The creators of Lokah randomly got caught in humourful situations when their latest release was amusingly called Kunji Rises. Where the title seemed utterly harmless, a Tamil-speaking audience wasted no time telling the unintended meaning. In Tamil, “Kunji” is a colloquial reference to that male private part, and thus began the avalanche of jokes, memes, and ridicule strewn across social media.

Lokah Team’s Fast Response

As they were beginning to notice, Lokah decided to act fast. Now, the song title reflects an apt “Return of Neeli – Forest Fight” before the theme and tone of the track. Music director Jakes Bejoy, who is known for his intense background scores and thematic composition, reportedly supported this course of action, so as not to create further misunderstanding or distraction from the film’s narrative. Keeping social sensitivities on the pulse is something filmmakers need to cultivate these days with respect to the diverse audience base across India.

Another Time

Language controversy has not been a new thing. Something on this line happened quite a few years back when Sony Music uploaded the Vaaranam Aayiram track titled “Anal Mele Panithuli”. In Tamil, “anal” means fire, but with its English spelling, it got the worst kind of attention with an outpour of lewd jokes online. After the uproar, the title was suddenly changed- “Annul Mele Panithuli”.

Learning Cultural Sensitivity

This begs to make Lokah a re-incident of how regional implications can drastically change an audience’s perception. While Indian cinema makes its way to pan-Indian international audiences, linguistic sensitivity is not merely political correctness, but good communication. The swift fix by the Lokah team avoided any possible controversy, thus turning an awkward moment into a lighthearted lesson in cross-cultural awareness.

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