No ‘Thug Life' for Karnataka as no malice, no sorry, remains Kamal Haasan's stand
Sorry, but no sorry. That was the import of Kamal Haasan's letter to M Narasimhalu, President of the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce. Instead, he played the victim card as he spoke of the 'pain' he felt that his statement at the Thug Life audio launch had been 'misunderstood'. Clarifying that his words were not intended to 'diminish Kannada in any way', he asserted that there was no debate on the 'rich legacy of Kannada language'.advertisementWhat did Kamal Haasan say? That Kannada language came out of Tamil. Why did he say so? Because he wanted to convey to Kannada actor Shiva Rajkumar, who was present in the audience, that Kannada and Tamil came from the same family. Haasan wanted to convey bonhomie and fraternity, but he ended up making it seem as if Kannada owed its existence to Tamil. It was a case of LIC - Lost in Communication.Kamal is no historian. Or a linguist. For a public figure like him, due to become a Rajya Sabha MP later this month, to make a statement like this, without reference to any credible material, borders on being irresponsible and careless. It has led to a situation where many in Karnataka -- admittedly, many of them with political motives as well -- are hurt by the actor-politician's assertion. They feel undermined by the statement which is interpreted by many as reflecting Tamil superiority. They want an apology, no less, which Haasan is unwilling to do, because his stand is that there was no 'malice' and no attempt to denigrate a language.advertisement
But then, if there was only 'enduring affection for Karnataka, its people and their language', Haasan would have apologised for having hurt sentiments with his inadvertent remark, called for a truce and let bygones be bygones. By refusing to back down, Haasan has converted this into a needless confrontation, completely unnecessary.On Tuesday, Justice M Nagaprasanna of the Karnataka High Court was clearly not amused by Haasan's refusal to apologise and end the matter. He rightly observed that land, water and language are sensitive issues and anyone ought to be careful when saying something that could offend a practitioner on the other side of the divide. The judge also alluded to C Rajagopalachari, former Governor General of India and chief minister of Madras state, who had made a similar statement that Kannada had evolved out of Tamil in the 1950s, but subsequently apologised when Kannada writers wrote to him in protest. The judge seemed to be asking when a revered political figure like Rajaji could apologise, why not Haasan?Haasan would know that Tamil Nadu and Karnataka have had a history of confrontation over the sharing of Cauvery waters. During every flashpoint, actors on either side used to get caught in the crossfire, with pressure mounted on them to sit in protest and take sides. It would put actors like Rajinikanth in a quandary because he has his roots in Bengaluru, where he worked as a bus conductor before making it big as an actor in Chennai. Kamal Haasan's statement has threatened to disrupt the peace that has existed ever since the Cauvery dispute was settled.advertisementAre those demanding an apology absolutely in the right? For one, they clearly misinterpreted the spirit in which Haasan made the comment. To his credit, the celebrated actor has displayed his love for several languages, even mastering local dialects for several of his roles in his films, including Kannada films. One wonders if the excessive focus on a five-second comment by Kamal Haasan can really take away anything from the literary beauty and history of Kannada.Kannada activists have, in the past too, displayed their robust passion for their language. Protests against non-locals from the northern part of India, who insist on speaking in Hindi, and being spoken to in Hindi, have often escalated into violent flashpoints. In this case, however, they have been Gandhian in the manner of their protest.In all this, there is a group of people looking at this standoff with worry. This includes everyone who is involved with the Kamal Haasan-starrer Thug Life, due for release on June 5. Karnataka is an important market and the threat to block the release in an important film centre like Bengaluru would affect the fortunes of the distributors and the exhibitors. Incidentally, Kamal Haasan's company, Raaj Kamal Films International, is also one of the producers of the film. Which is why he moved the high court, seeking directions to ensure the safe release of his film.Many expected Kamal Haasan to act differently once he swapped the hat of Kamal Haasan, the politician and intellectual, with the hat of Kamal Haasan, the producer. He has not. Thug Life will not be screened in Karnataka theatres till Haasan engages in a dialogue with the Karnataka Chamber of Commerce. To be (sorry) or not to be, remains on the agenda.(Views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author)Tune InMust Watch
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
30 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Thug Life First Reviews: Mani Ratnam-Kamal Hassan's reunion film leaves much to be desired; fans joke, ‘pls do skip'
Fresh from the audio launch controversy that sparked outrage across Karnataka, Thug Life, the much-anticipated gangster drama directed by Mani Ratnam, has finally landed in cinemas. Co-written by Kamal Haasan himself, the film marks a massive collaboration between two titans of Tamil cinema — but early reactions suggest that the cinematic reunion hasn't quite lived up to its towering expectations. Set against a gritty backdrop, Thug Life tells the tale of mafia kingpin Sakthivel (Kamal Haasan) and his brother Manickam, who rescue a young boy named Amaran during a police shootout. As the boy grows into a man under their tutelage, the family is shattered by an attempted assassination, leading Sakthivel on a violent quest for vengeance — a journey that threatens to destroy the very foundation of his makeshift family. With an ensemble cast featuring Trisha Krishnan, Silambarasan TR Joju George, Ali Fazal, Rohit Saraf and more, the film is styled as a sprawling gangster saga that attempts to blend family drama, with stylised violence. For a film this hyped, Thug Life has received a surprisingly low response from both critics and audiences. Social media, particularly Reddit and X, is flooded with opinions — most of them far from flattering. 'How is this the best Mani and Kamal could come up with? Like this script brought them back together?' wrote one disappointed viewer. Another chimed in, 'First half is predictable coz of trailer,' while someone replied, 'Joju George and Ali Fazal are completely wasted. Trisha doesn't even bother to lip-sync through most of her portions.' Even the film's attempt at international flair raised eyebrows. 'I don't understand why they even used the word Yakuza in the film, it feels totally irrelevant, except for the fact that KH plays a gangster. Mani Ratnam seems to have no clue why he even made the second half,' remarked another user. While the cinematography and some performances — especially from Silambarasan TR — have earned praise, other aspects, like the music and pacing, failed to impress. 'Just got done. Cinematography was nice. Not an STR fan, but he did well. BGM wasn't great. All this Dhee vs Chinmayi for the song to not even be in the movie. Skip if you aren't a Kamal/Mani sir fan. Actually, pls do skip if you're a fan of theirs. 2/5 and that's me being hella generous,' one frustrated user wrote. The second half of the movie has come under particularly harsh criticism. 'Post-interval 30 minutes enraged me. Extremely convenient plot points for the main protagonist, almost laughable tbh. Sigh.' Another review echoed, 'So much potential in the first half totally destroyed in the second half. Odd BGM choices also hindered the experience. A Mani sir movie without an emotional connect is truly rare.' Whether Haasan's language comments controversy ultimately boosts or hurts the film's box office run remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: Thug Life has landed with a bang — just not the one its creators might have hoped for.
