US EditionLinguistic Debate: The Political Storm Over Kamal Haasan's Kannada Remarks
- On May 27, 2025, actor and politician Kamal Haasan claimed during the Thug Life film's audio launch in Chennai that Kannada originated from Tamil.
- Haasan's comments provoked strong opposition from political figures and pro-Kannada activists, who accused him of disrespecting the Kannada language and offending the tens of millions of people who speak it.
- Karnataka Rakshana Vedike tore down Thug Life posters in Bengaluru and threatened a statewide boycott, while BJP Karnataka chief BV Vijayendra condemned the remarks.
- Vijayendra called Haasan's remarks "uncultured behaviour" on social media, stating they offended 6.5 crore Kannada speakers on May 27, 2025.
- The controversy prompted demand for an apology from Haasan, with warnings of protests if he does not clarify, while some Tamil Nadu leaders defended his historical reference.
38 Articles
38 Articles
Seeman defends Kamal Haasan: “He spoke the truth, People are ignorant of their history”
What Kamal Haasan stated is not just true, it is the truth about the truth — entirely correct in every sense. The southern languages are offshoots of Tamil, and anyone familiar with historical facts won’t argue.
Actor Kamal Haasan is not aware of Kannada's ancient history: CM Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said the Kannada language has a very long history, and actor Kamal Haasan is unaware of it. The CM’s statement came in response to Haasan’s recent remark at the audio launch of his upcoming film ‘Thug Life’ in Chennai, where he claimed that ‘Tamil gave birth to Kannada’. “Kannada language has a very long history….he (Kamal Hassan) doesn’t know,” Siddaramaiah told reporters. #WATCH | …
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