“Speak Marathi or We Won’t Pay”: Mumbai Couple to Pizza Delivery Boy Over Language in Viral Video
"Speak Marathi or We Won’t Pay": Mumbai Couple to Pizza Delivery Boy Over Language in Viral Video
A troubling video from Mumbai’s Bhandup area has gone viral, showing a Domino’s pizza delivery agent being harassed by a couple who refused to pay for their order because he couldn’t speak Marathi. The incident, which occurred on Monday at a residential building named Sai Radhe, has triggered a wider debate over language discrimination in Maharashtra.
The delivery agent, identified as Rohit Lavare, arrived at the customer’s residence to deliver their pizza, only to be told that he would be paid only if he conversed in Marathi. The couple, standing behind their locked grill door, made it clear that speaking the local language was a condition for completing the transaction.
“मराठी बोलो..तो ही पैसे देंगे”
— NDTV India (@ndtvindia) May 13, 2025
मुंबई: भांडुप इलाके में साईं राधे नाम की बिल्डिंग में डोमिनोज़ पिज्जा के डिलीवरी बॉय रोहित लेवरे को सोमवार रात कस्टमर ने पिज्जा के पैसे देने से इसलिए इनकार किया कि रोहित को मराठी बोलनी नहीं आती..कस्टमर ने कहा कि पैसे चाहिए तो मराठी बोलनी पड़ेगी.… pic.twitter.com/QU2wQhKFxy
In the video, the woman can be heard saying, “We’ll take the order and pay only if you speak in Marathi.” Rohit responded firmly, “If I don’t know Marathi, why force me to speak it?” To which the woman bluntly replied, “Hai yahan pe aise hi” (Yes, this is how it is here).
Rohit continued to challenge the demand, asking, “Kaun bola aise?” (Who has said this?) He added, “Nahi aata toh phir nahi order karne ka na. Nahi dena hai na paisa, haan thek hai, theek hai” (If that was your precondition, then you shouldn’t have placed the order. You don’t want to pay, right? Okay, fine).
Trying to stay professional, Rohit asked the couple to show if there was anything wrong with the food: “Dikhao na order kharab hai toh dikhao” (Show me if the order is bad, then show it).
As the situation escalated, the woman objected to being recorded, saying, “Mera video nahi nikalne ka, main tumhara video nikal sakti hoon” (You cannot record me, but I can record you). Rohit stood his ground and questioned the fairness of such behavior: “Ye kaun sa jabardasti hai?” (What kind of compulsion is this?)
At one point, the man beside the woman attempted to close the door, but she stopped him and began recording the incident herself.
Eventually, Rohit had to leave without receiving payment for the order. Despite the widespread attention the video has received online, Domino’s has not yet issued a statement.
This incident has intensified ongoing discussions about linguistic tolerance and the rights of service workers, particularly in a diverse and multicultural city like Mumbai. Many social media users have come out in support of Rohit, calling the couple’s behavior discriminatory and unacceptable.
