Kuala Lampur, June 16 -- KUALA LUMPUR, June 17 - A hit Chinese film that has struck an emotional chord with Singapore's Teochew community is also reigniting debate over language, heritage and identity after reports that its commercial release in the city-state will be in Mandarin rather than its original Teochew dialect.

According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), Dear You has become a cultural phenomenon among many Singaporean Chinese, particularly those of Teochew descent, for its portrayal of migration, family sacrifice and remittance letters sent home by overseas Chinese.

The film follows a man uncovering his family's past through qiaopi - letters and money sent back to relatives in China by migrants working abroad.

Singapore...