Indian Express
30 minutes ago
- Indian Express
‘Deepika Padukone was in a relationship with me for two years, I broke up with her,' says Muzammil Ibrahim: ‘We went on dates in a rickshaw'
Deepika Padukone moved to Mumbai in the early 2000s and started her career as a model before she made it as an actor. During the same era, Muzammil Ibrahim was also establishing himself as a model after appearing in a few music videos and in a recent interview, he claimed that he was in a relationship with Deepika for two years back when she had just moved to Mumbai. Muzammil shared that since these were their early days, they didn't have much money and would go on dates in a rickshaw. However, two years later, Muzammil broke up with her. In a chat with Siddharth Kannan, Muzammil shared, 'We were in a relationship for two years.' He added that he was the first guy that Deepika met in Mumbai. When asked about her personality in those years, he said, 'She was very confident because she is Prakash Padukone's daughter so everyone knew about her.' Muzammil also revealed that it was Deepika who asked him out, but he was the one who broke up with her. 'I was a star at that time, she was not. She is a superstar now. Everyone knows her, nobody knows me. I am a big fan. I love watching her movies. She is a beautiful woman. She is doing so great but the fact is what it is,' he said. Muzammil was asked if they still talk to each other and he shared that they haven't been in touch since she got married to Ranveer Singh in 2019. 'Before she got married, we would talk sometimes,' he said and shared that they eventually became friendly after their break up as they would congratulate each other on their achievements once in a while. ALSO READ | Thug Life Movie Review Live Updates: Early reviews suggest Kamal Haasan-Mani Ratnam's film 'isn't 10% of Nayakan' Recalling his memories from those days, the actor-model said, 'We were kids then. We would go on dates in a rickshaw in the rains. That was very cute. I had more money than her because I had started earning better. Then I bought a car and she was very happy about that. These things are very memorable because I have not been on a date in a rickshaw since then, and we were so happy even though we had no money.' He recalled that once, on her birthday, he made sure that the DJ played her favourite song on repeat. 'Even with no money, the DJ would play the song that she liked because I was friends with the DJ. For an hour and a half, he just played that song because it was her birthday,' he shared. Deepika Padukone married Ranveer Singh in 2019. They welcomed their daughter Dua in 2024.
Time of India
32 minutes ago
- Time of India
‘The Phoenician Scheme' actor finally breaks silence as Tom Hanks' daughter reveals details of her ‘abusive childhood' in her memoir
Tom Hanks ' daughter, E.A. Hanks, has recently dropped her very own autobiographical novel. The 42-year-old, in her latest work, 'The 10: A Memoir of Family and the Open Road', managed to reveal details about the kind of childhood she lived. She also dropped a bombshell after revealing details about the kind of abuse she suffered at the hands of her late mother, Samantha Lewes . As E.A. Hanks breaks silence on past abuse, Tom Hanks opens up about his family The actor opened up about the past that his daughter went through and more after her memoir dropped about the memories of her 'abusive childhood'. The actor shares that 'It's a pride because, I think, she shares it with me; she's been very open about what the process is' in an interview with Access Hollywood during the premiere for his latest film 'The Phoenician Scheme'. He continued talking about his daughter, saying that 'I'm not surprised that my daughter had the wherewithal, as well as the curiosity, as well as, I'm going to say, perhaps, the 'shoot herself in the foot' kind of wherewithal in order to examine this thing that I think she was incredibly honest about.' The 'Asteroid City' star then continued talking about how everyone comes from different walks of life. He shared: 'We all come from checked or cracked lives, all of us, despite the fact that part of it would seem as though she worked for some internationally well-known firm with a copyrighted last name.' While talking about his daughter, he stated that 'She knows that, and she leans into absolutely everything of it, and I think anyone who does that is a bold journalistic literary mind, and I'm thrilled I can say the same thing about my daughter.' About 'The 10: A Memoir of Family and the Open Road' E.A. 's book 'The 10: A Memoir of Family and the Open Road' details the writer's life after she moved all the way to Sacramento with her mother, Samantha Lewes, after she and the 'Castaway' actor filed for divorce. The two were married from 1978 to 1987 and shared two children, i.e., Colin Hanks and E.A. Hanks. E.A. shared through her book that she had an 'abusive' childhood at the hands of her mother, who was also suffering from mental health issues. She shared that 'She pushed me, shook me, pulled at my hair and locked me in a closet once or twice … she told me there were men hiding in her closet who were waiting for us to go to sleep to come out and do horrible things.' 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 .
