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The first catchy slogan I heard was in 1951 when the new Telugu film 'Patala Bhairavi' got released and went on to become a super-duper hit. It was a mythological film in which this Nepal Mantrik (sorry!) succeeds in pleasing the goddess Patala Bhairavi and she appears before him and gifts him a handy idol with magical powers. Anyone who holds this idol in his hand and touches his forehead with it and says:
"Jai Patala Bhairavi!"
would bring to life the goddess Patala Bhairavi who asks him:
"Narudaa! Emi nee korika?" ("What is your desire, man?")
much like the genie in the Aladin and his magic lamp.
And she would then instantly fulfill his desire whatever.
The slogan: "Jai Patala Bhairavi!" caught on like wild fire and was on the lips of all and sundry.
This Telugu teacher in our school, VV Sarma, known for his tantrums, one day got so lost in his teaching that suddenly he shouted:
"Jai Patala Bhairavi!"
All of us laughed and he frowned. Then on "Jai Patala Bhairavi" became his nickname. And when he was found walking in the streets of an evening, street urchins would shout: "Jai Patala Bhairavi!" and he would chase them till he went out of breath. But of course kids will be kids and they continued their prank whenever he was found in the marketplace. Ultimately he got frustrated and declared loudly:
"You are like dogs barking at an elephant!"
Then on, the urchins would call him:
"Elephant! Elephant!! Elephant!!!"
till he vanished out of sight.
Another day when I was in my preteens we were visiting my uncle's place at Vizagh in the center of the city. And when we were crossing the road, there was this terrific commotion and a street battle was in progress. It subsided only when the police arrived with their lathis.
I couldn't make out what it was all about but was told the story by my elders. Apparently this youthful lad went to this roadside bunk selling cigarettes and beedis and paans and sodas. The shop was then being manned by the lady of the owner. And this lad bought and lit his fag and went into a rapture and shouted:
"Jai Patala Bhairvi!"
aiming at no one in particular. And this lady couldn't restrain herself and yelled back:
"Narudaa! Emi nee korika?" ("What is your desire, man?")
...the slogan was so catchy. And this lad winked at her and shouted back:
"Neevey naa korika!" ("You truly are my desire!")
All hell broke loose since the tender and demure lady in question started throwing tantrums and shouting and ultimately crying till her hubby peeped in and started a slugfest and the friends of the lad joined the ruckus and a street fight ensued.
So much for the power of catchy slogans!!!
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The first catchy slogan I heard was in 1951 when the new Telugu film 'Patala Bhairavi' got released and went on to become a super-duper hit. It was a mythological film in which this Nepal Mantrik (sorry!) succeeds in pleasing the goddess Patala Bhairavi and she appears before him and gifts him a handy idol with magical powers. Anyone who holds this idol in his hand and touches his forehead with it and says:
"Jai Patala Bhairavi!"
would bring to life the goddess Patala Bhairavi who asks him:
"Narudaa! Emi nee korika?" ("What is your desire, man?")
much like the genie in the Aladin and his magic lamp.
And she would then instantly fulfill his desire whatever.
The slogan: "Jai Patala Bhairavi!" caught on like wild fire and was on the lips of all and sundry.
This Telugu teacher in our school, VV Sarma, known for his tantrums, one day got so lost in his teaching that suddenly he shouted:
"Jai Patala Bhairavi!"
All of us laughed and he frowned. Then on "Jai Patala Bhairavi" became his nickname. And when he was found walking in the streets of an evening, street urchins would shout: "Jai Patala Bhairavi!" and he would chase them till he went out of breath. But of course kids will be kids and they continued their prank whenever he was found in the marketplace. Ultimately he got frustrated and declared loudly:
"You are like dogs barking at an elephant!"
Then on, the urchins would call him:
"Elephant! Elephant!! Elephant!!!"
till he vanished out of sight.
Another day when I was in my preteens we were visiting my uncle's place at Vizagh in the center of the city. And when we were crossing the road, there was this terrific commotion and a street battle was in progress. It subsided only when the police arrived with their lathis.
I couldn't make out what it was all about but was told the story by my elders. Apparently this youthful lad went to this roadside bunk selling cigarettes and beedis and paans and sodas. The shop was then being manned by the lady of the owner. And this lad bought and lit his fag and went into a rapture and shouted:
"Jai Patala Bhairvi!"
aiming at no one in particular. And this lady couldn't restrain herself and yelled back:
"Narudaa! Emi nee korika?" ("What is your desire, man?")
...the slogan was so catchy. And this lad winked at her and shouted back:
"Neevey naa korika!" ("You truly are my desire!")
All hell broke loose since the tender and demure lady in question started throwing tantrums and shouting and ultimately crying till her hubby peeped in and started a slugfest and the friends of the lad joined the ruckus and a street fight ensued.
So much for the power of catchy slogans!!!
...Posted by Ishani
1 comment:
The story about your Telugu teacher's nickname is hilarious. It reminds me of one of my English lecturer who tactfully and artfully got rid of his nickname. He was called "GADA" which means "isn't it so?" because he would end almost all of his sentences with "Gada.(isn't it so?)" This word also means a mace, the weapon of Bhima or Hanuman. One day pranksters placed a mace on the table before he walked into the class. The class was agog to witness what was to happen. The teacher coolly reached the table slowly lifted the mace and kept it on the floor and sat on the table as is his usual. Watching him not utter a word, the mood of the class was swinging between great expectation and disappointment. The teacher opened his page in the text book and instead of reading the first line of his text, rose his eyes over the book and said in a slow pace "Nenu "gada" "gada" antuntaanani meeru gada techchi pettaaru gada!" (Because I say "gada" "gada" (Isn't it so, isn't it so) you brought this "gada"(mace/isn't it so) The class went into a burst of laughter for quite a long. Needless to say, students lost interest in his nickname.
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