Dhanush urges students to prioritise Tamil, says not knowing mother tongue "is an insult"
Chennai, August 6
Actor Dhanush urged students to give importance to their mother tongue, saying fluency in Tamil should come before everything else.
Addressing a school event in Chennai on Wednesday, the actor reflected on how language proficiency has changed over the years and expressed concern over the declining use of Tamil among youngsters.
"When I was in school, we were fluent in Tamil and we struggled with English. Now the situation is opposite. Now, out of the 10 people I meet, eight don't know Tamil," Dhanush said.
Emphasising the importance of preserving one's native language, he added, "One should be fluent in their mother tongue before everything else."
The actor also said that not being able to speak Tamil fluently should not be viewed as an achievement.
"To say I'm not fluent in Tamil is not a matter of pride. It's an insult," he said, urging students to focus on learning the language.
"Focus on learning Tamil language," Dhanush told the gathering.
Meanwhile, on the work front, Dhanush has a couple of projects lined up. The actor will next be seen in the film tentatively titled OM. The film OM features Dhanush in the lead role alongside Mammootty, Sai Pallavi, and Sreeleela. Written and directed by Rajkumar Periasamy, the film's music has been composed by Sai Abhyankkar. OM is set to hit theatres worldwide on October 16, 2026.
— ANI
Reader Comments
"While I appreciate the sentiment, I think this is a bit too extreme. As an NRI living in Canada, I want my kids to know Tamil, but they need English to thrive here. It's not an 'insult' if someone doesn't speak their mother tongue fluently—it's a reality of our global world. We should encourage learning Tamil without shaming people."
"Dhanush is spot on! I'm a college student in Chennai and many of my peers mix English words into Tamil sentences so much that it doesn't even sound like Tamil anymore. We need to read Tamil literature, watch Tamil movies, and speak in Tamil at home. It's our responsibility to keep our language alive. 👏"
"Hmm, this is a nuanced issue. On one hand, I understand Dhanush's concern. But on the other, I feel like we shouldn't force language learning on anyone. My cousin who grew up in Delhi speaks fluent Hindi and English but struggles with Tamil. He's still a proud Tamilian. Language proficiency shouldn't be the only measure of one's connection to their culture."
"🙏 Perfectly said! I'm a teacher in Chennai and I see how parents are obsessed with English medium schools. They don't realize that their kids are losing out on their cultural heritage. We need more celebrities like Dhanush to speak up about this. Let's not turn this into a language war—it's about loving and respecting where we come from!"
"Respectfully, I disagree with the 'insult' part. I'm a Kannad
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.