PIL in Supreme Court calls for safe release of 'Thug Life'
BENGALURU: A PIL has been filed in the Supreme Court, seeking urgent intervention against what the petitioner calls a 'breakdown of constitutional machinery' in Karnataka, where authorities have allegedly failed to protect theatres and citizens from threats by fringe groups opposing the release of actor Kamal Haasan's upcoming Tamil film 'Thug Life'.
Advocate Athenam Velan, who filed the PIL, taking to social media, said: 'I, along with my team members Navpreet Kaur, Nilay Rai, and Prince Singh, have filed this PIL to highlight Karnataka's failure to ensure the safe release of Kamal Haasan's 'Thug Life'. The state has allowed fringe groups to openly threaten theatres and citizens, creating a climate of fear that undermines the rule of law.'
The film, initially set for an all-India release on June 5, 2025, has been postponed in Karnataka alone, after threats from pro-Kannada outfits. Despite these threats, no leading Kannada actor or public figure has supported the boycott call, and no official ban has been imposed.
The PIL contends that this amounts to indirect censorship and violates Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution. It seeks immediate action from the Supreme Court, including a directive to the Karnataka Government to arrest and prosecute those threatening violence, protect all cinema halls, and uphold freedom of expression. The petition said extra-legal threats cannot override fundamental rights.
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