'Won't apologise if I am not wrong': Kamal Haasan amid row over Kannada language remark
Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan on Friday said he will not apologise if he is not wrong and revealed that he has faced threats before amid controversy over his remark that 'Kannada is born out of Tamil' during a promotional event for his latest film Thug Life in Chennai.
"It is a democracy. I believe in the law and justice. My love for Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala is true. Nobody will suspect 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..." said the MNM President and actor, responding to warnings by pro-Kannada groups who threatened to boycott his film and demanded an apology for his comment on the Kannada language.
Kamal Haasan and his movie Thug Life sparked controversy in Karnataka after he reportedly stated that "Kannada is born out of Tamil" at the Chennai event.
This led to protests outside the INOX cinema hall in Belagavi, Karnataka, organised by the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike group, which expressed anger and demanded an apology from the actor.
On Wednesday, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah criticised Kamal Haasan's remarks, saying he was unaware of the 'long-standing' history of the Kannada language.
"Kannada has a long-standing history. Poor Kamal Haasan, he is unaware of it," the Karnataka CM remarked.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Print
21 minutes ago
- The Print
Kannada debate reaches IPL doorstep before mega final—‘today in RCB, tomorrow JCB'
'Players are openly auctioned off for money. Based on money, teams are formed. Is there a feeling of state or nationalism in that? Today whoever you call RCB will tomorrow go to JCB. You (media) tell me how many Kannadigas are there in the RCB team,' Ravi told reporters Monday evening. The former national general secretary of the party said money is the only consideration for IPL cricketers and they have no other connection with the place they represent. Bengaluru: The raging language debate in Karnataka has reached the sports arena with a senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader questioning the number of Kannadigas or native Kannada speakers in the Indian Premier League's Bengaluru-based franchise RCB. Ravi's comments come a day before the Rajat Patidar-led Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) take on the Shreyas Iyer-led Punjab Kings in the IPL final Tuesday evening in Ahmedabad. The RCB have never won the tournament but command a loyal fan base who expect the Rajat Patidar-led side to lift its first-ever trophy since the tournament started in 2008. State's political leaders including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, his deputy D.K. Shivakumar and several others have wished the team luck. Shivakumar has even posted a video message wearing an RCB jersey. Ee Sala Cup Namde! ♥️🏆 18 years of grit. Every prayer, every cheer, every heartbreak – it all leads to today. This is more than a match. Our moment. Our Cup. Wishing @RCBTweets the very best – Karnataka is with you!#PlayBold #ನಮ್ಮRCB #IPL2025 — DK Shivakumar (@DKShivakumar) June 3, 2025 Ravi's comments come in the middle of the larger debate around language in Bengaluru with frequent fissures between native Kannada speakers and 'outsiders'. The controversy around veteran actor Kamal Haasan's statement over the issue refuses to die down after the 70-year-old said last week that 'Kannada was born out of Tamil'. The Karnataka film chamber has threatened to ban the release of his upcoming film Thug Life if he does not apologise. The online war surrounding the alleged imposition of Hindi by Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union government has started to play out on the streets of India's IT capital which has in the past seen violence over divisive issues. Two days ago, a Hindi-speaker was seen hitting an auto driver with her slippers in a case of road rage. The issue soon took a turn when pro-Kannada activists filed a case against the woman and made her fall at the feet of the auto driver and apologise. In April, an Indian Air Force (IAF) officer, Wing Commander Shiladitya Bose, shared two videos online in which he appeared bloodied and claimed he and his wife, a squadron leader, were assaulted for being 'outsiders' in Karnataka. It drew widespread reactions across the country. More videos surfaced later which purportedly showed he was involved in a road rage incident. The official had allegedly twisted it to claim he was assaulted as a result of the language debate. ThePrint has earlier reported on the growing 'language militancy' in India's IT capital, where a section of people is violating laws, discriminating against, or denying services, to people on either side of the pro-Kannada and pro-Hindi debate. Some social media users have questioned if the RCB batting mainstay and its former captain Virat Kohli can speak Kannada, and why he was being treated differently than other migrants in the city. Ravi's comments only fuelled the debate. He, however, emphasised the distinction between franchise cricket and India's domestic cricket tournament. When cricketers play the Ranji tournament, they represent their states such as Karnataka, Maharashtra and other states, but there is no such connection in the IPL, he said. The RCB, who have made the finals three times before this edition but have never won the tournament, are an assortment of players from across the world. RCB captain Rajat Patidar represents Madhya Pradesh in domestic cricket, the team's batting great Kohli represents Delhi in the Ranji Trophy. Batter Mayank Agarwal represents Karnataka. All-rounder Manoj Bhandage also represents Karnataka. Among other players, opening batter Phil Salt is from England, wicket-kapper batter Jitesh Sharma represents Vidarbha in domestic cricket. