Veteran lyricist and screenwriter Javed Akhtar has come out in support of Rashmika Mandanna after the actor faced online criticism over her Hindi pronunciation.
However, his attempt to defend her also led to a discussion about her linguistic roots, prompting him to acknowledge a correction made by social media users.
Akhtar took to social media to call out those criticising Rashmika’s accent and challenged them to pronounce a few lines in 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 Tamil. This fake and baseless linguistic superiority is not acceptable,” he wrote on X.
Those who have any problem with the pronounciation 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 Tamil . This fake and baseless linguistic superiority is not acceptable.
— Javed Akhtar (@Javedakhtarjadu) October 25, 2026
While many users appreciated Akhtar’s support for the actor, some pointed out that Rashmika is a Kannadiga with roots in Kodagu, Karnataka, rather than a Tamil actor.
One user responded to his post, writing, “She is kodagu and telangana Telugu kodalu sir. But appreciate your support for us linguistic minorities in this country.”
Akhtar acknowledged the correction and replied, “I stand corrected.”
@DexterousRd I stand corrected .
— Javed Akhtar (@Javedakhtarjadu) October 25, 2026
Another user highlighted Rashmika’s background and her work across the South Indian film industries. “Even Javed Saab, despite his support, appears unfamiliar with South Indian nuances. Rashmika is a Kannadiga (from Coorg) by roots and works across all South Indian languages, showing the richness of our varied cultures!” the comment read.
A third user agreed with Akhtar’s broader point but also corrected his identification of the actor’s native language.
“Your heart is in the right place but your identification of the actress’s native language is not. Your point is well taken though. That 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 light-hearted response from a user who thanked Akhtar for supporting Tamil while pointing out the common misconception about South Indian languages.
“Thanks for the support to Tamil language. I 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 user commented.
Rashmika has established herself across Kannada, Telugu, Tamil and Hindi cinema, with her work spanning several film industries. The actor has faced online scrutiny over her accent, with the latest criticism following her appearance on Koffee With Karan Season 9, where she appeared alongside her husband, Vijay Deverakonda.
