SonyLIV’s latest series has sparked an unexpected question, why do its Bengaluru-based characters speak mostly in Hindi or Tamil?
While the platform has been praised for its bold storytelling and diverse narratives, the consistent confusion around regional language representation is beginning to draw criticism. Set in Bengaluru, a city with a strong Kannada-speaking identity, the series in question features characters who rarely speak the local language. Instead, the dialogues are predominantly in Hindi and Tamil, leaving many Kannadiga viewers feeling alienated.
This isn’t the first time SonyLIV has stumbled into a language trap. In earlier projects too, questions were raised about the choice of language not aligning with the geography or culture being portrayed. In a country where language isn’t just a mode of communication but a marker of identity, such creative decisions can’t be shrugged off as mere convenience.
What’s puzzling is that Bengaluru is perhaps India’s most linguistically fluid city. People do speak Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and English alongside Kannada, but when a show is built around the city and its ethos, shouldn’t it reflect the dominant tongue more authentically? Especially when streaming platforms today proudly claim to promote regional voices.
Viewers don’t expect a show to be exclusively in Kannada. But some balance, some attention to authenticity, goes a long way. Otherwise, it feels like a missed opportunity to root the narrative in the soil it claims to grow from.
SonyLIV has shown courage in its content. But it’s time that courage also extends to embracing linguistic truth. Because when platforms get the language wrong, they risk losing the very audiences they aim to represent.
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