Tollywood actor Prosenjit Chatterjee on Thursday extended an apology for his alleged inappropriate response to a journalist asking questions in Bengali at a recent event, saying he was “deeply hurt” by how his remark was taken out of context and misinterpreted on social media.
“I felt that if I answered in Bengali, many might not understand the correct meaning, as there were many people present who did not understand Bengali. So, somewhat compelled, I asked her why she was asking in Bengali,” the 62-year-old said in a statement on Instagram.
“Since only that one sentence was highlighted on social media, perhaps many were hurt by the literal meaning of those words. I was hurt too, and still am,” Prosenjit added.
After videos of the moment from the Maalik promotional event in Mumbai went viral, Prosenjit became the topic for a meme fest, with many calling him out for his response to the scribe.
In his statement on Thursday, Prosenjit said he never intended to disrespect his mother tongue.
“Perhaps I couldn’t convey the intention of my words, which were spoken using a few English terms. And I believe the misunderstanding originated from there. Because I can never even dream of disrespecting my mother tongue. Bengali is the language closest to my heart,” he said in the statement.
At the July 1 event in Mumbai, Prosenjit interrupted a scribe half way through her question and asked, “Why do you need to talk in Bengali?”
“The judgment of the people of Bengal is paramount to me forever. This belief will remain until the last day of my life. But what must be said at the end is that I understand my words have deeply hurt you, and for that, I am sorry,” Prosenjit said on Thursday.
Prosenjit Chatterjee is set to play a cop in the upcoming action film Maalik, starring Rajkummar Rao in the lead. Directed by Bhakshak helmer Pulkit, the film is slated to hit theatres on July 11.