Maharashtra – An Air India passenger claims he was threatened by a co-passenger in what has become known as the Air India Marathi row, after refusing to speak Marathi during a flight from Kolkata to Mumbai on October 23. Mahi Khan shared video footage on Instagram documenting his confrontation with an unidentified woman who allegedly insisted he must know Marathi if traveling to Mumbai. The Air India Marathi row has sparked widespread debate about linguistic nationalism and appropriate passenger behavior on commercial flights.
Khan’s documentation of the Air India Marathi language row includes recordings of the verbal altercation that occurred on board, revealing the woman’s insistence on language compliance and subsequent threats when challenged about her behavior.
“You Should Know Marathi” Demand
The Air India Marathi row began when the woman passenger, seated in seat 16A, reportedly started shouting at Khan, demanding he speak Marathi because he was flying to Mumbai. “If you’re going to Mumbai, you should know Marathi,” the woman stated in video footage shared by Khan, establishing the central premise of the Air India Marathi row.
When Khan questioned this demand—asking “You’re telling me that I need to speak in Marathi?”—the woman doubled down on her position with a firm “Yes,” refusing to acknowledge any problem with imposing language requirements on fellow passengers. Throughout the Air India Marathi row confrontation, the woman declined to disclose her name on camera.
Escalation and Crew Involvement
The Air India Marathi row escalated when Khan confronted the woman about her misbehavior and called Air India crew members for assistance. Rather than de-escalating the situation, the woman’s behavior reportedly intensified in front of flight attendants. “I’ll show you what badtameezi is (I’ll show you what misbehaviour is),” she threatened Khan in the presence of crew members, as documented in the Air India Marathi row video evidence.
Khan’s caption accompanying the Air India Marathi row video stated: “She sat on seat 16A and started shouting that I have to speak in Marathi because I’m flying to Mumbai. When I calmly said ‘Kya Badtameezi Hai Yeh’ she said ‘I’ll show you what badtameezi is’.” This exchange captured the aggressive nature of the Air India Marathi row confrontation.
Passenger’s Response and Documentation
In response to the Air India Marathi row, Khan recorded multiple videos documenting the incident. In footage shot after the encounter, he addressed viewers directly, claiming he had been threatened and questioning what kind of mentality drives someone to impose language rules on others in 2025. His decision to document the Air India Marathi row stemmed from concerns about broader societal implications.
“I recorded everything. Because this isn’t just about me, it’s about the mindset that’s growing dangerously normal,” Khan wrote in his social media post about the Air India Marathi row. “You cannot force a language. You cannot bully respect.” These statements positioned the Air India Marathi row within a larger conversation about linguistic coercion and passenger rights.
Call for Airline Action
Khan concluded his documentation of the Air India Marathi row by urging Air India to take strict action against the woman passenger. His appeal to the airline reflects expectations that carriers should maintain safe, respectful environments where passengers are not subjected to linguistic demands or threats. The Air India Marathi row raises questions about airline protocols for handling such confrontations and protecting passenger rights.
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As of publication, statements from both Khan and Air India regarding the Air India Marathi row are pending, with updates expected as the situation develops and the airline investigates the incident.
Broader Implications of Language Politics
The Air India Marathi row highlights persistent tensions around linguistic identity in India’s multilingual society. While regional pride and cultural preservation remain important, the incident raises questions about when such sentiments cross into coercion or harassment. The Air India Marathi row occurred in the confined space of an aircraft, where passengers cannot easily leave uncomfortable situations.
The woman’s insistence during the Air India Marathi row that Mumbai-bound passengers must know Marathi reflects a strain of linguistic nationalism that periodically surfaces in public discourse. However, India’s Constitution recognizes multiple languages, and no legal requirement exists mandating regional language knowledge for interstate travel.
Social Media Reaction and Public Discourse
Khan’s decision to share the Air India Marathi row on Instagram brought the incident to wider public attention, generating discussion about appropriate boundaries in asserting linguistic identity. The video documentation provides evidence of the confrontation’s nature and the woman’s explicit statements, allowing viewers to assess the Air India Marathi row based on recorded interactions rather than secondhand accounts.
The Air India Marathi row resonates with previous incidents where language has become a flashpoint for conflict, though such confrontations on commercial flights remain relatively uncommon and typically violate airline codes of conduct regarding passenger behavior.
Aviation Industry Standards
Commercial airlines maintain policies requiring respectful passenger interactions and prohibiting threatening behavior. The Air India Marathi language row appears to violate such standards, given the documented threats made by the woman passenger. Airlines possess authority to address disruptive passengers through warnings, denied boarding on future flights, or involving law enforcement when necessary.
Awaiting Official Response
The Air India language row awaits official response from the airline regarding what actions, if any, will be taken against the woman passenger. Khan’s public documentation and appeal for accountability place pressure on Air India to address the incident transparently and establish clear standards for handling similar situations.
