Karnataka HC Rebukes Kamal Haasan Over Language Remark

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The High Court of Karnataka issued a strong rebuke to veteran actor and filmmaker Kamal Haasan over his recent controversial remark made during a promotional event for his upcoming film Thug Life. Haasan had stated that “Kannada is born out of Tamil,” a comment that drew sharp criticism from Kannada-speaking communities and led to public outcry.

During the court proceedings, a petition filed by Raaj Kamal Films International—challenging the call for a ban on Thug Life in Karnataka by the Kannada Film Chamber of Commerce—was taken up for hearing. The Chamber had demanded a ban in response to Haasan’s remarks, which it deemed offensive and hurtful to Kannada linguistic and cultural sentiments.

Justice M. Nagaprasanna, presiding over the matter, strongly questioned the actor’s authority to make such statements, asking, “Are you a historian or a linguist?” He emphasized that “no citizen has the right to hurt sentiments,” and remarked that language is deeply tied to identity and emotion. “Jala, Nila, Bashe – these three things are important to citizens. You have said something to undermine that,” the court stated, further noting that the controversy and resulting disharmony were a direct result of Haasan’s comments.

While the court did not impose any punitive action, it instructed Kamal Haasan to clarify his remarks and issue an apology to resolve the matter amicably. In response, Haasan issued an official statement addressed to the Karnataka Film Chamber. In his clarification, he said his comments were misunderstood and misinterpreted, explaining that his intention was to emphasize the shared roots of South Indian languages rather than diminish the stature of Kannada.

However, the statement stopped short of a direct apology, and it remains to be seen whether the Karnataka Film Chamber will accept the clarification and lift the proposed ban on the film Thug Life in the state.

The controversy underscores the sensitivity surrounding linguistic identity in India and the responsibility public figures bear when making culturally or historically loaded statements.


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