(Article contributed by PV Durga, a regular reader of Chai Bisket.)
Growing up in a state that was not my native came with its fair share of advantages and disadvantages. While on one hand, I was exposed to new languages and got to learn them, I had to face the brunt of clichéd comments and prejudices that some people harbor. Here are a few things that every I and every other Telugu person are tired of hearing:
1. "GULTS": Those of you who have grown up in Tamilnadu/other states might have faced this. Yes, my mother tongue is Telugu, and I am NOT a “GULTI” or “GULT” (*severe “My Name is Khan” feelings*). For those of you who don’t know, “Gulti” is actually “Telugu” pronounced backwards. This phrase stopped being funny a long time ago.
2. "You people have a bad dressing sense": “What sort of a jacket/shirt is that? You look like a Telugu film hero.” I’ve heard this statement way too many times. Agreed, those yellow shirts and red pants of movies in the 70s might have made you cringe, but that doesn’t mean that all Telugu people have a bad/ loud dressing sense. Ever watched one of the old Chiranjeevi movies? His costumes were simple, yet striking with subtle color combinations, and shirts that had crisp cuts. Even today, actors like Nagarjuna, Prabhas, Nani, Rana and many others among the younger lot have a great fashion sense!
On an aside, I would suggest that you take a peek into our mythological movies. You’ll find some very good research, right down to the smallest piece of jewelry on every character, and it will blow your mind away. A joke may be funny, stereotyping isn’t.
3. Andhra/Telangana = Avakay: I agree, our states have always been known for the delicious varieties of pickles, but there is a lot more to our cuisine, including food that is not spicy too. Try the Mamidikaya Pappu, Mudda Pappu, Theeya Pulsu, Perugu Pacchadi, and Tomato Theeya Pacchadi. Actually, the list could go on. We boast of a variety of sweets such as the Kakinada Kaja, and Pootharekulu, among others. And who can forget Mamidi Tandra (Mango Jelly)?! Even non-vegetarian items like Rajugari kodi pulao, Gongura mutton are delicacies we swear by!
4. "You guys are so thrifty!": Nope. Whatever our economic status may be, we believe in living to the fullest. More than anything, we smother our guests with hospitality. Go to any function in a Telugu household and you’ll be blown away by the grandeur of the function- maybe not always the décor, clothes or food, because we believe that the grandeur of an event lies in hospitality. Talk about “Atithi Devo Bhava”.
5. "Your films are filled with Masala. No content.": Maybe the ones that you watched are, because they are probably the ones with “big heroes” acting in them. There are multiple genres in Telugu cinema which people have not watched much- including social dramas, family dramas, romantic comedies, and feel- good movies. Today, there is a surge of small cinema in the Telugu film industry that is receiving the adulation of critics and the audience alike.
6. Telugu is all about “lu”: People think that they know Telugu if they can say “Jaragandi” (thanks to those volunteers in the Tirupathi temple who constantly urge the queue to move forward), or if they add a “lu” to all words. Reality check- “lu” is used only for the plural form of a word. Just in case you didn’t know, Telugu has 41 consonants and 16 vowels. It is also called the Italian of the East, because every word ends with a vowel pronunciation. So if you want to learn Telugu, be prepared to pronounce a vast variety of syllables and go beyond the “lu”.
7. "Don't you do anything other than Engineering??": A humanities student is typing this. Isn’t that proof enough? :P While there is a frenzy for the science stream and engineering, and an urgent need to expose people to other options, USA has us to thank for all its engineers contributing to its economy!
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, the second President of India.
8. "Why does every other Gulti want to go to the US?": True... Hyderabad, Vizag and a few other cities feature in the top 20 list of cities which sends their students to the U.S, not just in India but entire world. We're contributing to the world, as Global Citizens.
But it's unfair to say everyone wants to escape this place. There are a lot of people who want to stay in the country, in our Telugu states, and do some good for them.
Dr. Gopichand Katragadda, CTO of the Tata Group.
While we do enjoy a good joke on us (and will, in all probability, laugh along with you) stereotyping is what irks us. Let’s make that extra effort to understand and appreciate our cultural differences so that we can celebrate unity in diversity in its true spirit! :)
2. "You people have a bad dressing sense": “What sort of a jacket/shirt is that? You look like a Telugu film hero.” I’ve heard this statement way too many times. Agreed, those yellow shirts and red pants of movies in the 70s might have made you cringe, but that doesn’t mean that all Telugu people have a bad/ loud dressing sense. Ever watched one of the old Chiranjeevi movies? His costumes were simple, yet striking with subtle color combinations, and shirts that had crisp cuts. Even today, actors like Nagarjuna, Prabhas, Nani, Rana and many others among the younger lot have a great fashion sense!
On an aside, I would suggest that you take a peek into our mythological movies. You’ll find some very good research, right down to the smallest piece of jewelry on every character, and it will blow your mind away. A joke may be funny, stereotyping isn’t.
3. Andhra/Telangana = Avakay: I agree, our states have always been known for the delicious varieties of pickles, but there is a lot more to our cuisine, including food that is not spicy too. Try the Mamidikaya Pappu, Mudda Pappu, Theeya Pulsu, Perugu Pacchadi, and Tomato Theeya Pacchadi. Actually, the list could go on. We boast of a variety of sweets such as the Kakinada Kaja, and Pootharekulu, among others. And who can forget Mamidi Tandra (Mango Jelly)?! Even non-vegetarian items like Rajugari kodi pulao, Gongura mutton are delicacies we swear by!
4. "You guys are so thrifty!": Nope. Whatever our economic status may be, we believe in living to the fullest. More than anything, we smother our guests with hospitality. Go to any function in a Telugu household and you’ll be blown away by the grandeur of the function- maybe not always the décor, clothes or food, because we believe that the grandeur of an event lies in hospitality. Talk about “Atithi Devo Bhava”.
5. "Your films are filled with Masala. No content.": Maybe the ones that you watched are, because they are probably the ones with “big heroes” acting in them. There are multiple genres in Telugu cinema which people have not watched much- including social dramas, family dramas, romantic comedies, and feel- good movies. Today, there is a surge of small cinema in the Telugu film industry that is receiving the adulation of critics and the audience alike.
6. Telugu is all about “lu”: People think that they know Telugu if they can say “Jaragandi” (thanks to those volunteers in the Tirupathi temple who constantly urge the queue to move forward), or if they add a “lu” to all words. Reality check- “lu” is used only for the plural form of a word. Just in case you didn’t know, Telugu has 41 consonants and 16 vowels. It is also called the Italian of the East, because every word ends with a vowel pronunciation. So if you want to learn Telugu, be prepared to pronounce a vast variety of syllables and go beyond the “lu”.
7. "Don't you do anything other than Engineering??": A humanities student is typing this. Isn’t that proof enough? :P While there is a frenzy for the science stream and engineering, and an urgent need to expose people to other options, USA has us to thank for all its engineers contributing to its economy!
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, the second President of India.
8. "Why does every other Gulti want to go to the US?": True... Hyderabad, Vizag and a few other cities feature in the top 20 list of cities which sends their students to the U.S, not just in India but entire world. We're contributing to the world, as Global Citizens.
But it's unfair to say everyone wants to escape this place. There are a lot of people who want to stay in the country, in our Telugu states, and do some good for them.
Dr. Gopichand Katragadda, CTO of the Tata Group.
While we do enjoy a good joke on us (and will, in all probability, laugh along with you) stereotyping is what irks us. Let’s make that extra effort to understand and appreciate our cultural differences so that we can celebrate unity in diversity in its true spirit! :)
