The Telugu audience is deeply rooted in a cultural system. While cusswords in English may not bother them much, the same words when used in Telugu sound offensive, vulgar, and uncultured.
Unfortunately, some recent films have been filled with such profanities. The Indian censor board takes measures to mute these words for the theatrical release within the country, but when it comes to the USA, the makers release the original uncensored version.
In the latest film 'Takkar,' explicit words like "g$#*da" are used, causing embarrassment to the audience. This poses a problem, especially when families watch the film together. Furthermore, there is a scene where a father calls his daughter a 'bi%^h.' Although the word is in English, it feels completely out of place in Telugu families. Filmmakers are resorting to vulgarity under the guise of pushing boundaries.
There have been previous films that contained cusswords like "L##ja Ko##k$," which were shocking. While these words are muted in India, they are left uncensored in USA theaters.
The Telugu population in the USA is known for its cultural values and emphasizes the importance of the language by enrolling their children in programs like 'Manabadi,' which provides higher standard Telugu education.
We kindly request Telugu filmmakers to release only the censored versions of their films in the USA as well. We do not wish to be subjected to such offensive language. It is demeaning and insulting to make us listen to such words.
The same issue extends to trailers uploaded on YouTube. Despite parental control features, it is challenging for parents to filter the content. We urge the Indian government to impose censorship on every YouTube upload and instruct YouTube India accordingly. Otherwise, the platform will continue to be flooded with rotten, vulgar, and offensive words in multiple languages.
Raghuram Desiraju