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Swastik Chhikara represent Uttar Pradesh, while Josh Hazlewood represents Australia. 'There is no feeling like it's our state (or city) team as money is the only consideration for players and there is no other connection. Why should we spoil our heads over this,' he said when asked about the RCB potentially winning the trophy. He also rued the players getting all the publicity and adulation, asking why soldiers giving their lives and farmers growing food for everybody do not have such followings or are given such publicity. 'We should just take this as a sport and nothing else,' he said of the IPL. (Edited by Ajeet Tiwari) Also Read: Digital guardians of Kannada are waging a new language war in Karnataka against Hindi imposition
The Print
21 minutes ago
- The Print
K'taka Deputy CM to meet PM Modi over Maharashtra govt's objections to Alamatti dam height
'I will seek time from PM and the Jal Shakti Minister once CM Siddaramaiah writes a reply to the objection raised by the Maharashtra CM,' he told reporters here. This follows Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' recent letter to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, expressing concern that raising the height of the dam could lead to flooding in Maharashtra's Sangli and Kolhapur districts. Bengaluru, Jun 3 (PTI) Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Tuesday said he would seek a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil to discuss the objections raised by the Maharashtra government to raising the height of Alamatti dam. He also said CM Siddaramaiah will respond to Maharashtra CM's letter within two days. 'I have already shared my inputs with the CM. We will also share CM's letter with all the MPs so that they can take it up in the Parliament. We will seek an appointment with the PM after that. It is important that all of us safeguard state's interests in unison,' he said in a statement issued by his office. Shivakumar said Maharashtra CM Fadnavis is an intelligent person, who had supported the project in the past. 'I am surprised he (Fadnavis) wrote this letter now. Managing floods within a state is the responsibility of the state governments,' he added. Meanwhile, Shivakumar inspected the venue for Kempe Gowda Jayanthi celebrations on Magadi road here. 'We have decided to celebrate this year's Kempe Gowda Jayanthi at this venue. The land allotted to Kempe Gowda Development Authority is nearby. We will lay the foundation stone for the Kempe Gowda Development Authority on June 27 and celebrate his Jayanthi. In the allotted land, a museum on Kempe Gowda will also come up,' he added. Outlining details of the celebrations, he explained, 'Our local leaders have suggested swapping the allotted land with the land of Social Welfare Department as it also has an auditorium. A railway line will also pass through it and a station would be built here. This will be taken up in the Cabinet meeting.' Asked if the land was too far from the city, he replied, 'Bengaluru has expanded now, where else can we allot the land? No one is willing to part with Golf course and Race Course.' PTI AMP ROH This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Time of India
21 minutes ago
- Time of India
Siddharth Nigam's mother reveals he was replaced by Ajay Devgn's nephew Aaman Devgan in Azaad with Rasha Thadani: 'Both of them were star kids...'
Siddharth Nigam, an outsider in Bollywood, faced disappointment when he was replaced in the film *Azaad* by star kids Aaman Devgan and Rasha Thadani. Despite initial consideration and script narration, Nigam waited two years only to discover the film proceeded with the newcomers. While acknowledging the industry's realities, Nigam focused on moving forward after the emotional setback. In an industry where star power often outweighs merit, the struggles of outsiders continue to echo. Actor Siddharth Nigam's journey is the latest reminder. His mother has now revealed that Siddharth was originally in line to debut in Azaad—until he was replaced by star kids Aaman Devgan and Rasha Thadani . In conversation with Instant Bollywood, Siddharth's mother opened up about the challenges of being an outsider in the film industry, highlighting a personal experience with Azaad. She shared that Siddharth was initially considered for the film and even had the script narrated to him. However, after waiting for nearly two years, they discovered through a poster that the movie had been made—with Ajay Devgn 's nephew Aaman Devgan and Raveena Tandon's daughter Rasha Thadani in the lead. She admitted it was a tough moment, especially as a mother, and felt the final casting decision may have been influenced by the star lineage of the newcomers. Siddharth also reflected on the situation, acknowledging the realities of the industry. Without placing blame, he shared that it's part of the business, and those involved likely had their own reasons for the decision. For him, it was more about the emotional toll—waiting with hope for a year, only to find out through the teaser that someone else had been cast. In the end, he said, it became a moment of quiet acceptance and simply moving on. The period action drama, directed by Abhishek Kapoor and produced by Ronnie Screwvala and Pragya Kapoor, marked the debut of Aaman Devgan and Rasha Thadani, starring alongside Ajay Devgn and Diana Penty. Despite the high-profile cast and production, the film opened to mixed-to-negative reviews and failed to make a mark at the box office, earning just Rs 8 crore worldwide. Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
