'Marathi meri mritiyu tak nahi bolunga': Hindi in Maharashtra
A video from Panvel, near Mumbai, is making waves after travel vlogger Vijay Chandel was asked to speak Marathi during Ganesh festival prep—but he stuck to Hindi instead.
Things got tense when two women insisted he switch languages and even threatened to call the police.
The clip quickly spread online, bringing the long-running Marathi vs Hindi language debate in Maharashtra back into focus.
Chandel's stance, complaint details
Chandel didn't back down, saying, "Marathi meri mritiyu tak nahi bolunga. Hindi hi bolunga," which fueled a heated discussion on social media.
He's since filed a police complaint following the incident and stressed his right to choose his language—something he says his family, especially his father from the defense sector, supports.
The incident highlights ongoing cultural tensions in the state around language and identity.