Overview

• Aamir Khan told IANS he felt ashamed after neglecting Marathi in school and hired a tutor at age 44 to master his Rajyabhasha.
• He argued that knowing multiple languages is beneficial for any profession and admitted he is slow to pick up new tongues.
• His July 31 disclosure adds a constructive celebrity perspective to the ongoing debate over Marathi use and regional identity.
• In April the Maharashtra government reversed a plan to make Hindi a compulsory third language after protests over cultural sensitivities.
• Figures including Renuka Shahane, Badshah and Shilpa Shetty have urged respect for Marathi and condemned harassment of non-speakers.