HIT 3 OTT Release: Karthi Hurts Telugu Sentiments with "Gulti" Dialogue

Natural Star Nani's blockbuster film HIT: The Third Case landed on streaming platform Netflix earlier today. Those who missed watching this gory crime thriller in theaters can now watch it on Netflix. The movie has already started generating buzz on social media, as people who missed watching it in theaters are sharing their opinions about it.

With Nani attracting a significant number of family audiences from the Telugu states, the real test will be their feedback on the film. Fans are now criticizing the film not for its violent content, but for entirely different reasons.

Even during HIT 3 promotions, Nani made it clear that the film was a violent film and only those who are above 18 should watch it. This issue did not become a problem for HIT's Third Case, which ultimately emerged as the highest grosser ever in Nani's career.

HIT 3 also has one of the most celebrated cameos in recent times, with Karthi playing ACP Veerappan. The fourth HIT case will be based on his character, and his cameo has been well-received. Now, the same actor's role has been facing flak online.

HIT 3's Tamil dub version has the Karthi character say "Golti," an insulting remark used by Tamil people against those who speak Telugu. "Golti nu nenachiya?" which translates to, "You think I am a golti." Karthi then proceeds to say that he is bilingual. In the original Telugu version, Karthi casually says, "Telugu Raadani Anukunnava?"

The usage of the word "Golti" has sparked online backlash in the Telugu community. People online have been reacting to this issue and calling on the director to make changes, as the word has long been considered a slur by individuals from the Telugu states.

It remains to be seen how the director responds to this latest and unexpected development from HIT: The Third Case's streaming release.