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Decoding Vadivelu: The uncrowned internet ‘arasan’ of Tamil Nadu

Online Desk

When the hashtag #PrayforNesamani trended worldwide a few days ago, everyone wondered who he was and why his well-being was more important than PM Modi’s swearing-in ceremony. 

It was also the first time most people outside Tamil Nadu heard the name Vadivelu. The veteran comedian’s career hit an unexpected roadblock in 2011 when he campaigned against Jayalalithaa who subsequently became the CM. Since then producers have hesitated to sign Vadivelu. 

With less than 10 releases in the last eight years, one would think Vadivelu’s popularity would have dipped, but on the contrary, it has soared. Thanks to the proliferation of memes based on him, Vadivelu has managed to remain relevant despite losing visibility in the film industry, so much so that Twitterati were praying for a character played by him 18 years ago.

In any industry, resources are the key. Likewise, a meme creator needs content and templates. Templates are pictures used to make memes by adding content to them. Every hit comedy track of Goundamani, Senthil, Vadivelu and Santhanam is a template for these creators. To this, content is created and added based on how events unfold.

Despite facing tough competition, Vadivelu seems to be the favourite of meme creators and the audience. “Goundamani and Vivek templates are good but their availability is limited. In the case of Vadivelu, the templates never run out,” said Gautham, a meme creator. 

This makes Vadivelu indispensable in Tamil memes. “When I started making memes, I tried to avoid Vadivelu since everyone was using his templates. But after a point, I realized I needed his templates as people didn’t relate well with other memes. Vadivelu is inevitable,” said Shashank, another meme creator. 

Vadivelu has the knack of getting the audience to identify with him. “More than the meme content, it is Vadivelu’s reactions that give him a wider reach. All the comedians have famous dialogues but the range of Vadivelu’s reactions is unique,” added Shashank. 

There is a popular perception that Goundamani has better comedy tracks but Vadivelu dominates because the internet generation knows him better. “Actually the main reason for the reach is that when memes are posted with Vadivelu templates, everyone reads them in his voice,” said Gautham who creates memes for the Mokka Engineer Instagram page. 

Today, Vadivelu is celebrated so much that on slow news days, meme creators bank on him for content. There is even a Vadivelu version of songs, trailers and posters. Recently, ‘Super Deluxe’ director Thiagarajan Kumararaja released an official Vadivelu version of the film’s first look. 

#SuperDeluxe Official Vadivelu version #சூப்பர்டீலக்ஸ் #SuperDeluxeFirstLook @Superdeluxethemovie pic.twitter.com/TfRqJU7SPD

— Itisthatis (@itisthatis) October 8, 2018

Nesamani was a phenomenon. “The day before the Nesamani trend, JCB was trending on Twitter but it ended in a day. If Nesamani was the reason for the trend, it would’ve ended in a day as well. After a point, the meme expanded to include other Vadivelu templates which made it last longer,” Shashank explained. 

“For me, a meme can often make my day whether I create one or come across it,” said Dillee Jackson, who created the page Vadivelu Memes, adding that Vadivelu can be called the god of Tamil memes. 

Ever since comedy channels became popular, people have become familiar with the comedy tracks of famous comedians. With the rise of the internet, Vadivelu has managed to move seamlessly from one medium to another. 

The essence of Vadivelu comedy is its self-deprecation or, in other words, his ability to laugh at himself. That is also the key to his success. Once the Vadivelu templates run out of stock, it is difficult to predict what will happen. Until then, he will remain the internet arasan (king) of Tamil Nadu.

Source: The New Indian Express