Actor-politician Kamal Haasan has sparked a major controversy with his recent comment that “Kannada was born out of Tamil,” drawing sharp criticism from political leaders, pro-Kannada organisations and netizens across Karnataka.
The remark, made during the audio launch of his upcoming film Thug Life in Chennai, has triggered demands for an unconditional apology and threats of a boycott in the state, reported The Times of India.
Mr Haasan, addressing the event, began with a heartfelt tribute to Tamil – “Uyire Urave Tamizhe” (“my life and my family is Tamil”) – and went on to refer to Kannada actor Shivarajkumar as “family from another state,” adding: “Your language (Kannada) was born out of Tamil. So you are included in that line.”
The statement was met with immediate backlash. Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party president B.Y. Vijayendra took to X and slammed Mr Haasan for his “uncultured behaviour” and “height of arrogance”.
He said: “Kamal Haasan, who claims to be a unifier of the South, has now insulted 6.5 crore Kannadigas. Kannada has a 2,500-year-old heritage. He is not a historian to make such claims.” Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also joined the criticism, saying: “Kamal Haasan is unaware of the rich history of Kannada.” He called the actor’s comments “ignorant” and noted that the Kannada language predates many others with a distinct literary and cultural heritage.
Pro-Kannada groups, including the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, took to the streets in Bengaluru. Protesters tore down banners promoting Thug Life and threatened to blacken the actor’s face.
“You want business in Karnataka but insult our language? We will not allow your film to release here if you continue this,” said group leader Praveen Shetty.
With Thug Life set for a June 5 release, calls for a statewide boycott are growing louder unless Mr Haasan issues a formal apology.
