Ever wondered what it would be like if Ram Gopal Varma was your roommate in the US? Well, the maverick director himself seemed mighty amused when team Chicago Subbarao made the hilarious video — “RGV Nee Roommate Aithe US lo” and posted it online.
For the average Telugu speaking audience on the Internet, this video is just a small part of the hilarious dose available on social media. Specially crafted to their tastes and sensibilities, these videos offer interesting takes on everyday life and puns on the latest film and song releases.
With several references to popular culture, it is no wonder that these videos are very popular.
The connect
Mahathalli is the most popular girl YouTuber in this part of the country. “I was inspired by Superwoman’s (a famous YouTuber) work. And I have always wanted to be an entertainer. I found the right kind of backing with Tamada Media, who gave me the technical support that I required,” shares Jahnvi A.K.A Mahathalli, whose biggest asset is the relatability factor.
“All my videos are very simple and talk about everyday problems and incidents. When my first video Ammalu, Valla Pelli Godavalu came out, it was something many experienced but seeing it come alive on screen gave it an edge,” she elaborates. Prudhvi Raj Sampara of Chicago Subbarao echoes her opinion and says, “Our videos target the Telugu NRIs in the US and every video we make talks about their life. A lot of people message us saying that they really connect to the videos. The ability to relate is the USP.”
Even the Atha Kodalu videos by child artistes, reflecting the conflicts between a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law are a big draw. Another group, Viva is able to draw several hits online as they participate in the Comedy Konkout Challenge by Culture Machine. This is the same team which made the popular video ‘Viva’, which catapulted them to instant fame and made its lead actor Harsha Chemudu a star.
The Telugu comedy team Chicago Subbarao
Talking about their new set of videos, Sabarish Kandregula, the director says, “We come up with something topical. Our first video The Big Fat Proposal got 2.1 million hits. Since then, we have made the Dadminton Theory following Sindhu’s victory and The Results, mocking the advertisements that follow Intermediate results.”
Collaborations
Chicago Subbarao and Mahathalli collaborated with each other and had celebrity guests. “I have been in awe of film stars and getting to collaborate with the likes of Naga Chaitanya is fabulous,” says Mahathalli.
The dream
These artistes started out with different dreams. Mahathalli wanted to be an actress. “And I am! Despite receiving several offers, I am now concentrating on this,” says Jahnvi.
Jahnvi, popularly known as Mahathalli
Sabarish adds, “I have been approached by a few people, but I decided to wait. I will move towards cinema when I am ready.”
Prudhvi is looking at a career in cinema. “This is an attempt to show what I can do. The quality of work is improving as well,” he reflects.
Behind the scenes
Chicago Subbarao started off with Prudhvi and his two friends, Harish Dasari and Praneeth Ramasagaram. “All of us have full time jobs, but we make time for this because it’s important too,” he says. Sabarish adds, “We couldn’t really do a lot of work after ‘Viva’ because everyone got busy. But this challenge is really pushing us to do the best.”
