Aamir Khan found himself amidst a language debate during the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections on Thursday. After casting his vote, the actor interacted with the media, initially speaking in Marathi to urge Mumbaikars to participate in the civic polls and praising the voting arrangements.

The situation took a turn when some journalists requested Khan to repeat his message in Hindi. With a smile, Khan responded, "Hindi mein? Yeh Maharashtra hai, bhai (In Hindi? This is Maharashtra)".

When a journalist pointed out that his message would also be broadcast in Delhi, Khan replied, "Oh, it will go to Delhi as well? Very good arrangements have been made. I would appeal to everyone: come and cast your valuable vote".

Khan's response has been interpreted as a subtle commentary on the ongoing language row in Maharashtra, where the prominence of Hindi has been a topic of discussion. The debate has intensified, particularly in the lead-up to the BMC elections.

The language issue gained traction after BJP leader Kripashankar Singh stated that a Hindi speaker would be the next Mayor of Mumbai. This remark drew strong reactions from Uddhav and Raj Thackeray, who have recently reunited after two decades. The Thackerays have appealed to the "Marathi Manoos" to remain united, emphasizing the importance of unity for Marathi and Maharashtra. Raj Thackeray went so far as to say, “This is the last election for the Marathi man. If you miss this opportunity, you will be finished. Unite for Marathi and Maharashtra. Mumbai was achieved through many sacrifices".

In response to the controversy, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis assured non-Marathi speakers that they are completely safe in Mumbai. He criticized the Thackerays for allegedly targeting underprivileged sections of society with their rhetoric, saying, "This is the third generation of North Indians living in Mumbai, they are complete Mumbaikars in their food habits, culture and festivals". Fadnavis added, "Sure, there have been a few incidents, but who do the Thackerays go after? Cab drivers, rickshaw drivers. It's just for their own publicity".

The BMC elections are currently underway across 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra, including major cities like Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Nashik, and Pimpri-Chinchwad. Polling commenced at 7:30 am on Thursday, January 15, and will continue until 5:30 pm. The counting of votes is scheduled for Friday, January 16.

Several other film personalities, including Aamir Khan's former wife Reena Dutta with their children Junaid Khan and Ira Khan, and Kiran Rao, were also spotted at polling booths. Actors Akshay Kumar, Twinkle Khanna, Nana Patekar, Vishal Dadlani and Suniel Shetty were among other celebrities who cast their votes.