4 min readNew DelhiSep 11, 2026 04:34 PM IST
People are using their selfies to create AI-generated versions of 1980s Kerala family portraits, wedding photographs, college pictures and old-school cinema posters.The 1980s AI photo trend has been doing the rounds on Instagram, with users turning ordinary photographs into portraits inspired by the fashion, hairstyles and photography of the decade. But the trend has now gone beyond generic retro looks, with people giving it a distinctly regional twist.
And if you grew up watching Malayalam films, there is now a way to see yourself as a South Indian superstar straight out of the ’80s.
Users are recreating Kerala-inspired retro portraits that look as though they have been pulled from an old film reel. Instead of simply adding a vintage filter, these AI-generated images attempt to recreate the visual language of the era, from soft studio lighting and analogue film grain to traditional clothing, hairstyles and familiar Kerala settings.
