Veteran lyricist and screenwriter Javed Akhtar has come out in support of actor Rashmika Mandanna amid criticism of her Hindi accent, calling out what he described as “fake and baseless linguistic superiority.”
Akhtar criticised the tendency to judge people based on their pronunciation or fluency in a particular language, challenging the idea that one accent should be considered superior to another.
His remarks come amid online discussions about Rashmika’s Hindi-speaking style, which has attracted criticism from some social media users.
The controversy has renewed conversations about linguistic diversity in Indian cinema, where actors from different regions work across multiple film industries and languages.
Akhtar’s defence of Rashmika highlights the broader debate surrounding language-based criticism and regional accents in the entertainment industry.
