Javed Akhtar Corrects Himself After Calling Rashmika Mandanna A 'Tamil' Actor While Defending Her Against Trolling Over Hindi Accent; Netizens React

Veteran lyricist and screenwriter Javed Akhtar faced criticism on social media after referring to Rashmika Mandanna as a Tamil actor while defending her against online trolling over her Hindi accent. Although his post called out people for looking down on others because of their language, users pointed out that the actress is Kannadiga.

Akhtar later acknowledged the correction, replying, "I stand corrected."

Javed Akhtar Defends Rashmika Mandanna’s Hindi Accent

The controversy began after Akhtar spoke out against people criticising Mandanna’s Hindi pronunciation. In a post on X, he challenged those mocking her accent to try pronouncing a few lines in Tamil themselves. He also criticised what he described as linguistic superiority.

"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 (sic)," read his post.

While several users supported his stand against accent-based trolling, others highlighted the error in his description of Mandanna. One user pointed out that she is from Coorg in Karnataka and has worked in multiple South Indian film industries.

Another user simply wrote, "She’s Kannadiga."

A different user also corrected the lyricist, saying, "Javed Sir Rashmika isn't a Tamil actress, she's a Telugu actress (most number of film). Correct that (sic)."

When another X user explained her regional background, Akhtar acknowledged the mistake.

"She is Kodagu and Telangana Telugu Kodalu sir. But appreciate your support for us linguistic minorities in this country," the user wrote.

To this, Akhtar responded, "I stand corrected."

Rashmika Mandanna On Criticism Of Her Hindi Accent

Mandanna had previously spoken about the criticism surrounding her Hindi pronunciation during a recent appearance with her husband, Vijay Deverakonda, on Koffee With Karan Season 9. She questioned why her South Indian accent was treated as a problem despite her being from the region.

The actress has also discussed the challenges of dubbing her films in multiple languages. She has said that directors have often preferred her own voice, even when she offered to let other artists dub for her. While the process can be challenging, she has described it as rewarding and has continued to work across different film industries.

Mandanna’s Hindi dialogue delivery has frequently become a subject of online discussion, with the debate resurfacing around films such as Animal, Chhaava, Sikandar, Thamma and Cocktail 2.