Isha Deol Calls South Indian Accent 'Lovely', Rejects Mockery

Mumbai, October 27

After 15 years, actress Isha Deol is returning to Bollywood with the action-crime drama 'Pratap'. In an interview with IANS, she spoke about the trolling that South Indian actors often receive for their accents, and she made it clear where she stands.

Isha described the South Indian accent as sweet and lovely. She feels that a hint of it in someone's voice is something to enjoy, not something to laugh at.

“When I deliver my dialogues, especially in Hindi, I sound a lot like my mother. But that is just my natural self, and those who have cast me for a certain role know this very well. I feel a light South Indian accent is very dear and cute to listen to, and I quite like it,” she shared.

She also observed that several accomplished actresses in Bollywood have a South Indian lilt in their speech, naming Sri aunty, her mother, and Urmila. Isha said she is a huge fan of Urmila and enjoys the subtle accent in her voice.

According to Isha, the focus should be on appreciating the country's linguistic and cultural variety instead of ridiculing the way people speak.

Her remarks come in the wake of Rashmika Mandanna's candid comments on 'Koffee with Karan Season 9', where she spoke about the trolling she faces over her South Indian accent. Rashmika appeared on the episode with husband and actor Vijay Deverakonda.

Rashmika had said that her speech naturally carries a touch of South India, since she comes from there, and that there was nothing to be troubled by. She added that she takes pride in dubbing for her films in different languages herself, and that online trolling would not stop her from doing her job.