BENGALURU: The North Indians vs South Indians debate is as old as time. So much so that it has also inspired standup comedian Arnav Rao’s latest piece – South Indian Insults. Released on May 13 on YouTube, it has Rao recalling his growing up years spent moving across various South Indian states. “I was born in Hyderabad, grew up there for a while before moving to Chennai and back.
This time was also spent realising and pointing out the stereotypes people in the regions had about each other. In Chennai, I studied in a school run by Malayalis and now I live in Bengaluru,” says the comedian. “Within the microcosm of South India, I’ve seen stereotyping of people among each other and the Northern section’s blanket view on the Southern states,” adds Rao, whose jokes also highlight the language barrier between North and South India.
Rao’s set, which has over 3,000 views in six hours, also looks at learning insults in a language unknown to oneself. He adds, “When someone is willing to learn a new language or they move to a new place or country, your first port of call is to know whether someone is insulting in the regional language. I wanted to show that South India is not a blanket moniker and this is also a fun way of learning the difference among the four states.”
Addressing concerns of possible criticism, he asserts that these occurrences are ever present in one’s day-to-day life. “It’s not something to be brushed under the carpet. The father of standup comedy, Lenny Bruce’s book, How to Talk Dirty and Influence People, has a great influence on me and there is an aspect of when you are swearing, it becomes more memorable,” he chuckles adding that while South Indian Insults was recorded prior to the lockdown, it is also a part of his hour-long standup special – Nothing To Be Proud Of – which is soon to be released.
Rao is currently penning a web series, a parody of sorts on a television anchor and adapting to the newfound platform of online shows. “I am doing a couple of shows on Zoom featuring comedians from Chennai and another with fellow comedian Ravi Rao, which we’ve called Between Two Raos. While this isn’t the ideal performance platform, this is also the future for now,” he says.