Air India passenger threatened mid-air for not speaking Marathi, 'I'll show you what badtameezi is'

Language is a powerful connector and tool for communication, that goes across boundaries and connects people from across the world, weaving them through words and shared understanding.

India has a vast array of languages and cultures, popularly described as unity in diversity, but sometime back, some videos had surfaced online which showed how some people are being forced to speak Marathi, if they are in Maharashtra.And once again, a distressing incident took place aboard an Air India flight bringing this issue into focus.

What exactly happened

During an Air India flight from Kolkata to Mumbai on October 23, passenger Mahi Khan faced an unpleasant confrontation with a fellow passenger.

Khan alleged that the passenger threatened him mid-air for not speaking Marathi. Sharing a video of the incident on Instagram, Khan revealed that the woman insisted, “If you’re going to Mumbai, you should know Marathi,” according to his post.In the video, when Khan politely responded, “You’re telling me that I need to speak in Marathi?” the woman reaffirmed, saying, “Yes.” Upon explaining that he did not speak Marathi, the woman refused to share her name and became more aggressive.

Khan asked for help from the cabin crew, but the woman’s threatening words escalated: “Get down at Mumbai, I’ll show you what badtameezi (misbehaviour) is,” according to Khan’s account in the video.

Khan expressed his distress on social media, urging Air India to take strict action, stating, “Speak Marathi or leave Mumbai. That’s what this lady told me on my Air India flight AI676 today, before threatening me for saying ‘I don’t understand Marathi.’”

He called for banning passengers who make others feel unsafe or humiliated simply for speaking a different language.

Social media reactions

The incident also drew attention to the woman’s attire, as she appeared to be wearing a Hyundai-branded shirt. This led several users to tag the carmaker, demanding accountability and an apology. Comments such as “@hyundaiindia we need a public apology. This is a question of your brand integrity,” and “What kind of people are working for you??? Please take necessary action!”.Many people said that the woman’s behavior does not reflect the true spirit of Maharashtrian culture. One user wrote, “We are Maharashtrian and this is not our culture. It’s totally wrong to force someone to speak Marathi. India is known for its diversity, just because someone is flying to Mumbai doesn’t mean they must speak Marathi.”Other comments said that language is a unifier rather and not a divider. “Language was meant to be a bridge between people, not a wall that divides them,” one user noted. Another said, “This is absolutely disgusting behaviour. It’s people like her who are hell-bent on dividing our country. This person needs to be held accountable.”