January 8, 2024
Vijay Sethupati About Hindi Imposition: Vijay Sethupathu, alongside Katrina Kaif and director Sriram Raghavan, graced the promotional event for their upcoming film, ‘Merry Christmas’, in Chennai on January 7. During the press conference, Sethupathi was confronted with a loaded question about Hindi, to which he astutely clarified Tamil Nadu’s stance, emphasizing Tamil Nadu’s opposition to Hindi imposition rather than the language itself. A clip from this event has gone viral on various social media platforms.
The highly anticipated film ‘Merry Christmas’, a Tamil-Hindi bilingual directed by Sriram Raghavan, is scheduled to hit theatres on January 12. However, it was during the press conference in Chennai on January 7 that a reporter raised a provocative query about Tamil Nadu’s historical stance against Hindi over the past 75 years. The reporter cited the persistence of anti-Hindi sentiment, even pointing to people wearing t-shirts with the slogan ‘Hindi theriyadhu poda’ (I don’t know Hindi) as evidence.
Vijay Sethupati, promptly intervened, clarifying “Hindi, as a language, was never opposed.” When the reporter persisted, asking whether the language should be learned, the actor unequivocally responded, “I remember you asking the same question to Aamir Khan. Why repeat it? We never said no to Hindi. We are against Hindi imposition. There’s a clear distinction between the two. People are freely learning Hindi here, and no one opposes that. Your question is misguided and irrelevant. No one is hindering anyone from learning Hindi. Even Minister Thyagarajan has clarified this; please refer to that.”
In ‘Merry Christmas,’ Vijay Sethupathi shares the screen with Katrina Kaif, and the film, initially slated for a Christmas 2023 release, was rescheduled to January 12, 2024. With distinct trailers in both Tamil and Hindi due to its bilingual nature, the film adds to the anticipation surrounding its release.
