Nowadays, dropping bombshells works. When Ranvijay Singh (Ranbir Kapoor) in 'Animal' invaded a school by holding a weapon in his hand, the audience were shocked but they still voted for his highly problematic behaviour. Ethically, morally and legally, terrifying school students in the name of fighting eve-teasing is a heinous wrong.
For years now, the tolerance threshold for acceptable levels of violence, bloodshed, cuss words and strong language in mass movies has gone several notches up. The 'KGF' films, Lokesh Kanagaraj's films and the recent 'Animal' have made many things considered unpopular or risky earlier quite normal. 'Jabardasth', the ETV comedy show, is another player which has made double-meaning lines and cheesy language acceptable. In fact, its role is bigger than that of any film in the Telugu States.
The audience now want to be shocked (by big stars playing to the gallery). Pop culture references, as a result, have crossed the limits of decency. In Chiranjeevi's 'GodFather', a character screams 'KCPD' to elevate the male lead's heroism. It is safe to assume that a substantial chunk of the audience didn't get what 'KCPD' stands for.
In the latest instance, the viral 'Kurchi Madathapetti' meme has been used by 'Guntur Kaaram'. It is safe to assume that producer S Naga Vamsi or someone from the digital team of Haarika & Hassine Creations must have suggested the reference. It is inconceivable that Trivikram, who is presumably absent on social media (unless he has a pseudo account on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook) would have come across the meme.
What might have made Trivikram, whose songs have maintained a certain decorum for the most part, play to the gallery? The popularity of strong language in films in recent times. And then there is this desperation to appease the social media-savvy audience members who enjoy a certain brand of comedy that draws from the meme culture.
Whatever it may be, the 'Kurchi Madathapetti' reference will not be comprehended for what it is by a majority of those who don't use social media, including WhatsApp. But the first-weekend audience will get the reference and will have a blast in the theatres.
