Karnataka High Court Rebukes Kamal Haasan Over Language Remark, Urges Apology to Defuse Tensions
The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday sharply criticised veteran actor and filmmaker Kamal Haasan for his recent remark implying that the Kannada language originated from Tamil.
The comment, made during a promotional event in Chennai for his upcoming Tamil film Thug Life, sparked widespread outrage in Karnataka.
Presiding over the hearing, Justice M. Nagaprasanna noted that the statement had deeply hurt the sentiments of the people of Karnataka and questioned why Haasan had not offered a public apology.
“A single apology could have resolved this situation,” the judge remarked.
“Language is not just a means of communication — it is an emotional and cultural identity. No individual has the right to make statements that insult or undermine the pride of an entire linguistic community,” Justice Nagaprasanna said during the proceedings.
Addressing the nature of Haasan’s remark, the judge asked, “Are you a historian or a linguist to make such a claim? No language is born out of another.”
He referred to the importance of language, along with water and land — “Jala, Nela, Bashe” — as integral to people’s identity, pointing out that India’s state boundaries were drawn along linguistic lines.
The controversy led the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) to threaten a ban on Thug Life in the state unless Haasan issued an apology.
In response, Raajkamal Films International — the production house co-founded by Haasan — approached the High Court, seeking police protection for the film’s release in Karnataka.
Senior advocate Dhyan Chinnappa, appearing for the production house, argued that Haasan’s statement had been quoted out of context and was not meant to offend.
The plea also cited support from Kannada actor Shiva Rajkumar, who defended Haasan by saying he had always shown respect toward Kannada and Karnataka.
However, the court was not convinced by the defence. Justice Nagaprasanna pointed out that even C. Rajagopalachari had issued a public apology decades ago for a similar comment.
“If Rajagopalachari could apologise 75 years ago, why can’t you? You seek protection from the court for a situation you created — and all this for commercial gain,” he said.
The court questioned the unwillingness to apologise, saying, “You want to earn crores from Karnataka, yet you won’t apologise? Even ordinary citizens face legal consequences for such remarks. What makes you different?”
While the court said it would issue an order under the law, it also advised Haasan to reflect on the impact of his statement. “You have created unrest with your comment.
Think it over. If you still want to stand by it, we will decide accordingly,” Justice Nagaprasanna concluded, adjourning the hearing till 2:30 p.m.
