Ajay Devgn vs. Kichcha Sudeep: “Hindi Will Always Be National Language”
Hindi was, is, and always will be our mother tongue and national language, according to Hindi film actor Ajay Devgn, who was responding to a Kannada actor who claimed that Hindi is not the national language at a recent event.
Sudeep Sanjeev, better known by his mononym Sudeep, was reportedly speaking to the media at the trailer launch of the film “R: The Deadliest Gangster Ever” when he corrected someone about the use of the term “pan-India” in relation to the reach of films.”Everyone says a Kannada film was made on a pan-India level, but a small correction is that Hindi is no longer a national language,” Mr Sudeep said in response to a comment on the recently released blockbuster Kannada film “K.G.F: Chapter 2,” which has done tremendously well even in North India.
He added, in a dig at the Hindi film industry, that Bollywood produces many pan-India films that are released in Telugu and Tamil but don’t have the same level of success.
“Today, we’re making films that are going to be seen all over the world,” he said.
Ajay Devgn reacted to the remark by tagging the Kannada actor on Twitter and asking why he releases Hindi dubs of films made in his mother tongue.
“@KicchaSudeep, my brother, if Hindi is not our national language, why do you dub your mother tongue films in Hindi? Our mother tongue and national language, Hindi, was, is, and always will be. Jan Gan Man is a fictional character “He used Hindi in his tweets.
Mr Sudeep then responded to Mr Devgn’s retort, claiming that he made the remark in a different context than how it was relayed to him, and that his intention was not to “hurt, provoke, or start any debate.” In his next tweet, the Kannada actor apologised, saying that he “loves and respects” all of our country’s languages and that he hopes to see him soon.
Several south Indian films have recently experienced unprecedented box office success, not just in the south but across the country, sparking a lot of discussion about why Hindi language films aren’t as popular in the south.
Ajay Devgn is one of a handful of Hindi actors who now regularly appear in films that promote patriotism and nationalism. He has previously campaigned in Bihar for the ruling BJP and has backed Prime Minister Modi’s decisions, including the controversial demonetisation move. After Union Home Minister Amit Shah recently stated that Hindi, not local languages, should be accepted as an alternative to English, the debate over Hindi imposition erupted once more. Opposition parties slammed the remark, describing it as an attack on India’s pluralism and vowing to thwart any attempt to impose “Hindi imperialism.”
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