Javed Akhtar came out in support of Rashmika Mandanna after she faced criticism over her Hindi pronunciationHe urged her critics to try speaking Tamil themselves before questioning someone else’s language skills.
Published: October 26, 2026, 12:53 PM IST
Share Article
https://www.india.com/entertainment/bollywood/javed-akhtar-apologises-for-calling-rashmika-mandanna-a-tamil-actor-while-defending-her-hindi-pronunciation-8539309/
Javed Akhtar and Rashmika Mandanna (PC – Instagram)
Veteran lyricist and screenwriter Javed Akhtar has apologised after mistakenly referring to Rashmika Mandanna as a Tamil actor while speaking out against the criticism she has faced over her Hindi pronunciationAfter social media users corrected him, Akhtar acknowledged his mistake and reiterated that people should not be mocked for their accentsThe controversy began when Akhtar defended Rashmika against those criticising the way she speaks HindiHe challenged her critics to try speaking Tamil before judging someone else’s language skills.
“Those who have any problem with the pronunciation of Tamil actor Rashmika should be given a few lines of Tamil, which is the oldest spoken language in the world and let’s see how well they pronounce TamilThis fake and baseless linguistic superiority is not acceptable,” he wrote on X.
While many users appreciated his support for Rashmika, others pointed out that she is a Kannadiga with roots in Kodagu, Karnataka, and has worked across several film industriesOne user responded, “She is Kodagu and Telangana Telugu kodalu sirBut appreciate your support for us linguistic minorities in this country.”
Akhtar accepted the correction and replied, “I stand corrected.”
Another user pointed out that Rashmika’s career spans several South Indian film industries, writing, “Even Javed Saab, despite his support, appears unfamiliar with South Indian nuancesRashmika is a Kannadiga (from Coorg) by roots and works across all South Indian languages, showing the richness of our varied cultures!”
A third user agreed with Akhtar’s message but noted that he had incorrectly identified the actor’s native language“Your heart is in the right place but your identification of the actress’s native language is notYour point is well taken thoughThat is all that matters,” the user wrote.
Another comment described Rashmika as “a Kannada actor working predominantly in Telugu films”.
The discussion also prompted a user to point out how people sometimes group individuals from different South Indian states under one identityThanking Akhtar for supporting Tamil, the user wrote, “Thanks for the support to Tamil languageI am still laughing as he may be from the era where everyone in south was called ‘Madrasi’Yes, Tamil is one of the oldest languages if not the oldest,” the comment read.
Javed Akhtar apologises to Rashmika Mandanna
Following the corrections, Akhtar posted an apology on X and explained that he did not know Rashmika personallyHe also said that the only film of hers he had watched was in Tamil“I am sorry I was wrong I don’t know her personally and incidentally the only film have seen of hers was in Tamil but Tamil Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada is not the issueIf someone speaks our language, even with a certain accent, we should appreciate thatBtw, how many of us speak English with a perfect accent? How would we like it if any Englishman made fun of us?”
Rashmika has worked in Kannada, Telugu, Tamil and Hindi filmsThe actor has recently faced online criticism over her Hindi pronunciation, with the latest discussion following her appearance on Koffee With Karan Season 9, where she appeared alongside her husband, Vijay Deverakonda.
