Durban - Using social media and comedy Lungisani Ngcobo is spreading laughter and promoting social cohesion among the Indian and African communities.
Some social media users know Ngcobo as his alter ego Strinivaasen Ranganna – a quick-thinking and witty man from Ntuzuma.
Ngcobo, 28, of Hillary, is a health and safety officer, who grew up in Ntuzuma but went to school in Phoenix.
He attended Brailsford Primary School and Havenford Secondary School. Ngcobo has a six-year-old son and a partner.
“From the time I was a child I was playful. This enabled me to make friends easily. I have always valued my friendships. Going to school in a predominately Indian area, the majority of my friends were Indian. These were true friends who never discriminated against me.
“I remember after school while I waited for my transport to take me home, I sometimes passed the time playing soccer with my friends or going to their homes to wait for my transport.
“During my visits, their mums, who I affectionately called aunty, treated me like I was one of their sons. As soon as I walked into their homes, I was offered juice and something to eat. There was this one aunty, even if I was rushing to go home she would pack stuff for me to eat. I was drawn to that hospitality.”
The more time Ngcobo spent with his friends and their families, he picked up an Indian accent.
“I was invited for Diwali celebrations and Luxmi prayers. My friends and their families taught me about their culture and religion. When I was 12, I gave myself the nickname Strinivaasen Ranganna. It was just for laughs but it stuck with me. I also liked the name because it stood out.”
Ngcobo has not only embraced the Indian culture but the food as well. He has learned to make his favourite Indian dish, which is a mutton curry.
In 2020, during the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, Ngcobo posted his first video on Facebook as the character Strinivaasen Ranganna.
“The video was in response to the death of an alleged drug kingpin Teddy Mafia from Shallcross. It was just Strinivaasen Ranganna’s reaction to Teddy's passing. It was not insensitive in any way and the video went viral.”
Ngcobo said this was just the beginning.
“People shared the content all over Facebook and WhatsApp. This led me to open a TikTok account and develop the character Strinivaasen. To date, I have done more than 140 videos. All my videos collectively have 13 million views.
“I have about 83 000 followers on Facebook and 16 000 followers on TikTok. My passion for comedy has opened other doors for me. I was able to do a voice-over at a car dealership and MC events. Now businesses are approaching me to help them come up with fun advertisements for social media.”
Ngcobo said although the bulk of his followers enjoyed his comedy, some people believed he mocked the Indian community.
“People have their opinions but I don’t see myself mocking any race and I don’t create content to offend anyone. This is my way of embracing the Indian culture and promoting social cohesion.
“There is so much negativity in the world. People are dealing with the rising costs of living, unemployment and poverty. I am just trying to spread cheer through Strinivaasen Ranganna.”
Ngcobo’s content can be found on TikTok and Facebook under Strinivaasen Ranganna.
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