Sai Pallavi finds herself at the centre of an online storm after clips of her speaking Hindi haltingly at a Mumbai event went viral, prompting a fresh round of scrutiny over her casting as Sita in Nitesh Tiwari’s much-anticipated Ramayana.
Event that sparked it all
The clips emerged from Ek Din Ki Mehfil, a musical showcase for Junaid Khan’s debut film Ek Din, in which Pallavi plays the female lead. Taking the stage, she openly acknowledged her limitations, telling the audience: “I didn’t know we were going to speak at the event. At least I would have learned something in Hindi.” The candour did little to shield her from criticism.
One user wrote: “What was Nitesh Tiwari even thinking while casting Sai Pallavi for Sita maa’s role who can’t even speak proper Hindi?” The clip spread rapidly, with several social media users echoing the sentiment that fluency in Hindi was a prerequisite for the role.
The defence was equally swift
Supporters pushed back, pointing out that Sita was never a Hindi speaker to begin with. “Maa Sita must have spoken Maithili and married Ram from Ayodhya who spoke Awadhi,” one widely shared reply read. Others cited her dubbing work, noting that she had voiced her own lines in Hindi for Amaran, and argued that on-screen performance has little to do with conversational fluency.
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Many also flagged that the viral clip was a short excerpt from a longer, warmer interaction, calling it selective and misleading.
Aamir Khan’s verdict
The debate sits oddly against what unfolded at the same event. Aamir Khan, visibly moved during a screening segment, was seen dabbing his eyes as he sat beside Pallavi and Junaid. He did not hold back in his assessment of her work. “Sai has done such an amazing job. For me, Sai is the best actress we have in our country today,” he said.
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Pallavi, in turn, credited Khan for the opportunity, saying she was grateful for the journey that had led her to the evening.
Ramayana, which also stars Ranbir Kapoor and Yash, remains one of the most anticipated films in the pipeline. If the online reaction so far is any indication, Pallavi’s Sita will be watched — and debated — long before the film releases.
