Star Kids’ Struggle with Hindi: Can Bollywood’s Future Speak the Language Right?

By Sharad Rai

Star Kids’ Struggle with Hindi: Recently, Karan Johar praised Saif Ali Khan 's son, Ibrahim Ali Khan, for his skills, but after hearing Ibrahim speak Hindi in his typical English style, people were left surprised. Ibrahim, like many others, speaks Hindi in an English accent. It seems Karan Johar and his film director Kayoze Irani consider this as proper training. But Ibrahim is not the only one; Junaid Khan, Rasha Thadani, Agastya Nanda, Ahaan Pandey, Alana Pandey, Shanaya Kapoor, and Shekhar Kapoor's daughter—these star kids also share a similar trend. These are the future big stars of Hindi cinema.

Hindi in Bollywood: Star Kids & Filmmakers' Impact

In the coming years, when some of these star kids take the place of superstars like Salman Khan, Shahrukh Khan, and Akshay Kumar, it will be interesting to see what kind of Hindi these stars speak. The way these actors speak Hindi, or rather the "Hindi Ki Chindi",  raises questions. It's not just the actors; even directors who might replace famous filmmakers like Karan Johar, Anurag Kashyap, and Sooraj Barjatya in the future—Kayoze Irani and Ayan Mukherjee—are likely to contribute to the further degradation of the language.

Star Kids' Education: Global Training & Bollywood

The new generation of film industry kids are all educated in English media. Shahrukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan received his film training in the US and UK. Akshay Kumar’s son Aarav studied in Britain, and when he visits Mumbai, he’s often seen enjoying the five-star culture. Chikki Pandey’s children, Ahaan Panday and Alanna Panday are social media influencers with fashion design training from London College of Fashion. These kids are entering the Hindi film industry, but despite months of training with Hindi tutors, how much of the 'pure' Hindi will they be able to pronounce with their already ingrained English-influenced accents?

Star Kids on OTT: Bollywood's Next-Gen Debuts

Considering this serious concern, OTT platforms have become a comfortable space for these film kids, where a mix of Hindi and English works well. Amitabh Bachchan, in fact, advised Zoya Akhtar to release the Hindi version of Archies first on an OTT platform. Aamir Khan’s son, Junaid Khan, made his debut on OTT with Maharaja. Aryan Khan, who has taken up direction, will likely make his debut as an actor later, and Ibrahim Ali Khan will also make his first appearance on OTT. Kaveri Kapur,  Shekhar Kapoor’s daughter, is also set to start her career on OTT.

OTT Content Quality Drops: Hindi Making a Comeback

The quality of content on OTT platforms has been slipping due to this mix of English and Hindi. The audience numbers have been dwindling, and their sponsorship strategies are starting to fall apart. Now, even they realize that this is India, where Kumbh takes place. Keeping this in mind, upcoming weeks will see several OTT shows like Hisaab Barabar, Saale Aashiq, and I Want to Talk that focus more on the Indian essence, with a more refined approach to Hindi.

The point is simple: if these filmmakers are determined to launch their children in the Hindi film industry, why not start with proper education and a knowledge of their cultural roots? Shekhar Kapoor’s daughter, Kaveri Kapur, who is all set to enter Hindi films, recently said that she was happy about her parents' separation. Did Shekhar Kapoor, a director known for films like Bandit Queen and Mr. India, ever think that he should have given his daughter a better understanding of life and the environment around her? A successful actor is one who understands the language and culture. It’s high time the film industry recognizes this and takes steps from the very beginning to guide these future stars. The lack of Hindi knowledge among these star kids is a serious issue!