
Kamal Haasan To High Court: We Won't Release Thug Life In Karnataka But I Won't Apologise
Actor Kamal Haasan agreed to stall the release of his upcoming film Thug Life in Karnataka, after a row erupted over his remarks allegedly undermining the sentiments of the Kannada community. While stating that he had "no malice", the actor refused to apologise for the statement and proposed to have a dialogue with the Film Chamber. Meanwhile, the film slated to hit the theaters on June 05, won't be released in the State. n18oc_indian18oc_politicsNews18 Mobile App - https://onelink.to/desc-youtube

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News18
an hour ago
- News18
Thug Life Box Office Day 1: Kamal Haasan Film Opens At Rs 17 Cr Despite Karnataka Ban
Last Updated: The film, which marks the iconic reunion of Haasan and Ratnam decades after Nayakan, was caught in a political storm ahead of its release. Kamal Haasan's much-anticipated Thug Life, directed by Mani Ratnam, made a strong start at the box office, collecting Rs 17 crore on its opening day despite not being released in Karnataka due to an ongoing language controversy. The film, which marks the iconic reunion of Haasan and Ratnam decades after Nayakan, was caught in a political storm ahead of its release. Haasan's remark during a promotional event – 'Kannada was born out of Tamil" – sparked outrage across Karnataka, leading the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce to halt the film's release in the state. The actor, however, refused to apologise, asserting that his comments were misunderstood. As a result, the film lost an estimated Rs 35–40 crore in potential earnings, as reported by The Hindu. Despite this setback, Thug Life saw a promising 48.72% Tamil occupancy on Thursday, according to Sacnilk. Morning and afternoon shows clocked above 50% occupancy, while evening shows dipped slightly to 45.15%. With an extended weekend ahead, the film is expected to maintain momentum and possibly expand its earnings in the coming days. Starring Kamal Haasan in the lead, the film also features a powerhouse cast including Trisha, Silambarasan TR, Joju George, Ashok Selvan, Nasser, and Abhirami. AR Rahman's music and Ravi K Chandran's cinematography, along with editing by A Sreekar Prasad, contribute to the film's technical finesse. An excerpt from News18's review praised Haasan's performance: 'Kamal is in towering form. There's a stunning late-film sequence where Sakthivel, under heavy sedatives, is forced into combat. He fights, he smirks, he bleeds—and yet never fully wakes. It's Haasan telling us, with quiet swagger, that he can act circles around others in his sleep." Silambarasan TR, playing Amar, was also lauded for bringing both emotional depth and strength to a role that stood tall even next to Haasan's formidable presence. First Published: June 06, 2025, 01:42 IST


Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Vaiko supports Kamal in language row
Coimbatore: Asserting that Tamil is the oldest language, MDMK general secretary Vaiko has defended actor and MNM leader Kamal Haasan over the Kannada–Tamil language row saying there was nothing wrong with Haasan's opinion. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Speaking to reporters at the Coimbatore International Airport in the city on Thursday, he said experts and linguists, including Robert Caldwell, had stated that Tamil is the most ancient language—older than the northern Indian languages, Greek, Latin, and even the language spoken by the ancient Egyptians. He cited Manonmaniam Sundaram Pillai's view that Malayalam, Telugu, and Kannada originated from Tamil. Pillai composed the Tamil prayer 'Neeradum Kadaludutha'. "So, there is nothing wrong with Kamal Haasan's opinion that Kannada was born out of Tamil," Vaiko said. He added that it would be best to end the protests in Karnataka over the issue. Criticising Union home minister Amit Shah, Vaiko said, "He claims that all languages originated from Sanskrit, yet only 24,000 people speak it today." He noted that just as Tamil sentiments are strong in Tamil Nadu, there is now a growing linguistic awareness in non-Hindi-speaking states such as Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, West Bengal, and Punjab. He welcomed this as a positive development and said that the Dravidian movement and MDMK would continue working to spread this awareness. tnn


Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Chinmayi Sripada says she was anxious when 'Muththa Mazhai' from Thug Life audio launch went viral: 'I cried in countless temples and walked outside pretending to be a brave woman'
Singer Chinmayi Sripada recently made headlines with her soulful rendition of 'Muththa Mazhai' at the audio launch event of 's 'Thug Life'. The original track, sung by Dhee, was performed on stage by Chinmayi in her absence, and it went viral, with people discussing why Kollywood had not explored the singer's potential. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The online fan debate brought her shadow ban in the industry back into the spotlight. Chinmayi has now opened up about the emotional struggles she faced during the ban and her fight against leading names in the industry. Chinmayi about her ban in the industry In an interview with ABP Live Tamil, Chinmayi spoke about the functioning of dubbing unions in Kollywood at the time. She criticised the dubbing union for mandating a compulsory 10% cut from its members without providing any work-related support. She claimed that the union enforces this rule arbitrarily, and when questioned about the finances, it presents inflated and inaccurate expense reports to the government. 'If the association had collected just from the salaries of Rajinikanth, Ajith Kumar, , and Kamal Haasan, they could've run something like Nithyananda's Kailasa here. I'm not saying this as a joke. Everyone runs things as they wish. They claim the dubbing union spends on struggling artistes. I haven't seen it happen,' she said. Emotional struggles and societal pressure Chinmayi opened up about feeling hurt during the ban and revealed that she had second thoughts about her revelation regarding the MeToo movement. 'I can't say I didn't feel hurt thinking, 'Did this happen just because I told the truth?' But at the same time, I knew this would happen if I spoke out. My heart is filled with pain and sorrow. In these past six or seven years, when there was a situation where no one even wanted to talk about Chinmayi, there were people who stood by me. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now All this praise, recognition, and backlash — they come and go. I've started forgetting all of it. Whatever comes my way hereafter, I dedicate it to God,' she stated. Singer Chinmayi Sripada gets slammed for supporting the Indian woman who talked about how safe she feels in Canada; netizens say 'What the hell are you doing in India?' Viral responses for 'Muththa Mazhai' Chinmayi admitted that after 'Muththa Mazhai' went viral, she was anxious, thinking something bad would happen. 'I just sang a song, that's all. But it turned into a problem for me — I was filled with anxiety, wondering if even this would become an issue. I wasn't even in a position to accept the praise. I cried in countless temples. I would cry in front of the sanctum sanctorum, and then walk outside pretending to be a brave woman. There were four people who stood by me — no matter how much I thank them, it will never be enough,' she added. The state award-winning singer also spoke about facing social stigma while living in a rented house, where even the landlords' own relatives questioned why they were renting to someone like her and pressured them to make her leave. However, the house owners stood by her, expressing pride in supporting her and refusing to yield to the criticism. She admitted that she spoke out publicly without fully considering the consequences she might face. She admitted to cursing God as people would often say, 'God will make everything better.' She even questioned the existence of God during that phase of her life. 'When I was 20, I even threw the deity's photo out onto the road. I would fight with my mother, too. She was the one I would cry to — that's how it was.' Chinmayi on her works post 2018 Chinmayi explained that although she was banned in October 2018, songs featuring her voice continued to be released afterward, such as in the 2019 film Sarvam Thaala Mayam. She clarified that this particular film had been completed four years earlier and that she had recorded the song while lyricist Na. Muthukumar was still alive. Similarly, many other songs released post-ban were actually recorded much earlier. The COVID-19 pandemic had delayed the release of several films, causing them to come out together later — which created the false impression that she was still being actively engaged in the industry after the ban.