Kamal Haasan Faces Backlash Over Kannada Language Remark

Actor Kamal Haasan has refused to apologise for his controversial comment that “Kannada was born out of Tamil,” prompting widespread criticism and legal scrutiny in Karnataka. His production house informed the Karnataka High Court that his film Thug Life will not be released in the state next week.

The court, led by Justice M. Nagaprasanna, noted that Haasan's comments had deeply hurt the sentiments of Kannadigas. The bench questioned his authority to make linguistic claims, asking if he was a historian or linguist. “No language is born out of another,” the judge remarked, adding that a simple apology could have resolved the matter.

Haasan’s legal counsel maintained that while the actor respects the Kannada language, he should not be compelled to apologise. He also clarified that Haasan never intended to insult the language and had expressed goodwill in a letter to the Karnataka Film Chamber.

Despite this, the court highlighted the commercial interests behind the movie's release and questioned the need for police protection if Haasan wouldn’t issue a clarification. The controversy began after Haasan’s comments at the Thug Life audio launch in Chennai.

The Karnataka Film Chamber is now considering a ban on the film’s release, and political leaders like Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar have weighed in. Shivakumar urged restraint, emphasizing South Indian linguistic unity and cultural respect. He also suggested Haasan may eventually apologise.

Justice Nagaprasanna warned that freedom of expression shouldn’t come at the cost of cultural pride, stressing that “language is sacred.” He reminded that even C. Rajagopalachari had apologised for a similar remark in 1950.

The film, directed by Mani Ratnam, is slated for a pan-India release on June 5, but its fate in Karnataka remains uncertain amid public outrage and legal intervention.