known. A livestream clip, an awkward reaction, a badly timed expression, a phrase turned into a meme — suddenly a person becomes public property, endlessly forwarded between phones.
That uneasy space between virality and identity forms the backdrop of Social Swamy, a documentary by Abhilash Babu centred on Naga Sairandhri Devi, better known online through explosive videos and meme culture than through her real life as Divya Rajan from Kollam.
The film’s first-look poster was unveiled at the 8th Independent and Experimental Film Festival. Produced through crowdfunding under the banner of The Weekend Academia, Thiruvananthapuram, the 91-minute documentary is currently in post-production.
“Naga Sairandhri Devi has become a cult figure on social media. Most people consume her as troll material or meme content. I wanted to look at the social side of her life instead,” says Abhilash.
Naga Sairandhri shot to fame following her ‘explosive’ live chats and the
viral ‘Babu Swami’ DJ remix video.
Rather than approaching her story as a straightforward profile, the filmmaker structures the documentary around the questions of caste, renunciation and visibility in contemporary society.
According to him, the film examines how ideas of sanyasam and caste have evolved throughout Indian history and mythology, and how those ideas intersect with Naga Sairandhri Devi’s life and online persona.
“The documentary is divided into four sections,” he explains. “The first layer explores the relationship between caste and sanyasam, especially how people from oppressed communities sometimes turn towards renunciation in search of social recognition or transformation. We juxtapose her life with similar figures from history and mythology.”
The second section traces her rise through livestreams and viral videos in a montage-like format. The third is an extended interview with Naga Sairandhri Devi herself, and the final section follows her daily life in an observational style, from people visiting her house to record wedding wishes and reels to ordinary public reactions when they encounter her outside the digital world.
“The documentary moves in a non-linear structure across these sections,” he says.
Crowdfunding, he adds, was also a political decision. “From my very first film onwards, I have been raising production expenses through friends and contacts on WhatsApp and social media. Since this project required comparatively less money, it was completed entirely through crowdfunding,” he adds. “When producers enter a project, their capital expectations may not always match the filmmaker’s ideas. So remaining independent was a political choice.”
For Abhilash, sticking to one format seems to be the only thing off limits in filmmaking. He made his feature directorial debut with ‘Aalokam: Ranges of Vision’ (2023), followed by ‘Maayunnu, Maarivarayunnu, Nisvaasangalil...’ (2024), a mockumentary that premiered at the 29th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK). His third film, ‘Krishnashtami: The Book of Dry Leaves’ (2025) was promoted as India’s first still-image film. The film also had its international premiere at the 48th Moscow International Film Festival.
“I want each film to feel different in both form and content. After working with mockumentary and anthology formats, this documentary became another attempt to explore a new mode of storytelling,” he says.
Following its festival run, Social Swamy is expected to be released either on OTT platforms or through YouTube. The film has already been submitted to IDSFFK.
The documentary is co-produced by Sethu Rajan, with cinematography by Rishak and camera assistance by Shyam Shankar. Editing is handled by Krishna Gopan, Hari Geetha Sadasivan and Robin Roy, while Jackson George serves as sound designer. The project design is by Shaji A John. Festival support is provided by Art Book Cinema.