Shah Rukh Khan was seen at the big Ambani pre-wedding celebrations in Jamnagar in full flow, enjoying himself. When the three Khans – Shah Rukh, Aamir Khan and Salman Khan – got on stage to dance to hit RRR song Naatu Naatu, guests went wild. However, what came next was not just insulting but also showed how the Hindi film industry is inherently prejudiced about those who come from the South. Shah Rukh called Telugu film star Ram Charan, who was seen in RRR, on stage to dance with them and uttered some random phrases in Tamil – yes Tamil, not Telugu – and ended it with ‘idli Ram Charan’. This has not gone down well with South Indians and the actor has been facing plenty of backlash on social media. (Also read: Ram Charan’s makeup artist says she walked out of Ambani bash after Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘idly’ remark: ‘Disrespectful’)
Bollywood loves to stereotype
The Hindi film industry and Hindi cinema itself has always held a stereotypical image of the South Indian clubbing everyone in the south states – Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu – under the term ‘Madrasi’. It was Mehmood as a Carnatic music teacher in the 1968 film, Padosan, who made this stereotype of south Indians famous – or infamous – in a way of adding humour to the film. While North Indians may have laughed at this depiction, this was a completely inaccurate, incorrect and racist depiction of South Indians. However, the Hindi film industry continued to cash in on this stereotype as they found it ‘funny’.
Not the first time SRK has done it
Today, Shah Rukh Khan, who is an extremely influential figure in the country and a global icon, has, unfortunately, been at the centre of this trend of mocking South Indians in recent years and sadly continues to perpetuate this stereotype. Sample this. In Ra One in 2011, we saw SRK play a Tamilian who couldn’t speak English properly and kept uttering words like ‘Aiaio’, ‘mind it’ and ‘enna rascala’ every other second. And he eats noodles with yoghurt (curd). In 2013, it was his Chennai Express which depicted south Indians as dark-skinned, unable to speak English, the men as unruly and crass, and a ‘Lungi Dance’ to boot. And this attitude spilled over to the Ambani pre-wedding celebrations at Jamnagar.
Perhaps, Shah Rukh Khan has conveniently forgotten that he has worked numerous talented directors and technicians from South India in his career. He collaborated with ace Tamil director Mani Ratnam in 1998 in Dil Se, which won two National Awards. He worked with Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan-awardee Tamil star Kamal Haasan in Hey Ram in 2000. Billu by director Priyadarshan and Asoka by cinematographer-director Santosh Sivan – both from the Malayalam film industry – were also erased from memory perhaps because they flopped. His last release – the 2023 blockbuster Jawan – which minted more than ₹600 crore in India, was directed by top Tamil director Atlee. Having worked closely with many people in the South film industry and considering some are his good friends, the South Indian audience wonders why SRK still believes it’s funny to harp on this silly stereotype.
SRK’s disappointed fans
In fact, SRK has a very strong fan following in South India and his films do well in states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Both Pathaan and Jawan did good business in these states and even when he was facing personal issues in 2021, the audience across India supported him. But this latest Ram Charan incident has soured this support. One X user called out SRK and wrote, “This is absolute disrespect from someone like #ShahRukhKhan. Still mocking languages of south and calling #RamCharan with sum gibberish and idli vada to round it off. No, #srk! its not funny anymore!! Grow up!”
Another social media user penned, “Why SRK. Why utter gibberish followed by idli vada while addressing a colleague a fellow actor from the Telugu full industry whose pan india movie won an Oscar last year. Any person from south india doesnt equate to gibberish idli vada whatever. (facepalm) As if chennai express wasnt enough.” One more X user commented, “SRK calls South Superstar as ‘Ram Charan Idli’ insulting South Indians and nobody has problem with that? SRK hasn’t even apologised for it. SRK fans will also start calling every south Indian as Idli Vada?”
Tollywood star Ram Charan’s makeup artist Zeba Hassan, who was at the Ambani event with Ram and his wife Uapasana, was reportedly so upset with SRK, she walked out. She put a post on Instagram stating, “I’m a huge SRK fan, but I really disliked the way he called Ram Charan on stage. So disrespectful towards a star like @alwaysramcharan.”
The South Indian audience and SRK’s fans are now waiting to see what he does amidst this outrage as his PR can’t put any spin on this given that the video of this incident has gone viral. One X user perhaps summed it up when he wrote, “As smart and funny as SRK actually is, his penchant for “idli vada” jokes doesn’t seem to have changed at all. Made an entire protagonist out of that in Ra One.”
at Hindustan Times.
Basant Kasayap is an entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to Bollywood to regional cinema, she offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
