Kiara puts on an accent, desis call it ‘cringe’

Bollywood actress Kiara Advani was a vision in an off-shoulder pink and black gown by designer Prabal Gurung, when she debuted at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival as part of the Red Sea Film Foundation’s Women in Cinema gala dinner on May 18. However, the Kabir Singh actress found she had become a subject of discussion on the Internet for a wholly different reason — for putting on a ‘different’ accent while speaking to the media about her experience at the prestigious do. While the footages of Advani speaking to the media triggered a lot of comment, she isn’t the only one to be trolled for a change of accent on a global platform.

Jr. NTR’s new-found twang at the 2023 Critics’ Choice Movie Awards became a topic of discussion on the Internet, Anil Kapoor was trolled for adopting an Americanised accent during the promotions of Slumdog Millionaire, Samantha Ruth Prabhu received criticism for using a fake accent during Citadel, promotions and even Priyanka Chopra Jonas puts on an accent ever so often.

While there could be myriad reasons for the sudden change in speech patterns, industry insiders feel it’s often done because the situation genuinely calls for it. They are advised by their minders to talk that way, feels Shobhaa De, Indian columnist and author. She says, “Priyanka Chopra assumes many accents and says it is to get herself better understood. Maybe she has a point. She lives and works internationally. But many others tend to sound comical. Accents sound so artificial and fake. Top Latino stars stick to their original style of articulation. Far more authentic and appealing.”

On the other hand, Shalini Passi, Indian art collector, artiste and philanthropist, who will also be seen in the upcoming Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives S3, believes there is no right or wrong in this aspect. “In my opinion, it’s easier for the reporters to understand a celebrity speaking in an accent which is local. Also, actors are trained to speak in different accents. I’ve never done this as an artiste though — I’m proud of my Indian Punjabi accent. But, I also believe that when in Rome, one has to do as the Romans do. So, I don’t think a stark difference in one’s accent in a foreign land should be considered blasphemy.”

Code-Switch!

Avantika Vandanapu’s acting career skyrocketed in Hollywood after appearing in films such as Premam, Brahmotsavam, and others as a child artist. She went on to star in a Disney picture called Spin and most recently in Mean Girls. In a recent interview, she discussed how people mock her for having an American accent. “I was born and raised in the US; it’s natural for me to have an American accent. A lot of immigrant kids code-switch, as in, we speak in an English accent at school and an Indian accent at home. But I think the Telugu audience is unfamiliar with it. I was trolled for how I speak in English, but I can’t speak Telugu everywhere, right?” Code-switching is a natural human habit in which we change our language, dialect, or even accent based on the social environment.