Mumbai, October 25, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Veteran lyricist and screenwriter Javed Akhtar has drawn corrections from social media users after referring to actress Rashmika Mandanna as a Tamil actor while defending her against online criticism over her Hindi accent.
Akhtar criticised what he described as “fake and baseless linguistic superiority” and challenged those questioning Mandanna’s pronunciation to try speaking Tamil themselves.
In a post on X, he wrote that people uncomfortable with her pronunciation should be given a few lines in Tamil to see how well they could speak the language.
However, several users pointed out that Mandanna is from Karnataka and is primarily associated with Kannada and Telugu cinema, besides her work in Hindi films.
“Very true sir, but she is from karnataka working predominately in telugu,” one user commented.
Another wrote, “But she is Kannada girl who married into a telugu family. Where does tamil come from.”
A third user said Mandanna was a Kannadiga who worked in Telugu and Hindi cinema, questioning why she had been described as Tamil.
Some commenters also criticised Bollywood’s portrayal of people from different regions, arguing that the film industry had contributed to stereotypes about South Indians and other linguistic communities.
The controversy follows online trolling directed at Mandanna over her accent during an appearance on Koffee With Karan Season 9, where she appeared alongside her husband, actor Vijay Deverakonda.
Mandanna questioned why her South Indian accent was being treated as an issue, pointing out that she comes from the region.
Akhtar’s post sought to challenge language-based prejudice, but the discussion shifted to the distinction between Tamil, Kannada and Telugu identities, with users correcting the regional reference in his defence of the actress.
FOLLOW NOW
