Kangana Ranaut says Ajay Devgn is ‘not wrong’ in debate on Hindi: ‘It’s our national language according to Constitution’

Actor Kangana Ranaut released the trailer for her upcoming movie Dhaakad on Friday. At the trailer launch event in Mumbai, Kangana was asked a bunch of questions on her movie and also about all the debates raging in the entertainment world. (Also read: Ajay Devgn reacts to Kiccha Sudeep’s ‘Hindi isn’t our national language’ comment: ‘Why do you dub your films in Hindi?’)

Recently, actor Ajay Devgn raised a storm when he tweeted in reaction to Kannada actor Kiccha Sudeep’s comments on Hindi and Kannada film industries and languages.  Ajay had called Hindi the national language of India. However, many pointed out that India does not actually have a national language at all.

Now, at the trailer launch event in Mahalaxmi, Kangana also maintained that the Constitution of India has accorded the ‘national language’ status to Hindi. As per a report in The Indian Express, speaking about being proud of Indian languages over English, she said, “When you travel through the country, or go abroad to German, Spanish, or French countries, they are very proud of their language. No matter how dark the colonial history is, fortunately or unfortunately, English has become that link. Today, even within the country, we are using English to communicate. Should that be the link, or should Hindi or Sanskrit or Tamil be the link? We have to take that call. So, keeping all these things in mind, a decisive call should be taken.”

She added, “As of now, Hindi is the national language according to the constitution. So when Ajay Devgn ji said that Hindi is the national language of India, he was not wrong. But I would say Sanskrit should be our national language, as languages like Hindi, Germany, English, French have all stemmed from Sanskrit. Why don’t we have Sanskrit as the national language? Why is it not mandatory in schools? I don’t know that!” India has two official languages used by the Union government, English and Hindi. Different states use their own different languages for official purposes.

In his tweet to Kiccha Sudeep, Ajay had written in Hindi, “My brother, if according to you Hindi is not our national language then why do you release your movies in your mother tongue by dubbing them in Hindi? Hindi was, is and always will be our mother tongue and national language. Jan Gan Man.” Sudeep called it a misunderstanding but also asked Ajay what his reaction would be if he had typed his message in Kannada.

Multiple celebrities and politicians have also waded into the controversy since, taking different sides in the matter.