Actor Dhanush has stirred fresh conversation around Tamil Nadu’s language debate, telling students that not knowing one’s mother tongue is nothing to be proud of. He was addressing pupils and teachers at his alma mater, Thaai Sathya Matriculation School in Chennai, on Tuesday.
Recalls his own struggle with English
Speaking in Tamil, Dhanush looked back at his own school days, when English did not come easily to him even though his grip on Tamil was strong. He said, “When we were studying here, I couldn’t speak English well. I used to speak English like ‘Why did he went’. But I could speak Tamil well.”
He noted that the situation has since reversed for many young people. “Out of the ten people I meet, eight of them don’t know how to read or write Tamil. They speak English; they write English. But they don’t know how to read or write Tamil. It is a very frustrating thing,” he said.
A lesson from a film shoot in Belgium
The actor also shared an anecdote from a French production he shot in Belgium. He recounted that his crew there was taken aback when he confirmed he knew English, since most people who don’t speak the language are usually mocked elsewhere. He said, “When I asked them why they were surprised, they said, ‘You should know your mother tongue. But English is a bonus.’”
Driving the point home, Dhanush said one’s mother tongue ought to come first. “You should learn how to read and write your mother tongue. Saying you don’t know Tamil is not something to be proud of. Not knowing your mother tongue is an insult,” he said, before thanking his Tamil teacher, as reported by NDTV.
New building named after the actor
Dhanush also inaugurated a new three-storey building at the school. In recognition of his role in helping renovate it, the school management has named the block ‘Dhanush Block’ after him.
The actor’s remarks come at a time when speculation continues to swirl around his possible entry into politics, adding a fresh layer of attention to his comments on language and identity in Tamil Nadu.
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