Renowned actor and politician Kamal Haasan-starrer Thug Life directed by Mani Ratnam, which is set to release today has been embroiled in controversy taking the limelight even before its release. It was during the audio launch of the film, that Haasan claimed that ‘Kannada was born out of Tamil’, a statement that has vehemently stirred a debate among people, widespread outrage against the actor and the film alike. Now, the controversy has taken a legal turn, with the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce demanding an apology and the matter being heard in the Karnataka High Court, followed by the actor refusing to apologise for the remark. CE speaks to Bengalureans who share their thoughts on the controversy, weighing in on the actor’s comments, the film’s prospects, and the cultural implications.
Saying that Kannada originated from Tamil is a big statement, and naturally, it touches a raw nerve. I’ve grown up appreciating the richness of every South Indian language, and I feel like such comments – even if they’re historically debated - need to be shared with sensitivity. Language is personal to people; it’s culture, pride, and identity. With Thug Life, it’s sad that this has taken attention away from the film itself. I get why people are upset, but it’s also frustrating when films start getting dragged into unrelated controversies. As for him refusing to apologise – even after the court’s order – he’s just being Kamal Haasan: stubborn, bold and unapologetic. I don’t fully agree with that approach, but I also get where he’s coming from. The film might take a hit in some regions, but good content usually wins out.
When Kamal Haasan said Kannada came from Tamil, I believe he may have meant it to promote unity. But when someone famous simplifies things like this, it can feel like our language and identity are being ignored. Language is close to the hearts of people. When Kamal Haasan refused to apologise, it made things worse. Unity is important, but it should come from respect and understanding, not from claims that hurt people’s pride.
This controversy seems more like a politically-motivated stunt orchestrated by certain parties in Karnataka. Kamal Haasan has made immense contributions to Indian cinema – not just to Tamil cinema, he has seen himself as an Indian artiste. In fact, Mani Ratnam’s first film was in Kannada, Pallavi Anu Pallavi (1983) and both he and Haasan have consistently expressed their love and respect for the Kannada language and its people. This controversy appears to be a deliberate attempt by some politicians to create unnecessary division. He absolutely does not need to apologise for a misunderstanding. Haasan has already clarified his intention and statement — an apology is unnecessary. Yes, there may be financial losses in crores, but he has taken a principled stance, and that’s a risk he is willing to take. This controversy is likely to backfire — it’s a significant loss for the Karnataka theatre associations. Moreover, it could strain the relationship between the Tamil and Kannada film industries.
Kamal Haasan was just trying to say actor Shivarajkumar is also part of his family (Tamil industry). It was a statement out of love so we should let that be just be so. Whoever is protesting against this just wants the movie to be banned – they are people who either hate Haasan or aren’t interested in seeing Tamil or any other language movies in the theatre. These protests would not protect the Kannada language or unite people, it just separates people from each other. If people want Kannada to be protected, then it’s all about making more people learn Kannada – that is a whole different topic.
It’s frustrating for moviegoers in Karnataka as it is easily one of the most anticipated films of the year. We live in a society where people take offense very quickly. So this is not a surprise. No matter what he intended, the phrasing of the statement might sound subconsciously condescending. He should have seen this coming the moment he said it. People can be ruthless to comments by famous personalities. The obvious tensions between the states in the past would have only triggered the crowd more. This was my weekend plan but sadly, I will have to wait until this whole thing takes a backseat. Or explore other options, like travelling to a place where it is actually playing.
Kamal Haasan’s statement intent may have been to emphasise the historical and cultural connection between Kannada and Tamil, while others saw it as if he was diminishing the Kannada language for its distinctiveness as an independent language. Because of such a perception, there is a widespread protest against Thug Life which I feel is incorrect because it is not only his work but also the work of hundreds of crew members who made this movie possible. There are chances that people from Karnataka would have worked on this movie.