‘Why Make It A Big Issue’: Actor Shivrajkumar Breaks Silence On Kannada Row, Defends Kamal Haasan

Last Updated:May 29, 2025, 12:30 IST

Kamal Haasan stoked controversy with his "Kannada was born from Tamil" remark, drawing criticism from politicians. Kannada actor Shivrajkumar has now come out in his defence.

Shivrajkumar defends Kamal Haasan amid Kannada remark row (PTI Image)

Amid a row over Kamal Haasan’s “Kannada was born from Tamil" remark, Shivrajkumar – who was the chief guest at the event where the statement was made – has broken his silence on the controversy but shied away from criticising the actor.

While Haasan’s remarks were slammed by politicians and several online users alike, Shivrajkumar too came under fire for his silence on the controversy until yesterday.

The Kannada actor defended Haasan, stating that he is his favorite and that his father shared a “special relationship" with the Tamil actor.

During an event of his upcoming film Thug Life in Chennai, Haasan had opened his speech with “Uyire Urave Tamizhe (My life, and my family, is in Tamil language). Your language (Kannada) was born out of Tamil, so you too are included."

Shivrajkumar came out in the fellow actor’s defence and said that Haasan has “love for Kannada".

“I really like Kamal Haasan, he is my favorite. My father and Kamal Haasan had a special relationship, and because of that, I’m not just a fan—I admire him deeply. I consider Kamal Haasan an inspiration. We just went to his program and came back, that’s all. Even Kamal Haasan has a love for Kannada. When he came to Bengaluru, he could have been asked then. Why make it a big issue now?" he said.

“Just saying ‘Kannada Kannada’ with words isn’t enough. I fight for Kannada. I’m ready to die for Kannada. If you say Kannada, then don’t just support star actors — new talents also need to be encouraged. Kamal Haasan will come to know all this, and he himself will correct it," Shivrajkumar added.

Shivrajkumar is the son of late Kannada actor Dr Rajkumar, who is regarded as a legendary figure in Kannada cinema.

On July 30, 2000, Dr Rajkumar was kidnapped from his farmhouse in Gajanur, Tamil Nadu, close to the Karnataka border. The forest bandit Veerappan and his gang took him along with three others—his son-in-law, SA Govindaraj, a relative named Nagesh, and assistant film director Nagappa. The kidnapping caused a big uproar among the public and created tension between the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

As the controversy blew up, Haasan refused to apologise and said that he only stated “what historians have said."

“I only repeated what historians have said. I haven’t provided any false information. There’s nothing I said that warrants an apology. In love, the concept of apology doesn’t arise," he said.

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News movies ‘Why Make It A Big Issue’: Actor Shivrajkumar Breaks Silence On Kannada Row, Defends Kamal Haasan