Bollywood's leading family caught up in language furore

It was an innocent, throwaway remark but it was enough to throw India's most famous acting family into a head-on collision with a right-wing group in the country's movie-making capital.

Jaya Bachchan, the wife of the country's best known movie star, Amitabh Bachchan, found herself at the centre of a nativist fury after she asked to speak in Hindi at a press conference in Mumbai, rather than Marathi, the local language. She said because the family was from northern India, it was easier for her to speak Hindi.

A harmless enough remark perhaps. But her words were seized on by right-wing activists who demanded a boycott of all films by the Bachchan family - Abhishek Bachchan is Amitabh's son and Aishwarya Rai is his daughter-in-law - and who began tearing down posters featuring the family and damaging a cinema showing one of their films. Such was the concern that the premiere of Mr Bachchan's latest movie, The Last Lear, was postponed.

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The attack on India's movie royalty was launched by a regional political party based in Mumbai, which promotes the local language and has drawn support by resisting immigration into the city by Indians from other states. The party, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), said Mrs Bachchan's latest comments were just the latest slight from the family, who moved to Mumbai more than 40 years ago from northern India.

"She has purposely made such statements. Even when she said forgive me, she had a cunning smile, like she was taking potshots at Maharashtrians," said the MNS party leader, Raj Thackeray.

In a move that underlines the fear of movie stars of triggering a backlash from their fans, the Bachchan clan went into full damage limitation mode. Rather than ignoring the taunts of MNS, the family issued a series of apologies, first with Mrs Bachchan saying she had meant no offence and then her husband putting himself in the line of fire.

At a press conference held to promote his film, the goatee-wearing actor, widely known as the Big B, issued a whole-hearted apology, saying he was sorry "even if the sentiment of one person is hurt". He added. "Jaya meant no malice. It was a statement made at a film function, not on a political platform. But nevertheless, if Jaya's action has caused hurt to anyone, we express regret."

The veteran actor also issued a defence of the family on his well-read blog, saying: "I am 66 years old and 40 of those years have been spent living in Mumbai. Is it ever possible that we will dishonour it? Never!"

The MNS was established two years ago when Mr Thackeray broke away from another right-wing, regionalist party, the Shiv Sena, which is headed by his uncle, Bal Thackeray. It is not the first time that the MNS has seized on a regionalist issue to try and rally support. Earlier this year North Indians were attacked by members of the MNS when they attended a political rally organised by a different party.

Other Indian movie stars have also fallen foul of the regionalist attacks. In its recent political magazine, the Shiv Sena attacked actor Shah Rukh Khan, who is originally from Delhi and who often talks fondly of the city. "If he loves Delhi, then why did he come to Mumbai?" it said. "These people come here, fill up their bellies and then burp in the name of their own states."

For the Bachchan clan, at least, it appears the current controversy has drawn to a close. After the Big B's well publicised apology Mr Thackeray of the MNS said it was calling off its boycott. He said: "Amitabh Bachchan is the head of the family and he apologised yesterday, we accept that."