The other day I was watching a nondescript Hindi movie on TV. Actor Paresh Rawal was dressed as South Indian with egg head with a long ponytail wearing a Dhoti. When asked to introduce his family he says I got 3 Lyakshmi (Lakshmi prounced in South Indian accent). First comes his wife Laksmi attired in a Saree with conspicuously visible flower bedecked back of her head. The other two Lyakshmis were his young daughters, Bhagyalaksmi and Soubhagyalaksmi with their flowing waist long hear knotted nicely into breads accompanied their parents on a long road trip.
They happen to stop by a roadside DHABA (North Indian eatery). Looking at the menu all family members look confused and took some time to order. Finally Paresh Rawal in thick south Indian accent queries - "IDHAAR SAMBAR MILEGA" - Is Sambar (a popular South Indian dish) available here ?
Comedian Johny Lever, who plays the waiter taking order dressed as Sardarjee retorts back - OI MADRASI, DHABA MEIN SAMBAR MANGTA HAI. KYA USME ROTI DUBOKE KHAEGA, "O the guy from Madras, you want to dip your bread in Sambar and eat" ? The onlookers in Dhaba surrounding the family break into a hearty laugh. For many North Indians anyone living South of the Vindyas is addressed as "Madrasi". But that person may be from Srikakulam, Ernakulam or Mysore who never have visited Madras. Yet he is branded as a Madrasi.
This might be funny for the Hindi speaking audience at which this movie is directed, but to many South Indians it may not be so funny to be mocked at like this. I am fondly reminded of Amitabh's hit movie AGNIPATH (The path of fire) which was released in the 1980s. I would consider it as an ordinary movie, but it was the time when the tall hero stood tall over others as the one man Bollywood industry. Any mundane movie from him would pass by as super hit.
In the same movie the actor Mithun Chakraborty plays the role of a South Indian who sells coconut water for living and dances Bharat Natyam to tune of :
YUMM (HUM) LUNGI UTHAKE,
TUMHE DISCO DIKHATI...
YUMM (HUM) KRISHNA AYYAR
EMME (M.A.) NARIYAL PANI WALLA.
Our Audio Visual (AV) Hall in REC (NIT) Rourkela where the movie was screened erupted as the audience clapped and laughed at the actor Mithun who danced ahead, swirling his Lungi around (Perfect for Indian summer, Lungi is a white or multicolored loincloth wrapped around the waist, easy to lift and take off as and when needed).
However not everyone in the audience was amused, especially some of my South Indian friends who grudgingly disapproved. Another hit movie CHENNAI EXPRESS had similar stuff of mockery at South Indians, especially Tamils. I am sure there are many more such movies. Not sure if there are South Indian movies which poke fun at the rest of Indians.
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