What celebrities have to say

After earning over Rs 900 crore in a span of two weeks, the Kannada movie KGF: Chapter 2Its success has certainly crossed global boundaries. However, one of the film’s release events sparked quite a bit of controversy online, and it had to do with the national Hindi language.

When asked at this event regarding KGFActor Sudeep responded to the success of the All-India movie:

“I said an All India movie was shot in Kannada. I would like to make a small correction. Hindi is no longer a national language. They (Bollywood) are making All India films today. They struggle (to achieve success) by dubbing Telugu and Tamil, but it is not happening.” Today, we’re making movies that go everywhere.”

Sudeep’s view is getting stronger today, as international film analysts and journalists have taken note of SS Rajamouli’s point of view $$$$, which has now crossed Rs. 1,000 crore mark. However, the statement sparked the ire of many Twitter users, especially Bollywood actor Ajay Devgn.

Devgn, whose response was entirely in Devanagari script, replied with the following:

“Kecha Sudeep, brother, according to your opinion, if Hindi is not our national language, why call your mother tongue? [mother tongue] Movies dubbed in Hindi? Hindi was and always will be our mother tongue and national language. Jan Jan Man: “Ajay’s tweet, when translated into English, read.

Then Sudeep began to calm the situation, but not before pointing out the hypocrisy of Devgn’s use of Hindi versus his possible use of Kannada.

The issue was also exacerbated in Punjab, where the roots of Devgn’s ancestors lie. MS Sekhon (72), based in Ludhiana, who runs the “Maan Matta Punjabi” organization to promote Punjabi said: “Ajay Devgan’s father was Veeru Devgan from Amritsar and even after moving to Mumbai, he was proudly speaking Punjabi.. The mother tongue of Ajay Devgn is a language Punjabi which follows his family roots but his choice is the language he wants to speak. However, he cannot make false statements in terms of facts like Hindi is the national language of the country,” Sikhon said.

Although the actors buried the hatchet, other characters began to get involved, mostly former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Coomaraswamy, who snapped several shots at Devgn in a detailed seven-part tweet:

Meanwhile, musicians A.R. Rahman and Sonu Nigam have called for societal harmony, with the latter vigorously defending the cause of #StopHindiImposition#:

Do we have no problems in this country that we are looking for the most? Look at our neighbors… as we create divisions in India by saying “You are Tamil… you speak Hindi. Why? Why do they speak Hindi?” Nigam asked at a recent special event.

Unsurprisingly, Kangana Ranaut arranged things their way, arguing that the national language should be Sanskrit.

What does the constitution say?

Indian constitution

The issue of Indian identity and national identity goes back decades, and is closely linked to the history of many Indian political parties, especially those in the south.

However, the actual definition of “national language” remains vague and imprecise, even outside of a strongly multilingual country like India. The general understanding is that the “national” language reflects the cultural and social background of the country, while the “official” language focuses on the government apparatus.

The Indian Constitution expressly avoids any mention of a “national language” and, in Article 343(1), defines Hindi as an “official language” alongside English. India, as a highly diverse country with 453 recognized languages, benefits from avoiding the title of “national language”, and instead chooses to give equal cultural importance to its full range of spoken languages.

So, while the likes of Devgn and Ranaut can continue to make arguments for populist language, they cannot deny India’s diversity. What do you think about it? Let us know in the comments section.

(Featured image credits: ajaydevgn, kanganaranaut, @kichchasudeepa/Instagram)