Amidst the controversy over India's 'national language', director Anubhav Sinha has dropped the trailer of his new film Anek starring Ayushmann Khurrana.
A particular scene from the trailer has since then gone viral. In the scene, Ayushmann posed a thought-provoking question on the Indian identity. He says, "North Indian nahi, South Indian nahi, East Indian nahi, West Indian nahi. Sirf Indian kaise hota hai aadmi?" (Not a North Indian, South Indian, East Indian or West Indian. How does one become just an Indian?)
This question has resonated with many people on the internet especially after Kiccha Sudeep and Ajay Devgn's interaction on Twitter raised questions about the politics of language.
The film addresses the issue of insurgency and political unrest in North-East India. It also highlights the issues of racism and linguistic politics within the country and how a certain language can determine the 'Indian-ness' of a citizen. Ayushmann's cites example of Hindi in this case and asks how a language can define who is an Indian and who is not.
Anubhav Sinha who is known for social commentary through his movies, has once again given us some food for thought. Here are some reactions on the trailer:
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