8 Typical South Indian Stereotypes That Some North Indians Have About South Indians
Niharika has a passion for all things art, music, and travel and has over 4 years of experience in writing for social media. During her spare time, she likes experimenting in the kitchen, playing vide... read full bio
Let’s face it. Racial stereotypes are dominant all across the country. Although India spans across 28 states and 9 union territories, people still discriminate against each other. South Indians often face the brunt of jokes when they shift to other cities. The locals during many instances assume they don’t speak Hindi or that they have thick accents and are all dark skinned. They’re often ridiculed for over these things and here are some of the common stereotypes associated with South Indians:
1. All South Indians Are Madrasis
Just as all people from the North East are called derogatory words, so are South Indians. Madrasi is a slur used to refer to South Indians. It makes an assumption that every South Indian is from Chennai (formerly known as Madras). For those who need the information: South India consists of five states namely Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and the union territories of Andaman and Nicobar, Puducherry, and Lakshadweep. Yes, there is that much diversity in South India. So stop assuming that every one of us is from “Madras”.
2. All South Indians Have Dark Skin
South Indian women are known for having a variety of complexions. We have gorgeous dusky toned actresses like Deepika Padukone and Tabu and beautiful lighter-skinned actresses like Hema Malini and Sridevi. Assuming that all South Indians are dark-skinned is as ridiculous as assuming all North Indians are fair-skinned. We live in a country where colorism is a major problem and exists deep within our mindsets. Rather than making assumptions about how South Indians are supposed to look, open your mind and respect everyone.
3. We Live On Idly Sambhar
Well, here are a bunch of scrumptious South Indian dishes that would choose to disagree with your statement— Prawn Varuval, Fish Molee, Kundapura Chicken Ghee Roast (a personal favorite), Thattukada Beef Curry, and so much more. Most South Indians love their food and have a diverse taste palate. If you truly want to challenge your tastebuds you have to try a couple of dishes from South India.
4. All Men Wear Lungis
I mean, it’s comfortable and works well in tropical weather? Most South Indian men do wear lungis in the comfort of their own homes because who wears trousers and pants 24/7? It’s really ridiculous to assume that all South Indian men wear lungis all the time. And no we will not teach you to dance in a lungi. It’s only in the movie.
5. South Indians Add Coconut Oil To Everything
You’re thinking of Kerala. They like using coconut oil in their food and applying it on their hair simply because of its health benefits and abundance in their state. If you think it’s weird that Keralites use coconut oil in their hair, just take a look at any Malayali woman’s hair and see how gorgeous it is. The fruit has more benefits than you think and the rest of the world is slowly catching up to it.
6. We Have Complicated Names
Not all of us go around asking to be addressed by our full names. Most South Indians have regular sounding short first names that you can address with. You don’t need to add their last name and district unless they ask you to or you’re a government official. Moreso, what’s wrong with having a longer name? Wouldn’t you rather have a longer and more unique name than a basic AF name?
7 We’re Boring And Don’t Have A Good Sense Of Humor
Naveen Richard, Abish Mathew, Kenny Sebastian, Rahul Subramanium, and Anuradha Menon (Lola Kutty) would beg to differ. South Indians are just as funny as North Indians and can achieve the same if not more amount of success in the comedy circuit. Some of the most talented comedians and musicians of India came from the southern part of the country.
8. “Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam Are All The Same”
Absolutely not! While the languages may have been derived from the original Dravidian language, they have developed, adapted, and evolved to the states where the people speak them. Malayalam is one of the toughest Indian languages for someone to learn and it has more letters and conjoined consonants than any other Indian language. Similarly Tamil and Telugu have their own set of difficulties. Assuming that every South Indian language is one and the same is like assuming there is no difference between speaking Bengali, Haryanvi, Assamese, or Punjabi.
As the saying goes, “there is unity in diversity” and during these times, we need it more than ever. Indian was once described as a continent that is masquerading as a country by a famous international publication. And considering its ancient history and difficult times, it’s no wonder that people can get riled up over certain things. However, we must stand together in the face of adversity at the end of the day. After all, we are all Indians. Share this article if your enjoyed reading it!
