Bollywood actor Aamir Khan found himself at the centre of Maharashtra’s long-running language debate on Thursday after a brief but pointed exchange with the media while voting in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections.
After casting his vote, Aamir Khan addressed reporters in Marathi, appealing to citizens of Mumbai to step out and participate in the civic polls. He praised the polling arrangements and urged voters to exercise their democratic right. When some journalists requested him to repeat his message in Hindi, the actor responded with a smile, saying, “Hindi mein? Yeh Maharashtra hai, bhai” (In Hindi? This is Maharashtra).
The remark, though light in tone, quickly drew attention as the Marathi versus Hindi language issue has resurfaced sharply in the run-up to the BMC elections. When informed that his statement would also be aired in Delhi, Aamir Khan added that it was “very good” and once again appealed to people to vote in large numbers, stressing the importance of civic participation.
Language politics has become a key talking point in Mumbai’s civic polls, especially after remarks by BJP leader Kripashankar Singh suggesting that a Hindi-speaking person could become Mumbai’s mayor. This statement triggered strong reactions from Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Raj Thackeray, who have recently reunited after nearly two decades.
Both leaders have called upon the ‘Marathi Manoos’ to unite, warning against divisions and urging voters to protect Marathi identity and interests. Raj Thackeray described the civic election as a crucial moment for Marathi people, appealing for unity and participation.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis sought to calm tensions, stating that non-Marathi speakers are completely safe in Mumbai. He criticised what he described as selective targeting of underprivileged sections such as taxi and auto-rickshaw drivers for political mileage.
Aamir Khan’s brief comment has thus added a high-profile voice to an already charged political atmosphere, highlighting how language continues to shape identity, politics, and public discourse in Maharashtra especially on an election day meant to celebrate democratic unity.
