Importance of yaasa

For long, the Telangana dialect was side-lined in Tollywood, but with changing times, many recent films have incorporated it. With lead actress in latest blockbuster ‘Fidaa’, Sai Pallavi also mouthing dialogues in Telangana accent, the region-specific language has moved into mainstream cinema for good and could be described as an evolution of sorts.

Just recently, characters in popular films like ‘Pellichoopulu’ and ‘Ami Thumi’ have gained acceptance for their ‘yaasa’ amongst audiences in both Telugu states, making it almost a ‘neutral dialect’ and encourage makers to lap it up big way. Till recently, the ‘yaasa’ was restricted to region-specific revolutionary films and funny sidekicks or characters with shades of grey.

Think Kota Srinivasa Rao, Venu Madhav, Siva Reddy, Telangana Sakuntala, Uttej, Narsing Yadav and Tanikella Bharani; who have all been stereotyped. It was not just uncommon but also impossible to spot lead actors and actresses in films speaking in the dialect barring leading actress Vijayashanti in films like ‘Mondi Mogudu Penki Pellam’ and ‘Osey Ravullamma’. With changing times and interest of filmmakers like Sekar Kammula, Mohana Krishna Indraganti and Tharun Bhaskar, the dialect is back in vogue.

In the past, the dialect was not in the reckoning and it was attributed to the emergence of actors, writers and filmmakers from Krishna, Guntur, East and West Godavari districts. All of them brought in their dialects into mainstream. Until, Andhra-born filmmaker RGV, broke the practice and revived Telangana dialect and made it a mainstream language.

He portrayed characters that resonated with a common Hyderabadi. Even though, dialects of Rayalaseema and Andhra have been popularised by Telugu filmmakers, but inclusivity of Telangana dialect becomes significant in the sun-rise state. Actually, it was from 2009 that several region-based films came up in the midst of the Telangana agitation.

But alongside, we saw a star like Mahesh Babu speak in the dialect in `Dookudu’. This could be because in the end, films are business and there is a need to connect with audience of all categories. The best thing about including dialects is the sense of connectivity that viewers feel. It takes them to the people they meet on an everyday basis, making it easy to identify with them.

It’s a fact that the Nizam region counts for 40 to 45 per cent of Telugu film box-office revenues, yet when it comes to the representation of the area’s lingo, the 86-year-old Telugu industry has not done justice to the region. Better late than never, new-age actors and directors have realised the importance of the ‘yaasa’ and are carefully incorporating it, unwilling to lose a major chunk of revenues by losing connect with audience in the new state.