Actor Aamir Khan was seen casting his vote in the BMC 2026 elections on Thursday and used the opportunity to appeal to people to exercise their voting rights while interacting with the media outside a polling booth.
He initially chose to deliver his message in Marathi, before being requested to repeat it in Hindi. The exchange quickly drew attention online, especially in the backdrop of the ongoing language debate in Maharashtra. While some social media users pointed out what they viewed as irony in a Maharashtrian voter being asked to switch languages, others argued that as a Hindi film actor, Aamir should not have been reluctant to speak in Hindi.
Sources noted that when asked to repeat his remarks in Hindi, Aamir questioned the need to do so, pointing out that the setting was Maharashtra. However, after being told that the footage would be broadcast nationally, he went on to address viewers in Hindi as well. In his remarks, he appreciated the arrangements made by the BMC at the polling booth and once again encouraged citizens to step out and vote, Indian Express reported.
One netizen said, “He is talking in a sarcastic way.” Another one wrote, “Some people don’t even get his sarcasm😂.” The naysayers also took to the comments section and one of them wrote, “So why does he make a film in Hindi?”
Earlier, Aamir Khan had spoken about his relationship with the Marathi language, admitting that despite studying it in school, he had not truly learnt it. He later said that in his mid-40s, he became conscious of the fact that he could not speak Marathi even though he had spent his entire life in Maharashtra. Calling it a matter of embarrassment that he did not know the state language, he decided to take formal lessons from a tutor. According to him, the effort helped him gain a reasonable command over Marathi.
On the work front, Aamir was last seen in Sitaare Zameen Par in 2025. He is now awaiting the release of several projects he has backed as a producer, including Happy Patel Khatarnaak Jasoos, starring Vir Das, and Ek Din, featuring Sai Pallavi and Junaid Khan. He is also producing Sunny Deol-starrer Lahore 1947 and is set to appear in an upcoming film directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj.
Municipal corporation elections were held across Maharashtra on Thursday, with candidates contesting in 29 civic bodies. Voting took place in major corporations such as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, Pune Municipal Corporation and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation, and the results are scheduled to be declared on Friday. Several Bollywood personalities, including Akshay Kumar, Ranbir Kapoor, Gulzar, Twinkle Khanna, Nana Patekar and Vishal Dadlani, were among those who turned up to vote.
The ongoing language controversy in the state traces back to the BMC election campaign, after BJP leader Kripashankar Singh remarked that a Hindi-speaking individual could become Mumbai’s mayor. The comment drew sharp reactions from Raj and Uddhav Thackeray, who called on Marathi speakers to unite for Mumbai. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, however, defended non-Marathi residents, stressing that they are an integral part of the city’s social fabric.