'Don't force me to speak Marathi': Suniel Shetty weighs in on language row
Bollywood actor Suniel Shetty has spoken up about Maharashtra's ongoing Hindi-Marathi language debate.
He shared, "I don't have to do that. I will do it when I want to do it. Don't force me to speak the language," and added, "There is Mangaluru in everything that I do."
This comes after the Maharashtra government decided to make Hindi compulsory for Class I students in Marathi and English medium schools.
What's behind the controversy?
The debate started when the state made Hindi a must for young students, sparking conversations about local versus national languages.
Shetty, who moved from Mangaluru to Mumbai for opportunities, offered his perspective: if Mumbai is his karmabhoomi (place of work), learning Marathi would make people happy—but he doesn't think anyone should be forced.
He even joked he speaks better Marathi than most kids in Mumbai today.
Quick rewind on Shetty
Born in Mangaluru, Shetty kicked off his Bollywood journey and went on to star in several films.
Besides acting, he has business interests.