In a step to appreciate South Indian movies, Netflix came out with a brand new page Netflix India South to provide a special space for South Indian films.
Vanakkam. Namaskaram. Swagatham. Namaskara 🙏
— Netflix India South (@Netflix_INSouth) July 7, 2021
Sounds great, right? But what seems like a gesture of inclusivity, soon found itself in hot waters.
On Thursday, Netflix India South released a song titled Namma Stories which celebrates South Indians’ love for their mother tongue, their passion, and their pride.
Get ready to drop some adipolis, vera levels, kirraks and sakkaths because your screens are about to be set on 🔥🔥🔥
— Netflix India South (@Netflix_INSouth) July 8, 2021
Presenting Namma Stories – a celebration of stories from the south.#NammaStoriesNammaNetflix@NeerajMadhavv @TherukuralArivu @yomamasiri @Hanumankind1 pic.twitter.com/CTT1E8Y7Le
The number had four rappers from different states of South India. But this is where it didn’t go well.
Towards the end of the now-viral song, actor Neeraj Madhav is seen rapping a line – ‘Parottem beefum njan thinnum athikaalathu.’
Makkale, ungaloda superstars ellarum kadha solla varanga! #Navarasa from 6th August!#ManiSir @JayendrasPOV @Suriya_offl @VijaySethuOffl @Actor_Siddharth @thearvindswami @nambiarbejoy @menongautham @karthicknaren_M @karthiksubbaraj @priyadarshandir pic.twitter.com/eji6XMRKUF
— Netflix India South (@Netflix_INSouth) July 9, 2021
This translates to – ‘I will eat parotta and beef early in the morning.’ But instead of writing beef as is, Netflix, in its subtitles wrote beef as BDF.
As per The News Minute, ‘BDF’ stands for Malayalis’ favourite dish- Beef Dry Fry but this has irked netizens.
Andy is not sure how to write Beef
— Nirmalkvarghese (@nirmalkvarghese) July 8, 2021
googlnu vara parayan pattula
@NetflixIndia @netflix pls note the spelling of beef is BEEF & not BDF. You may be afraid of right wingers, but our habits are our habits. We in #Kerala, love #Beef & are not afraid to say so. @mcdonaldsindia & @KFC_India – you guys may also take note#NammaStoriesNammaNetflix pic.twitter.com/ydjS6GJSIQ
— €astér ẞorñ (@aster_orn) July 9, 2021
To all those folks wondering what BDF stands for in the new Netflix South Anthem—it’s Beef Dry Fry. Irony is that even in a song that celebrates South’s ‘unity in diversity,’ Netflix couldn’t muster up the courage to name something almost all Malayalis relish. Spineless. pic.twitter.com/rA2QyJveLH
— Аnton Kalashnikov (@AKalashnikov05) July 8, 2021
its not BDF its BEEF 😁😁
— ദ_അനോണി_മൗസ് (@anony_m_s) July 8, 2021
scary to give the real translation?? pic.twitter.com/ZKUuiUo0ys
Hi @Netflix_INSouth! The song is a cracker festival, but you not so South if you can’t say beef in the subtitles!#NetflixIndia #netflixandchill #WhatTheBeef pic.twitter.com/WSzJgBArjf
— Smitha T K (@smitha_tk) July 9, 2021
Podey @NetflixIndia, before you try to appropriate Malayalam with tharikida dialogues, learn the spelling of beef. It is B-E-E-F. Don’t come here with sanghiphobia. pic.twitter.com/YgyNK5EGkB
— N.S. Madhavan (@NSMlive) July 8, 2021
Hey @Netflix_INSouth, the song is all cool, but the fact that you couldn’t say beef in the subtitles is not so South. pic.twitter.com/iYHWczQB8P
— The Saudade Guy (@thesaudadeguy) July 8, 2021
Well, one thing is for sure, this ‘beef’ has gotten everyone talking about it.
