Javed Akhtar Defends Rashmika Mandanna Over Accent Trolling, Calls Out Linguistic Superiority

Trolling and Defense

Lyricist and writer Javed Akhtar has strongly defended actor Rashmika Mandanna against online criticism regarding her accent and pronunciation. Akhtar took to X to call out what he termed 'fake and baseless linguistic superiority.' He stated that critics who have a problem with her pronunciation should be asked to speak Tamil themselves. He also described Tamil as the oldest spoken language in the world.

Rashmika's Stand

Rashmika Mandanna recently addressed the online trolling during her appearance on Koffee With Karan season 9 alongside her actor-husband Vijay Deverakonda. She noted that criticism has followed her since the start of her career, targeting her performances, acting, and language skills. However, she refused to let such comments limit her choices. She wanted to work across multiple film industries and speak various languages rather than building barriers for herself. She pointed out that having a South Indian accent is entirely natural since she is from the South of India, making it unreasonable for critics to expect otherwise.

Film Career and Reactions

Rashmika expressed satisfaction with being part of diverse projects such as Animal and Girlfriend, noting how different the two films are. Her Hindi dialogue delivery has frequently drawn attention on social media, with viewers questioning her accent in Hindi films. The debate resurfaced after the release of the horror comedy Thamma in 2025 and Cocktail 2 in 2026. Her work in Animal, Chhaava and Sikandar also brought similar public reactions.

Context

Online scrutiny of actors regarding regional accents and language delivery is a common phenomenon in the Indian film industry, where cross-industry casting happens frequently. Veteran figures like Javed Akhtar often use their public platforms to address cultural biases and gatekeeping in entertainment. Such discussions highlight the broader challenges actors face when working across different linguistic film industries in India.