Laughter, Language and Popular Culture: Vadivelu and Vivek's Impact on Everyday Speech

Abstract

Tamil cinema has played a significant role in shaping popular culture, particularly through comedy, which serves as a powerful medium for social commentary and linguistic influence. This study examines the impact of Tamil comedian actors Vadivelu and Vivek on everyday spoken Tamil, focusing on how their iconic dialogues, catchphrases, and comic expressions have entered common usage. Frequently cited across social, cultural, and digital spaces, their dialogues continue to influence informal communication long after the films' release. The study analyses select dialogues from Vadivelu and Vivek to explore how humour, satire, and colloquial language contribute to the popularity and longevity of these expressions in daily speech. Vadivelu's exaggerated rural idioms and Vivek's socially conscious, urban humour represent distinct linguistic registers, both of which strongly resonate with audiences. The study also highlights how these dialogues are repeatedly reused in everyday conversations, memes, and social media, reinforcing their role in shaping contemporary spoken Tamil. By situating Tamil comedy within the frameworks of popular culture and sociolinguistics, this study argues that Vadivelu and Vivek function beyond their roles as entertainers, emerging as influential cultural figures who mediate language change. Their cinematic dialogues act as cultural markers that both reflect social realities and actively contribute to evolving speech practices. The paper underscores the importance of popular cinema in understanding everyday language use and the dynamic relationship between humour, identity, and communication in Tamil society.