Now Reading: Javed Akhtar backs Rashmika Mandanna, then corrects error
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Javed Akhtar backs Rashmika Mandanna, then corrects error
The Story in Brief
Lyricist Javed Akhtar defended actress Rashmika Mandanna against online criticism of her Hindi accent on 25 October, posting on X that critics should try pronouncing Tamil, which he called the oldest spoken language. He referred to Mandanna as a Tamil actor in his post.
Netizens quickly pointed out that Mandanna is from Karnataka and works primarily in Telugu and Hindi cinema. Akhtar later acknowledged the mistake, replying, 'I stand corrected.'
Mandanna had earlier addressed the accent criticism during an appearance on Koffee With Karan Season 9 with her husband Vijay Deverakonda, saying that having a South Indian accent was natural since she is from the South. She said she wants to work across film industries and learn multiple languages.
Indian Opinion Analysis
NDTV and ABP Live both report Akhtar's defence of Mandanna neutrally, while the Times of India leads with his correction after being called out, foregrounding the factual error over the language debate. NDTV omits the correction entirely, framing the story solely around the accent controversy and social media reaction. The Times of India's version gives the correction equal weight, showing the full exchange. A balanced reading notes that Akhtar's core point about linguistic bias stands regardless of his mistake, but the correction itself became a secondary news hook. All three outlets treat the original criticism of Mandanna's accent as unreasonable, and no source challenges Akhtar's defence on substance.
Coverage: 3 sources, 3 neutral
Sources (3): ndtv.com (neutral report), abplive.com (neutral report), timesofindia.indiatimes.com (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
