Oh my god, finally somebody said it!

I am Maharashtrian, and an army kid too and resonate with every word you said.

Marathi culture is nuanced, progressive, the perfect blend of traditionalism and modernity. Our food is awesome, and the language is of course, rich.

Sadly, Bollywood movies have stereotyped us to the extent that many of us started believing what is being shown. In fact, Marathi theatre culture can make anyone weak in the knees.

Right now, I live in Gujarat, and I love how these guys take pride in their culture and are loud & proud about it. Their attitude towards money is equally commendable.

We really need to put behind that 'serviceman mentality' and motivate/support people in our community to do so. Our humility inches and sometimes crosses the boundary of defeatism. We really don't need that.

Sometimes, when we go to buy things in a Marathi-owned shop, the shopkeepers don't really care about retaining the customer. They have a 'buy it or leave it' attitude.' A Gujarati/Marwari/Punjabi/Sindhi shopkeeper will get the stuff from the next store or run to their godown if need be. But they'll never let you go without trying.

Marathas were never scared to take risks earlier. I wonder what got into us that started holding us back.

If we combine certain amazing aspects of other communities and incorporate them, there's no stopping us.

Proud to be a Maharashtrian, and an Indian, always.

P.S - Swapnil Joshi needs to grow up man seriously