Prakash Raj explains controversial Jai Bhim scene deemed anti-Hindi language

Actor-filmmaker Prakash Raj is a familiar face across the country. He's perhaps one of the few actors in Indian cinema who could speak fluently in all of the country's major languages. And he's now found himself in the middle of a raging controversy over his hashtag campaign #StopHindiImposition. A scene from his critically acclaimed movie Jai Bhim is now at the centre of the whole controversy. 

Jai Bhim, starring Suriya in the lead, was helmed by director T. J. Gnanavel. The film was released directly on Amazon Prime Video during the Covid lockdown in 2021. And it was made available for streaming in multiple languages, including Hindi. Prakash essayed the role of a top cop named Perumalsamy in the movie. In a scene, Prakash slaps a cop when he talks to him in Hindi and asks to speak to him in Tamil. In the Telugu version, Prakash's character slaps the Hindi-speaking cop and asks him to speak to him in Telugu. In the Hindi version, Prakash's character slaps the cop and asks him to tell the truth. 

A few have made a collage of these clips and have posted online accusing Prakash of having a hostile attitude towards the Hindi language. However, Prakash has denied that. In a tweet, he explained that in the scene in question, the cop tries to evade questioning by speaking Hindi and that required Prakash to ask the cop to speak the local language in Tamil and Telugu versions. But, in the Hindi version, he suggested it wouldn't have made sense to ask the cop to speak in Tamil or Telugu as he's already speaking the local tongue. 

"A scene from #jaibheem a local police officer interrogates a criminal who tries to dodge the law by speaking Hindi in spite of knowing the local language is slapped . And you want to use this to question our fight #StopHindiImposition your hate agenda is exposed #justasking (sic)," Prakash reacted to the video clip. 

"I speak 7 languages .To learn n speak a language is RESPECTING its people . I have learned every language of the people I work with. I don’t force my language. But if you disrespect mine and force your language I will stand up and protest #stopHindiImposition #justasking," he had tweeted earlier. 

Prakash has acted in several Hindi films, including Heropanti, Dabangg 2, and Singham to name a few. 

Prakash was previously seen in the Telugu blockbuster Waltair Veerayya and the Tamil hit Varisu. He will also be seen in director Mani Ratnam's epic drama Ponniyin Selvan: II and Upendra-starrer Kabzaa.