Everyone calls Sanju a ‘chetta’, but is he really a ‘chetta’ to you? He doesn’t mind though
India’s T20 World Cup hero, Sanju Samson, talked about his pride of being a Malayali and what it means to represent Kerala.
India’s T20 World Cup hero, Sanju Samson, talked about his pride of being a Malayali and what it means to represent Kerala.
India’s T20 World Cup hero, Sanju Samson, talked about his pride of being a Malayali and what it means to represent Kerala.
A Malayalam word that has become quite popular these days is ‘chetta’, thanks to Sanju Samson. ‘Chetta’ means elder brother, which is used to address an older male, irrespective of whether they are family or relatives. The female equivalent is ‘chechi’.
‘Chetta’ is the word cricket fans use to address Keralam’s superstar wicketkeeper batter, Sanju, who was one of the heroes of India’s recent T20 World Cup triumph. Most Malayalis take offence when an elder mistakenly calls us ‘chetta’, but not Sanju.
“Even big brothers call me 'chetta'. It is alright, isn't it?” Sanju said with his trademark smile during a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday.
The 31-year-old cricket icon arrived for the presser wearing a ‘mundu’, a traditional Keralam attire worn around the waist. He talked about his pride in being a Malayali, and what it means to represent the people of Keralam elsewhere in the country and outside India.
“We're (Malayalis) already on a different level,” Sanju said, again smiling. “We're already a powerful people. Wherever we go, Malayalis get extra respect because of the way we behave and talk, or it could be the way we carry ourselves.
“Automatically, when I go from here (Keralam), I have a responsibility to give a good name for Kerala. So if people have accepted the word 'chetta' that makes me happy,” Sanju said. Now for non-Malalayis who are senior to Sanju, you might want to address him as ‘aniya’ (meaning younger brother).