Over the past week, Kerala found itself hunting for Sukumara Kurup again.
Regional news channels competed to track down the state’s most elusive fugitive, with one of them pursuing his supposed trail all the way to Brunei.
It even flashed photographs of a man, claiming that he matched the known characteristics of Kurup.
Four decades after he allegedly staged his disappearance following the murder of Chacko — a man of similar build — as part of an insurance fraud, Kurup remains one of Kerala’s most enduring mysteries.
The case has inspired three films, and spurred countless speculative reports about his whereabouts.
This time, as the news spread, social media quickly joined the hunt. The result was a torrent of trolls and memes even as the story began to unravel.
A native of Wadakkanchery claimed that the man being identified as Kurup was actually his brother.
Much of the humour was aimed at TRP-harvesting. One widely used visual came from the 1991 comedy ‘Mookilla Rajyathu’, featuring actors Thilakan, Jagathy Sreekumar, Siddique and Mukesh.
In the meme, three of them, named as news channels, are wondering about the whereabouts of the fourth character — Kurup, of course.
Other memes took aim at the enthusiasm surrounding the alleged sighting. News channel anchors, of course, were not spared.
Another one showed Kurup bearing a striking resemblance to a former minister, with the caption: ‘Kurup found within Thiruvananthapuram Corporation limits.’
Yet another showed an anchor declaring, ‘Kurupe, kali mathiyakkaam’, against a visual from a Dulquer Salmaan film.
Even babies were dragged into the investigation. One meme showed police confronting an adorable-looking child, who insists he knows nothing about ‘Kurup’ but is familiar with only ‘kurukku’ (porridge) and ‘murukku’ (a traditional snack).
Then came the crossover comedy. In a series of memes, Ayachuma, the Instagram vlog character known for her unmistakable Malappuram slang, confronts Kurup in Malaysia and Japan, trying to corner him with a relentless stream of questions.
Some memes imagined Kurup in more mundane situations: standing between newly married couples and blessing them, or casually walking through the roads of Technopark in Thiruvananthapuram.
The Kurup phenomenon also proved irresistible to marketers.
An ice cream parlour and a food delivery app used the fugitive in promotional posts. A salad bar claimed that Kurup had maintained his energy and agility by eating its salads.
Chimmini Ecotourism proclaims that he had chosen the destination for its privacy and natural beauty, away from the people searching for him.
A backpackers’ stay, meanwhile, imagined that Kurup had found its facilities sufficiently safe and hospitable to serve as a hideout far from the madding crowd.
And the memes keep coming.
With reports that the government is now considering steps to close the case, the ‘Kurup industry’ on social media may only get busier.
Alive or dead. Kerala or Brunei. Kurup has remained elusive. But four decades on, the mystery continues to intrigue Malayalis.