Kamal Haasan found himself in the middle of a controversy before the release of his film ‘Thug Life’. His comment about the ‘Kannada language being born from Tamil’ did not sit well with the people of Karnataka, causing outrage online. Karnataka film bodies also threatened to ban the release of Thug Life in the state if the actor did not apologise. After Kamal Haasan refused to apologise, he moved to Karnataka High Court to seek direction to authorities to prevent any opposition to the release of Thug Life.
However, the Karnataka High Court reprimanded him for his remark on Kannada and Tamil language. The court said, “Division of this country is on linguistic lines. A public figure cannot make such a statement. What has happened because of it? Unrest, disharmony. People of Karnataka only asked for an apology. Now you come here seeking protection. On what basis have you made the statement? Are you a historian or linguist? On what basis did you speak? You know the importance of the film, saying it is made by Mani Ratnam, but you cannot make a statement.”
As per Live Law, the bench said, “If it is a reply of apology, we will take it. There is no apology in it. You may be Kamal Hassan or anybody, you cannot hurt the sentiments of the masses.”
Earlier, Kamal Haasan refused to apologise for his statement. Terming India a “democratic country,” the actor stated that he wouldn’t “apologise” to anyone for his actions if he is “not wrong.” Speaking to media personnel outside the DMK party headquarters in Chennai on Friday, Haasan said, “It is a democracy. I believe in law and justice. My love for Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala is genuine. Nobody will doubt it except for those who have an agenda. I’ve been threatened earlier too, and if I am wrong, I would apologise; if I’m not, I won’t.”
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Talking about Thug Life, Kamal Haasan collaborated with filmmaker Mani Ratnam after 38 years. The movie will release in theatres on June 5.