A brief teaser for Ala Bolelo, the lead single from Rajinikanth's upcoming Jailer 2, has sparked a tense—online discussion, with some Malayalam speakers objecting to the way the song's Malayalam lines are spoken.
The clip, released this week, opens with composer Anirudh Ravichander's vocals set against Malayalam lyrics before cutting to actor Shamna Kasim (Poorna) dancing in a traditional kasavu saree. The song is written by Arunraja Kamaraj, with additional vocals from Niranjana Raman, Aparna Harikumar, and Deepthi Suresh. Its release has been timed close to Onam, echoing how Manasilaayo from Rajinikanth's 2024 film Vettaiyan leaned on Malayalam and Onam imagery as a tribute to Kerala audiences.
Many Kerala-based viewers say they’re glad to see another Onam-timed nod from a Rajinikanth film, and are looking forward to the full track when it drops on August 21. But a vocal contingent has been less charitable about the execution, arguing the Malayalam in the song is garbled to the point of being unrecognisable — several comments singled out how sounds like ‘la’ and other Malayalam-specific consonants come out warped, with some users saying the lines land closer to gibberish than actual Malayalam.
The criticism isn't entirely one-sided by language, either. Getting Malayalam incorrect isn't entirely out of character, as some Tamil-speaking readers have added, pointing out that Tamil movies doesn't always get its own language's finer sounds right too.
Nelson Dilipkumar is the writer and director of Jailer 2, which is produced by Kalanithi Maran under Sun Pictures. In addition to new cast members SJ Suryah, Mithun Chakraborty, Vidya Balan, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Anna Rajan, and Jatin Sarna, it is a follow-up to 2023's Jailer and features Rajinikanth, Ramya Krishnan, Yogi Babu, Mirnaa, and Rithvik. Jackie Shroff, Shiva Rajkumar, and Mohanlal will return to their brief appearances in the first movie. On October 15, the film is scheduled to be released.
For more updates, join/follow our WhatsApp, Telegram and YouTube channels.