Many individuals have developed smart methods to avoid controversy, hide behind large words, and make the appropriate strategic moves in an age when people are more held accountable for their public remarks. However, some others, like Indian star Naseeruddin Shah, appear to have missed the alert.
In a promotional interview with Tried & Refused Productions for his latest TV series Taj, he bluntly claimed,
Sindhi is, of course, no longer spoken in Pakistan.
Watch the video,
Twitter did not take kindly to his assumption, prompting a heap of backlash in viral retweets of the footage. Ironically, Shah’s statement was made as a side note while listing various regional languages and discussing widespread ignorance towards Urdu.
Many users were outraged at his ignorance towards Sindhi, including the original user who shared the snippet online.
Take a look,
“Sindhi, of course, is no longer spoken in Pakistan..”
WTF, Shah Ji? pic.twitter.com/kp4tYlmykG— Umar Aziz Khan (@UmarAzizKhan9) June 5, 2023
Several users also urged the actor to come to Sindh, calling attention to how many large, sweeping stereotypes we hear about Sindh coming from people who have never visited.
Come to Sindh Sir and let us prove you Wrong
I wonder where he got this idea that Sindhi is no longer spoken in Pakistan https://t.co/HGmUopryeR— Dewan Sachal (@essel1) June 6, 2023
Other users, such as independent Sindhi journalist Veengas, made it a point to remind us of the facts. She highlighted how Shah and several others have harmfully overlooked the presence of Sindhi in local media and literature, not unlike the way we often treat regional languages ourselves.
Someone must educate Naseeruddin Shah ji that Sindhi is spoken and we have Sindhi media and read our Sindhi literature.
I think he doesn’t know about our land Sindh. So, please Naseeruddin Shah Ji, humble piece of advice: don’t comment on any issue when you are not sure about… https://t.co/IOi0DGEaTE— Veengas (@VeengasJ) June 6, 2023
Twitter is, of course, not Twitter without its mocking retweets. Many users took this opportunity to ridicule Shah for falling short in his attempts at intellectual conversation, with Indian author Rahul Pandita even suggesting that he should withdraw from public life.
I think there is merit in the theory that beyond a certain age men should just withdraw from public life. If they insist on staying on, their family should make them do it. https://t.co/wtXiCQHw6w
— Rahul Pandita (@rahulpandita) June 6, 2023
It's wrong sir, Please visit Sindh, you will see people who speak Sindhi. https://t.co/OqrrQQRS14
— kavi Shankar,کوی شنکر,कवि शंकर,કવિ શંકર,ڪوي شنڪر. (@kavishankar777) June 6, 2023
Sindhi is official language of Sindh state of Pakistan and spoken by 3 crore Pakistanis at least.
At least Alia doesn't pretend to be genius. https://t.co/PpQoPD7N0i
— Gems of Bollywood बॉलीवुड के रत्न (@GemsOfBollywood) June 6, 2023
One user hilariously tweeted from the burial mounds of Mohenjo Daro, adding that the only languages we speak now are Chinese and Urd-lish.
yes we are extinct. I am tweeting from the burial mounds of Moenjodaro. The Indus river dried up a millenia ago. Sindhi is no longer spoken in Pakistan, it is all Chinese and Urdlish https://t.co/FeIcQNQgo7
— ᚽᛁᛓᛆ (@okayysorryy) June 6, 2023
Whether learned from famous celebrities or at dinner table discussions, we must begin to revisit what we know about our local cultures — and where that knowledge came from. You might find wilder assumptions than Shah’s closer to home!
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