Kamal Haasan faces criticism over remarks made at the Thug Life audio launch in Chennai on 24 May, where he said, “Kannada was born out of Tamil.” The comment sparked protests in Karnataka, calls for a boycott, and a police complaint from Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV). Haasan clarified, “I will not apologise for something I said out of love,” emphasizing his intent was not to offend.
During the event, Haasan spoke alongside Kannada actor Shiva Rajkumar, saying, “Uyire Urave Tamizhe” (My life and family is Tamil language). He added, “Actor Shivarajkumar is my family living in another state. That’s why he is here. That’s why when I started my speech, I said ‘my life and my family somber Tamil.’ Your language (Kannada) was born out of Tamil. So you are included in that line.” The statement led to KRV activists tearing Thug Life posters in Bengaluru and threatening to disrupt the film’s 5 June 2025 release unless Haasan apologizes.
pic.twitter.com/eHP3CkNFeb#KamalHassan clarifies – “Kannada born from Tamil” remark, saying it was made with love and should be left to language experts, not politicians. He highlights Tamil Nadu’s inclusive legacy.#LanguageUnity #KamalHaasanClarifies #SouthIndiaSpeaks #ThugLife
— Vishnu Dhoni (@vishnukumar2017) May 28, 2025
KRV president Praveen Shetty filed a complaint at Bengaluru’s RM Nagar Police Station on 28 May, calling the remark “unlawful” and disruptive to Kannadiga-Tamil harmony. “Every time a new Tamil movie is released, they have been constantly hurting the self-respect of Kannadigas. Such statements have been made continuously and have further disrupted peace and order between Kannadigas and Tamils,” the complaint stated. A police officer said, “We have received a complaint. But no FIR has been registered yet. We are seeking a legal opinion, and accordingly, we will take further action in the matter.” Shetty warned, “Kamal Haasan said Tamil is better than Kannada and Kannada only after Tamil was born. We are warning Kamal, you need business in Karnataka? And yet insulting Kannada,” threatening to confront Haasan during his Bengaluru visit.
Haasan responded in Thiruvananthapuram, saying, “I think what I said was said with a lot of love. Historians have taught me the language history… I didn’t mean anything.” He highlighted Tamil Nadu’s inclusivity, stating, “And, let me tell you, Tamil Nadu is a place which has been open. I don’t say there is no other state like this. But a very rare state where a Menon (MG Ramachandran) has been our Chief Minister… a Reddy (Omandur Ramasamy Reddiyar) has been our Chief Minister, a Tamilian (M Karunanidhi) has been our Chief Minister, and then a Kannadiga Iyengar has been our CM from Mandya.” He urged leaving linguistic debates to experts, saying, “Politicians are not qualified to talk about language, they don’t have the education enough to talk about it – that includes me also. So let’s leave all these very in-depth discussions to historians, archaeologists and language experts. If you look at it from the northern point of view, according to them it is right, if you look at it from Thenkumari (south), then what I say is right. There is a third angle to it; the scholars, the language experts. This is not an answer, this is an explanation. Love will never apologise.”
“Love Will Never Apologize”#Kamalhassan#Thuglife pic.twitter.com/4ipXPPvpWY
— Vignesh (@vickymasssalem) May 29, 2025
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said, “Kannada has a long-standing history. Poor Kamal Haasan, he is unaware of it.” BJP leader BY Vijayendra called the remarks “uncultured,” stating on X, “Kannada has a history spanning over 2,500 years and represents both cultural richness and harmony.” Karnataka’s Kannada and Culture Minister Shivaraj Tangadagi demanded an apology and urged the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce to consider banning Haasan’s films, saying, “Regardless of the personality, we will tolerate none if they try to defame Kannada language, culture, water or boundary.” The Chamber’s president, M Narasimhalu, confirmed a meeting on 29 May to discuss a potential ban.
Haasan remained hopeful about Thug Life, directed by Mani Ratnam and starring Silambarasan and Trisha Krishnan, saying, “When there was a problem from a chief minister who hailed from Karnataka (Jayalalithaa), it was Karnataka which gave me support. Kannadigas said come here we will give you a house, don’t go anywhere. So the people will take care of Thug Life, Kamal Haasan and all these controversies.”
See Also: Kamal Haasan Accused Of ‘Insulting’ Kannada For His ‘Born Out Of Tamil’ Comment: ‘Immediately Apologize’
