HYDERABAD : Rakesh Nagula may come across as an average Hyderabadi youngster, but he thinks that putting words to his ‘profound’ thoughts has helped him not just channelise his frustrations, but also help others like him to find a support group through his Instagram page @true_whims. Some of his posts have subject lines such as no savings, periods, depression, sex, myths and facts etc.
The posts discuss about consent, the need to read Kama Sutra, body shaming, period shaming etc. He started the page a year ago and posts every week while engaging his followers with what he calls ‘single frame lines and polls’ suggested by followers.
A movie buff, Rakesh, who calls himself Pillagadu Rakhi – says the name is to evoke a local pillagadu (boy) sentiment, started writing down his personal lines and quotes in a book. “I am crazy about movies and have been dreaming of getting a break as a filmmaker. Currently, I am studying and doing a part time job, but unable to give time to my passion of making movies.
But I am satisfying my creative urge by jotting down lines and using in the Insta feed. Interestingly, Rakhi writes in Telugu using English. He says it helps Telugu youngsters who are not familiar with chaste English. “They find my colloquial content relatable. English font Telugu lo rayadaniki main reason thondarga receive cheskuntaru ani,” he says. Rakhi says that writing in, ‘chatty style’ helps more youngsters who have primarily done their schooling in Telugu medium.
“I currently have about 8,000 followers and many have messaged me saying they feel I am the boynext- door with whom they can open up and connect well,” says this 20-year-old resident of Dilsukhnagar. “My mission is to reach middleclass teenagers who are going through a range of emotions which they can’t possibly discuss at home. From acne to sexual desires to confusion about their life’s goals to falling in love. I use examples from my own life to create these posts,” he adds.
Rakhi believes he is lucky to be able to discuss the content of his posts with his parents and seek their advice too. One of his posts addressed anaemia during periods and that got a good engagement as he busted some myths after a conversation with a gynaecologist. “Young girls from lower middleclass houses where the word period is a taboo told me that they had read about periods before but either the posts were in chaste Telugu or English and they could not follow.
But my Telugu in English posts helped them resolve it themselves. This is the kind of impact I look for,” he adds. The page gets about 40 new followers every day, says this youngster who hails from Karimnagar who shifted to Hyderabad five years ago who is pursuing a degree in pharmacy and also moonlights as a content writer. Besides being able to reach out to the much ignored middleclass teenager, does his page/posts fetch him any other tangible benefits? He says that the experience of writing posts and being creative has caught the attention of some shortfilm makers and got him the opportunity to write script and dialogues.