Hyderabadis are going nuts over Deccani khabarnama
No news is good news. But there is no solace in this saying anymore. With disturbing tidings pouring in by the minute — strife, economic meltdown, unemployment, rising crime — there isn’t any comforting news these days. But trust Hyderabadis to come up with the unpleasant news with a touch of humour. Even hard news goes soft when presented in the typical Deccani dialect. Sample this: “UP ke ek gaon main shadi ke dinich dulhe mian ko gutka khareso dekh kar shadi se inkar….”
That was a recent ‘khabarnama’ in pure Deccani style on a bride’s refusal to marry after she caught the groom chewing gutka on the wedding day in a UP town. The TV anchor leaves you in splits by the time she finishes with the 20-minute bulletin. As viewers hang on, more interesting details emerge.
“Pehle kali, moti, nati, giddi hai bol ke rasam bhi tod dete they aur ye ladki ke vaste bahut kharab baat hoti thi. Aaj ke daur main dulhana shadi tod derain. Dulhe ko gutka chabate dekh kar dulhan shadi nai karti bol di aur zid pe ad gayi...”.
From serious to trivial – all news gets the same funny treatment at the Real TV news channel. This is perhaps in keeping with the take-it-easy attitude of Hyderabadis. However serious the situation might be, a true blue Hyderabadi will advice, ‘light le baap’.
Short video clips of Deccani khabrain are going viral on social media as people forward them to their friends.
The other day news of a three-year old girl shedding tears of blood was related with the same comic touch without compromising on the seriousness of the incident. “Roye to aur hanse to aankhon se aansu nikalte so aap logan dekhe honge magar ek teen sal ki ladki ke ankh, kan aur jisam se khoon nikalra katey...”.
The fun laced news bulletin in real ‘Hyderabad zaban main’ doesn't come as a surprise. Be it serious political developments or parliamentary debates the news gets the suffix ‘katey’ (seems). “Telangana ke Congress leadaran sadarati umidvar, Meira Kumar, ka Shamshabad airport pe zabardast welcome kare”, the anchor goes on about the recent visit of the UPA’s presidential nominee to the state. Another piece of Deccani news has interesting take on the ongoing Harita Haram programme. “Aap logan ko maloom hai mahol ko hara bhara karne ke liye Telangana hukumat ke taraf se paude lagarein..”
A report on construction of two bedroom houses in the city brings chuckles. “RDO Chandrakala Ghode-ki-khabar ke pas double bedroom gharan ke bare main survey kare..”
Why should news always be a serious affair and presented in a monotonous flat tone? Shareef Abdul Rahim Yamani has successfully broken this stereotype by coming up with the Deccani khabarnama. When the idea of news in Deccani dialect was mooted way back in 2013 everyone laughed it off.
It is one thing to talk in everyday Deccani language and another to present news in it. One cannot maintain the seriousness of the news, it was felt. But Yamani persisted with the concept. “When Deccani can be the language of poetry, novels and films like The Angrez and Hyderabad Nawabs why it can’t be used for presenting news,” says Feroze Suri, filmmaker who is also associated with Real TV.
Apart from Hyderabad and Telangana, a large number of people in the erstwhile Nizam domain speak Deccani with slight variation. They feel at home and instantly connect with the Deccani khabarnama. But it took six months of intensive planning and rehearsal of news presentation in Deccani language before the ‘apnaich channel’ went on air. The khabarnama is aired at 8.30 p.m and repeated four to five times in 24 hours.
No, the stress is not on breaking news but on infotainment. “We seek to inform and entertain on various issues,” says Suri.
Infotainers Ayesha Butool, Syed Ahmed Ali and Sanober are a big hit with the audience because of their Deccani diction. The humour quotient is provided by the bespectacled Syed Kazim who gives the distinct Deccani flavour that draws instant laughter.
- J.S.Ifthekhar,
Hyderabad based journalist.
Article published in The Hindu
Dated July 18,2017.
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