Actress Madhoo has praised Rashmika Mandanna for embracing her South Indian identity despite facing criticism over her accent, saying it took her decades to develop the same confidence while working in Hindi cinema, writes Outlook.
In a video shared on Instagram, Madhoo spoke about watching Rashmika’s appearance on Karan Johar’s talk show ‘Koffee with Karan’.
She admired how the younger actress responded to comments about her Hindi pronunciation without feeling the need to hide her roots.
“I just loved that you own it, laugh about it, and you are truly a star,” Madhoo said, encouraging Rashmika to remain confident.
Recalling her early years in Bollywood, Madhoo said she once feared being judged for her South Indian accent. She worked hard to improve her Hindi and even sought help from an Urdu teacher to avoid drawing attention to her pronunciation.
The actress said she used to feel proud when people complimented her Hindi, but her outlook has changed over time. She now accepts her accent and cultural identity without embarrassment, adding that it took her around 30 to 35 years to reach that point.
Rashmika had addressed the criticism during her appearance on ‘Koffee with Karan’, saying her accent reflects where she comes from. She argued that expecting someone from South India not to have a regional accent was unreasonable.
Lyricist and screenwriter Javed Akhtar has also defended Rashmika, criticising what he described as linguistic superiority. He challenged those questioning her pronunciation to try speaking Tamil themselves.
