Rajasthani takes digital path for resurgence

They are witty innovative and compel you to take a second look. The memes and jokes that have been flooding your mobile are in various dialects of Rajasthani. The clips range between 15 to 50 seconds and are mostly in dialects from Alwar, Bikaner, Jodhpur and Jaipur. The razor sharp humour of the clips can put the Haryanvi Tau to shame. It’s a digital resurgence for the Rajasthani language as the memes created through mobile apps are tickling the funny bone of the Rajasthanis.  

The memes in Rajasthani language have hit big time and are increasingly finding more and more takers. They are made of clever lip sync on political speeches, film clips and even popular television shows. But the language and words are those that were being regaled to background over time.

The topics covered are vast and varied as they range from food, to songs, to dubbing of popular Hollywood and Bollywood film scenes. Every event from Diwali, Chrishtmas, Sankranti and even Valentine’s Day sees new ones flooding cellphones. You may get a Santa clause climbing down chimmneys for kachoris or Bahubali giving war strategy Bikaneri style. It could be Rahul giving a speech in Rajasthani to Trump dancing on Holi songs. The sheer sharpness of the wit and perfect timing makes them a treat to watch. The people are loving it and asking for more.    

At the same time people feel this could go a long way in making Rajasthani more popular and add weight to the long standing demand for recognition to the language.

“We have been trying to do our bit for the promotion of the Rajasthani language for years. But this new digital revival is a pleasant surprise as it has caught the fancy of the young,” said Pramod Sharma, of Aakhar a series to promote Rajasthani. “The youth are losing touch with it as it is not taught in schools. This digital resurgence will make them closer to their language,” added Sharma.     

“My grandson speaks Hindi and I speak Rajasthani and communicate perfectly. But when the language that he considered as ‘for the elderly’ is reaching him through his smartphone in the form of these jokes and songs, he is identifying with it as his own language. It gives me hope that the language will live on,” said Chanda Devi, a resident of Sanganer with a satisfied smile.