Celebrities making statements about societal issues is a double edged sword. If one chooses to comment, it is highly likely that there opinions will be misconstrued which will lead to them being targeted. On the other hand, people also have a problem when celebrities don’t comment on something that effects the society. Actor Shilpa Shetty was recently asked about the Marathi language row and the actor gracefully avoided the question while giving the press a piece of her mind.
During a promotional event for her upcoming film KD The Devil, Shilpa said, “I am a girl from Maharashtra but today we are here to talk about the film KD. If you want to talk about other controversial things, I can’t really encourage that. The film is already a multilingual project and I am sure we can dub it in Marathi as well.” Her co-star, Sanjay Dutt, responded with a subtle smile upon hearing her reply.
The controversy began with the first government resolution (GR) issued on April 16, which introduced Hindi as third language from Class 1 to 5. The decision sparked widespread criticism, with many accusing the government of imposing Hindi on non-Hindi-speaking students. This was also considered as a cultural onslaught by many, leading to major political backlash. However, ahead of the monsoon session of the Maharashtra legislature, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis revoked the government resolutions issued on April 16 and June 17 on the contentious three-language policy. The CM also announced the formation of a committee led by Dr Narendra Jadhav to take a relook into the three-language policy in primary sections.
Directed by Prem, the cast of KD The Devil stars Sanjay Dutt, Dhruva Sarja, Reeshma Nanaiah, Shilpa Shetty and Ramesh Aravind in pivotal roles. The film will be releasing in multiple languages in 2026.
