Doesn’t matter if there is a common language or not: Ayushmann

CHENNAI: Ayushmann Khurrana, who promoted his upcoming film Anek at Miraj Cinema here on Friday, weighed in on the language row and said all languages in the country deserved to be treated with respect.

Those who haven’t spoken Hindi from childhood, if they are expected to speak or learn the language all of a sudden, it was “unfair”, he said.

“We should give importance to each and every language in the country. Those who cannot speak Hindi should not be treated differently. It really does not matter if there is a common language or not. Only the hearts need to be one,” Khurrana told reporters when he was asked to address the controversy over the demand that Hindi should be the national language.

“There are so many languages, religions, and every 10 km, there’s a change in dialect.

Our diversity is our biggest strength as the uniqueness of the nation,” he added.

In his answer to another question, Khurrana said sports and cinema are two great binders and levellers where language, religion or caste don’t matter.

Set against the geopolitical backdrop of Northeast India, Anek follows the journey of an undercover cop named Joshua, played by Khurrana, who wants nothing more than peace for the nation.

The movie, which explores discrimination against the people from Northeast India, reunites the actor with his Article 15 director Anubhav Sinha.

“It’s a very special film to me because it is an important film in today’s scenario. It has been made with a lot of heart by Anubhav Sinha. It’s not just an action film, it’s a political film. The film talks about uniting the country, in terms of language.

Many other issues have been touched upon in this film,” Khurrana added.

Part of the cast also are Andrea Kevichusa, Manoj Pahwa, Kumud Mishra, and J D Chakravarthy. Anek is slated to be theatrically released on May 27.