“I Am a Proud Kannadiga”: Rishab Shetty Addresses Language Debate

The pre-release event of Kantara: Chapter 1 created a heated debate recently. The movie, which is written, directed, and acted by Rishab Shetty, held a promotional program in Hyderabad. While addressing the gathering, Rishab spoke in Kannada, which disappointed many Telugu audiences who expected him to speak in their language. Social media saw several critical comments targeting him for this.

Rishab Shetty has now responded to the controversy. Without mentioning the incident directly, he shared his thoughts about language and respect for culture. Speaking at another event, he said, “I think in Kannada and because of the same, I tend to speak in Kannada. But, I love to learn new languages. When I go to one place and speak, I should not disrespect the language of the land. But, it gets misfired sometimes. But, I am a proud Kannadiga who will think, speak and write in Kannada. Similarly, when I respect Kannada, I also equally respect and love other languages. I respect all the languages and the core of all languages will always be the same. I will try to put effort in speaking other languages.”

Interestingly, this time Rishab spoke fluently in Hindi while making the above statement. However, many pointed out that he still did not try speaking in Telugu, which they believe is easier for someone from Karnataka to pick up.

Kantara: Chapter 1 will release in theatres worldwide on October 2, 2025, with paid premieres scheduled on October 1, 2025. Trade experts believe the film will open strongly, especially because of the buzz created by the first part.