Renuka Shahane speaks out on Marathi-Hindi row in Maharashtra: 'Slapping people will not help the language'

Hindustan Times

5 days ago

Actor Renuka Shahane has weighed in on the ongoing language debate in Maharashtra, urging people to respect local languages and cultures while firmly opposing any form of aggression in the name of linguistic pride. Speaking on the podcast InControversial with Pooja Chaudhri, the actor, who hails from Maharashtra herself, shared her thoughts on the tensions that have emerged between Hindi and Marathi speakers in the state. Renuka Shahane stressed the importance of understanding local culture and avoiding violence.
Renuka on respecting the local culture
'If you've been living in a place for a long time, it's a good thing to understand the local language, culture and be more respectful than anything else. It's not about the speaking of it, much more than the intention of wanting to, you know, respect it. I do not like people who do not feel the necessity to be accommodating of the local language and local culture." Renuka said.
'I do not like violence at all, you know; I do not like the fact that people can be rude about it. Going into a place where Marathi is not spoken and just slapping two or three people, it's not going to help the language in any way. We have to find ways to get across the language to people in a way that people would find it convenient and accept it happily. Language is not something that should is forced. That is why I was against the forced addition of Hindi from a very early stage in Maharashtra. I think it should be something of a choice, which I also had growing up." Renuka added.
During a recent interaction with ANI, Renuka's husband, actor Ashutosh Rana also addressed the issue. 'Bhasha samwaad ka vishay hoti hai, vivaad ka nahi. Bharat samwaad mein vishwas rakhta hai, vivaad mein nahi (Language is a topic of discussion and not controversy. India believes in talks and not controversy)," Ashutosh said, emphasising that language should be a tool for dialogue, not division.
Marathi-Hindi language row
Renuka and Ashutosh's comments come amid growing tensions in Maharashtra around language identity. The debate reignited in April 2025, after the state government announced — and then quickly rolled back — a decision to make Hindi a compulsory third language in schools. Since then, several confrontations have been reported where individuals allegedly linked to the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) have clashed with people for not speaking Marathi in public.