Mumbai Viral Video: 'Mumbai Me Rehna Hai To Marathi...' After Netas, Maharashtra Language Row Erupts Among Masses

A viral video from a Mumbai local train on the Central line captured a fierce argument between two women over language—one demanding the use of Marathi, while the other defended Hindi. The incident quickly escalated, with fellow passengers caught in the tension. 

Mumbai, July 20, 2025— What began as a routine journey in a Mumbai local train escalated into a nationalistic dispute over the languages of Marathi and Hindi.  The entire incident, filmed by a bystander and subsequently reported by NDTV India in X, kicked off renewed calls to think about linguistic identity and coexistence in Maharashtra. 

मुंबई में मराठी बनाम हिंदी का मुद्दा अब लोकल ट्रेनों तक पहुंच गया है. सेंट्रल लाइन की एक लोकल ट्रेन में मराठी और हिंदी को लेकर महिलाओं के बीच जबरदस्त बहस हो गई. घटना का वीडियो सोशल मीडिया पर वायरल.#Mumbai | #LocalTrain pic.twitter.com/XwuqL0JnUX

— NDTV India (@ndtvindia) July 20, 2025

The Video that Went Viral and Incited Debate

The video shows a woman chiding another train passenger for speaking in Hindi, saying Marathi is the language of Maharashtra. Another passenger who is already seated in the train intervenes quickly, telling the original woman that Hindi is a national language. Voices are raised, people are angry, and the argument now becomes the focus of hundreds of onlookers, all sitting together in a packed local train.

Public Space becomes a political theater

What should have been an unremarkable train journey becomes a battlefield for the protection of language. Some commuters attempted to intervene to extinguish the fire of hostility, but many others remained quiet or took out their phones to record the public sparring. The incident points to the fact that public transportation, which is generally regarded as a bridge for people who share a cultural space in Mumbai, is now, if ever, showing evidence of anxiety over stubborn debates about language-based identity.

Online Reaction: Mixed Reactions

The video connected with thousands of reactions. While several users applauded the woman for standing up for the Marathi language, others were appalled by the confrontation and referred to the incident as linguistic discrimination. Many claimed that since Mumbai is a global city, it must make room for multiple languages without conflict.

Experts Encourage Calm and Coexistence

Language scholars and sociologists have called on the public to be tolerant. "Language should be used for connection and not conflict," said Prof. Shubha Kulkarni of Mumbai University. "Mumbai is a city of diversity. We must be trained to respect linguistic diversity."

Language Barriers:

This incident is much more than a squabble on a train—it embodies the many layers of identity, politics, and pride connected to language. For the many cultures connected with this megacity, Mumbai must not only adjust to becoming a melting pot but also become a space for respecting rather than resenting pathologies.