Kamal Haasan Faces Police Complaint, Political Backlash And Ban Threat Over Kannada Language Remark

Kamal Haasan Faces Police Complaint Over Kannada Remark: Actor and politician Kamal Haasan has sparked controversy in Karnataka following a comment at a promotional event for his film Thug Life, where he stated that Kannada originated from Tamil. The statement has triggered protests, a police complaint, and calls for a ban on his films in the state.

According to CNBCTV18 and PTI, the pro-Kannada group Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV) filed a formal complaint at RT Nagar police station in Bengaluru on Wednesday, May 28. The organization accused Kamal Haasan of hurting the sentiments of Kannada-speaking people and "sowing seeds of discord" between linguistic communities.

The comment was made at the audio launch of Thug Life in Chennai, where Kamal Haasan welcomed Kannada actor Shiva Rajkumar, referring to him as "family living in another state," and said, "Your language (Kannada) was born out of Tamil."

Protests erupted across multiple cities in Karnataka, including Bengaluru, Mysuru, Hubballi, and Belagavi, as reported by News18. Demonstrators burned posters of Kamal Haasan and raised slogans, demanding a public apology. KRV also protested outside the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce.

Karnataka's Minister for Kannada and Culture, Shivaraj S. Tangadagi, weighed in on the controversy. As per India Today, he wrote to the Film Chamber, urging a ban on the release of Kamal Haasan's films unless he apologizes. "No matter how big the personality, we will not tolerate comments against our language, land, or water," he stated.

Amid the growing controversy, Kamal Haasan addressed the issue while in Kerala for a press meet related to the film's promotion. When asked by a journalist about the row, Kamal Haasan responded, "What I said was out of love, and I didn't mean anything offensive. I've learned about the history of languages from many historians. These discussions should be left to historians and scholars."

The Karnataka Film Chamber has reportedly given Kamal Haasan 24 hours to issue a public apology, as reported by India Today.

Tamil Nadu Politicians Back Kamal Haasan

Several political figures in Tamil Nadu have voiced their support for Kamal Haasan. Deccan Herald quoted Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) leader Thol Thirumavalavan and Naam Tamizhar Katchi (NTK)'s Seeman as saying that Kamal Haasan merely reiterated a linguistic theory supported by scholars like Robert Caldwell, who proposed that Tamil is the mother of other Dravidian languages.

Meanwhile, the controversy has taken on a cross-border tone. Tamil Nadu MLA T Velmurugan warned in a Facebook post that if Thug Life is not released in Karnataka, a retaliatory ban on Kannada films in Tamil Nadu could follow.

As of now, Bengaluru police have not registered an FIR but confirmed to PTI that they are reviewing the complaint and seeking legal opinion before proceeding.