'Even a small kid knows...': Viral video shows Mumbai residents clueless about Bengaluru’s official language

A viral video has stirred controversy among Kannadigas after it revealed that several people in Mumbai could not name Kannada as Bengaluru’s official language.

The video, posted on X by "Ice Candy Gopala," features a man quizzing random passersby about the official language of Karnataka’s capital. The responses ranged from Hindi and English to Malayalam, Tamil, and even Sanskrit—but not a single person mentioned Kannada, in the video. The clip was captioned, “It’s not their fault.”

Kannadigas React: ‘Send Them Back to School’

The video has ignited a wave of reactions on social media. One user fumed, “Even a small kid knows that Bengaluru is in Karnataka, All you need is elementary education to know these facts,” while another commented, “I think it reflects more on the state of education and knowledge of our nation. I am sure people will fail to link other cities, culture and language as well, unfortunately!"

Some users defended the respondents, drawing parallels with similar misconceptions. “If you ask people in Bengaluru what Mumbai’s official language is, most will say Hindi instead of Marathi. Not everyone knows,” one person reasoned.

Growing Debate Over Kannada in Bengaluru

This is not the first time Kannada’s prominence in Bengaluru has been a topic of discussion.

A few days back, a viral post declaring, “Bengaluru is closed for North India and neighbouring states who don’t want to learn Kannada,” reignited a heated debate over the local language and culture in the city.

Shared on X (formerly Twitter) by user Babruvahana (@Paarmatma), the post reads:

“Bengaluru is closed for North India and neighboring states who don't want to learn Kannada. They don't need Bengaluru when they can't respect language and culture.”

Accompanied by hashtags #Kannada, #Bengaluru, and #Karnataka, the post has amassed over 50,000 views, 100 reshares, and 1,000 likes, sparking widespread discussion about the balance between cultural pride and inclusivity.

Meanwhile, Zoho CEO Sridhar Vembu stated that people living in Bengaluru should make an effort to learn Kannada, calling it “disrespectful” not to do so. His comment came after another viral post showed two men wearing T-shirts that read "Hindi National Language."