Sana Saeed on accent struggles in the US: 'I wanted to be heard'
Synopsis
Sana Saeed's Instagram video is more than a nostalgia trip — it's a pointed defence of accent adaptation that mainstream Bollywood rarely addresses openly. Her 'water vs soda' anecdote from 2016 LA cuts to the heart of a real professional dilemma: South Asian artists abroad who train their accents often face ridicule at home, even when communication is literally their livelihood.
Key Takeaways
Sana Saeed moved to Los Angeles in 2016 to study and faced significant communication barriers due to her accent.
She shared a viral Instagram video recounting how a waiter repeatedly misheard her order of 'water' as 'soda.' Saeed said she underwent formal accent training, describing it as 'like learning a new language altogether.' She defended accent adaptation as a professional necessity for actors, stating 'communication is my entire instrument.' The video was partly a response to online criticism she received about her changed accent on a previous post.
Saeed began her career as a child artist in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai ( 1998 ) and later appeared in Student of the Year .
Actress Sana Saeed, best known for her childhood role in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, has opened up about the communication challenges she faced after moving to Los Angeles in 2016 to pursue her studies — revealing that the experience pushed her to deliberately train her accent in order to be understood.
The Moment That Changed Everything
In a candid video posted on Instagram, Saeed recalled a telling early encounter at a restaurant in LA. 'When I came to LA for the first time in 2016 to study, I remember going to a restaurant and wanting to have water. I remember asking him about five to eight times — water, water, water, water, water, can I have some water? And he would say soda,' she said.
'He said, do you want a Coke? And I realised that day that if I ever, ever had to live here, I would have to learn this new language. It would be very important for me to feel heard and communicate it. And be audible, most importantly,' she added.
Why She Chose to Train Her Accent
Saeed was clear that her decision to adapt was not about abandoning her roots but about professional necessity. In the caption accompanying the video, she wrote: 'I wanted to walk into any room and be understood. Not because my original accent was wrong but because as an actor, communication is my entire instrument. So, I trained it. The way you'd train anything you care about.'
She pushed back against the criticism she has received online. 'I just really wonder why do we shame people for changing their accents? It's not easy. I had to do training, I worked really, really hard to feel heard,' she said, noting that accent work is 'like learning a new language altogether.'
Addressing Online Criticism
Saeed revealed the video was partly a response to comments on a previous post. 'I just saw a couple of comments on my last post and so many people questioned the accent without really realising a lot of work gets put in. It's hard work,' she said.
She also offered a broader philosophical note: 'No accent is more valid than another. We are all just human beings trying to reach each other across geography, language, culture. That's not something to be ashamed of. That's something to respect.'
With characteristic lightness, she added that the moment her mother calls, 'every single bit of it comes flying right back out' — a reminder that her Mumbai identity remains firmly intact.
Sana Saeed's Career Journey
Saeed began her career as a child artist in the iconic 1998 Bollywood film Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, directed by Karan Johar. She later appeared in Student of the Year and has participated in reality shows including Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 6, Nach Baliye 7, and Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 7. She is currently based in Los Angeles, California.
Her candid account adds to a growing conversation among South Asian artists about the professional and personal trade-offs of building a career across two very different cultural and linguistic landscapes.
Point of View
Not identity erasure — is a reasonable one, yet the backlash she describes points to a deeper anxiety about cultural authenticity that celebrities navigating dual markets routinely face. What's notable is that she chose to respond publicly rather than quietly absorb the criticism, which itself signals a shift in how Bollywood-adjacent artists are engaging with their audiences on questions of identity.
NationPress
2 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Sana Saeed change her accent?
Sana Saeed says she trained her accent after moving to Los Angeles in 2016 because, as an actor, she needed to be clearly understood. She described communication as 'my entire instrument' and said the decision was not about abandoning her original accent but about professional effectiveness.
What did Sana Saeed say about her accent struggle in the US?
In an Instagram video, Saeed recalled asking a restaurant waiter for water up to eight times, only to be offered soda or Coke — a moment she said made her realise she needed to adapt. She said she underwent formal accent training and worked 'really, really hard' to feel heard.
Why is Sana Saeed defending accent changes?
Saeed posted the video in response to online comments questioning her changed accent. She argued that shaming people for accent adaptation is unfair, saying 'no accent is more valid than another' and that training an accent is as legitimate as any other professional skill.
When did Sana Saeed move to Los Angeles?
Sana Saeed first moved to Los Angeles in 2016 to pursue her studies. She has since been based there and has spoken about the cultural and linguistic adjustments that came with building a life and career in the United States.
