Javed Akhtar backs Rashmika Mandanna after Koffee With Karan 9 accent trolling, calls out ‘linguistic superiority’

Actor Rashmika Mandanna has faced online criticism over her Hindi accent, an issue she recently addressed during her appearance with husband Vijay Deverakonda on Koffee With Karan Season 9. Rashmika said she did not understand why her South Indian accent was treated as a problem when she was from the region herself. Now, lyricist and screenwriter Javed Akhtar has come out in her support, calling the criticism an example of “fake and baseless linguistic superiority".

Javed Akhtar comes out in support of Rashmika Mandanna over her accent

Veteran lyricist and screenwriter Javed Akhtar has spoken out in support of Rashmika Mandanna after the actor faced renewed criticism over her Hindi pronunciation. Calling out what he described as linguistic superiority, Akhtar argued that people who mock someone’s accent should consider how they would fare speaking a language they do not know.

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The writer shared his views in a post on X on October 25, responding to the ongoing discussion around Rashmika’s speech and her experience working across different film industries. He challenged those who had an issue with her pronunciation to attempt speaking Tamil themselves.

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“Those who have any problem with the pronunciation of Tamil actor Rashmika should be given a few lines of Tamil,” Akhtar wrote, adding that such “fake and baseless linguistic superiority” was unacceptable.

Rashmika Mandanna on criticism of her accent

The debate follows Rashmika’s appearance with her husband, actor Vijay Deverakonda, on Koffee With Karan Season 9. During the conversation, she spoke about the criticism she has faced over her accent and language delivery throughout her career.

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Rashmika questioned why her South Indian accent should be treated as a flaw when she comes from the region herself. She also explained that she never wanted language to limit her career, saying she hoped to work across film industries rather than restrict herself to one.

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The actor has appeared in films in Kannada, Telugu, Tamil and Hindi. She has also spoken about the effort involved in delivering dialogue in different languages, explaining that she gives directors the option of choosing another dubbing artist if they feel it would better suit a role. However, she said her directors have so far preferred that she dub for her own characters.