‘Thug Life’ controversy: When C. Rajagopalchari had apologised for saying Kannada evolved from Tamil, why can’t Kamal Haasan, asks Karnataka High Court

The Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce and various pro-Kannada organisations have opposed the release of ‘Thug Life’ in Karnataka till actor Kamal Haasan isssues an apology. | Photo Credit: Johan Sathya Das Jai

The High Court of Karnataka on Tuesday (June 3, 2025) gave time till 2.30 p.m. to actor Kamal Haasan asking whether he wants to apologise for his statement that “Kannada is born out of Tamil” while pointing out that Governor-General of India C. Rajagopalachari had apologised for making a similar statement in the 1950s.

When persons like Rajagopalacharari can apologise, why can’t Kamala Haasan, the Court asked the advocate representing Raajkamal Films International, which has sought police protection in Karnataka for the smooth release of Mr. Haasan’s Tamil film Thug Life as the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce and various pro-Kannada organisations have opposed its release in Karnataka till the actor isssues an apology.

Situation of unrest

Justice M. Nagaprasanna posed this question to Senior Advocate Dhyan Chinnappa whilewhile asking if it wasn’t Mr. Haasan who had created a situation of disharmony and unrest in Karnataka with his statement.

Mr. Haasan is one of the directors of the petitioner-company. The petitioner-company was represented in the court by V. Narayana, another director.

“You may be Kamal Haasan... but any citizen has no right to hurt sentiments of masses. There are three things people are very emotional to, that is Nela, Jala and Bhashe, (land, water and language)... All these three things are important to any citizens. You know division of this country is on linguistic lines. The states are formed on linguistic lines. So you [Mr. Haasan] know importance of language,” the Court observed orally.

‘Is Mr. Haasan a historian?’

The Court further observed “a public figure like Mr. Haasan makes a public statement on public forum that a language is born out of another a language when no language can be born out of any other language... Where is the material to support it. And what has happened because of that statement is unrest, disharmony.... What did people of Karnataka ask? An apology. Now you have come up before the court seeking police protection for the circumstance created by you. Have people of Karnataka created this circumstance?”

When Court asked the advocate whether Mr. Haasan was a historian, the advocate said that that the actor had already clarified that he was not a historian and that his statement was taken out of context. To this, the Court asked on what basis Mr. Haasan had made the controversial statement .

Protection of commercial interest

Justice Nagaprasanna pointed out to Mr. Haasan’s advocate that Mr. Rajagopalachari, in response to a letter written by Kannada writers, had sent an apology in writing for making a statement that Kannada had evolved out of Tamil.

“One apology [by Mr. Haasan] would have solved everything,” the Court said while pointing out that Mr. Haasan is before this Court to protect his commercial interest.

Published - June 03, 2025 01:14 pm IST