Kamal Haasan faces legal action over Kannada language remark

Reports suggest that the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV), a pro-Kannada outfit, has registered a formal complaint against the veteran actor for his controversial statement - “Kannada is born from Tamil.”

The complaint was submitted on Wednesday at RM Nagar Police Station in Bengaluru by KRV president Praveen Shetty.

In the complaint, Shetty revealed that this ‘unlawful’ statement had hurt the sentiments of Kannadigas and was offensive to the language - Kannada.

He further claimed that the remark undermines the linguistic and cultural harmony between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

Kamal Haasan made the remark during the audio launch of his upcoming film Thug Life earlier this week, while addressing his co-star Shiva Rajkumar, a leading Kannada actor.

The statement of Haasan saying, “Kannada is born from Tamil,” went viral on social media soon after, leading to widespread outrage in Karnataka.

Political leaders across party lines condemned the comment. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said, “Poor Kamal Haasan, he is unaware of it,” implying a lack of historical knowledge on Haasan’s part. Leader of Opposition R. Ashoka went a step further, calling Haasan a “mental patient.”

Following the outrage, Kamal Haasan clarified his position during a media interaction in Kerala wherein he defended his statement insisting that he had said it out of love.

He also went on to stress that language is a subject best left to experts, stating that politicians are not qualified to talk about language.

Despite the clarification, the legal complaint signals the issue may continue to escalate, with cultural sensitivities and regional pride at the centre of the debate.

Meanwhile, the Tamil superstar is gearing up for the release of Thug Life, directed by Mani Ratnam, also starring Silambarasan and Trisha among others. It is slated to release on June 6.