'Don't force me to speak the language,' says Suniel Shetty as he gives his strong opinion on the Hindi-Marathi language row: 'I speak better than Maharashtrian kids'

Very recently, we had seen a debate sparked in Maharashtra regarding the Hindi-Marathi language. It all started when the state Government decided to make Hindi mandatory for Class I students in Marathi and English medium schools. This led to a conversation which had many Bollywood celebs also sharing their opinion and insights. Days after that, now Suniel Shetty has also weighed in on the language row and shared some strong opinions. In a video shared by ANI, Suniel said, "I moved out from here when I was very young, not to be something else and not to be someone else,” he said, explaining that his relocation was driven by opportunity rather than a desire to reinvent his identity. Despite building his career in Mumbai, his sense of self, he said, remained unchanged. The bond with his hometown has continued to remain in his roots. “There is Mangaluru in everything that I do,” Shetty said, pointing to how deeply his origins influence his values, outlook and work. According to him, Geography may change circumstances, but it doesn’t replace who you are.The veteran actor further addressed the frequent questions he receives about Marathi, and challenged the idea of imposed linguistic expectations. “When somebody says, what about Marathi? I say, what about Marathi?” he remarked, questioning why language is often framed as a compulsory marker of belonging. He was unequivocal about resisting force. “No, you’ve got to speak Marathi. I said, 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.”At the same time, Shetty emphasised that his stance does not stem from disregard. Recognising Mumbai as his karmabhoomi (workplace), he explained why he still values learning Marathi. “If that’s my karmabhoomi, if I learn the language, I will be keeping a lot of people happy,” he said, describing language as a means of connection rather than compliance.He concluded with a remark that reflected both confidence and pride. “I speak better Marathi than probably most Maharashtrian kids do in Mumbai today,” he added, suggesting that learning driven by willingness often results in deeper understanding than learning driven by compulsion.