How Kamal Haasan's Tamil-Kannada remark touched a nerve, reigniting identity war among southern states
'We have no mercy or sympathy for the actor. Once he has spoken ill about our language, there is no question of tolerating it either. We want to contact him and ask him about his stand on the issue,' Sa Ra Govindu, a film producer and former president of the KFCC, said to reporters in Bengaluru.
The 70-year-old actor's statement at his film's audio launch in Chennai has ignited strong reactions in both Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, drawing criticism from across the political spectrum.
Bengaluru: The controversy over veteran actor and Makkal Needhi Maiam chief Kamal Haasan's comment that Kannada was 'born out of Tamil' refuses to die down, with linguistic experts rejecting his claim and the Kannada Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) threatening to ban his upcoming film Thug Life if he does not apologise.
The KFCC made the statements as protests against Haasan intensified Thursday, with pro-Kannada groups storming its office and demanding a ban on Thug Life.
Even though Haasan said that he and others were not qualified to talk on the subject, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah dismissed the actor as being ignorant of Kannada's rich heritage.
'Kannada has a long-standing history. Poor Kamal Haasan, he is unaware of it,' Siddaramaiah said in response to the controversy.
Ashoka, Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, called for a boycott of Haasan, terming him 'mental'.
However, Haasan found support from Tamil Nadu's ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and its allies, with DMK spokesperson T.K.S. Elangovan saying on Wednesday that Haasan was quoting historical sources.
'It is not his finding. He might have taken his source from history and might have told. That does not mean that he is insulting Kannada,' Elangovan said to ANI.
Also read: Karnataka politicians thrive on language politics, but Kannada University struggles to pay even salaries
Identity politics
The controversy comes amid a growing assertion of Kannada identity in Karnataka.
In recent weeks, the threats to boycott singer Sonu Nigam or the decision by the Karnataka government to rope in a non-Kannadiga to model for Mysore Sandal soap are just some instances of the growing assertion of Kannada identity, analysts say.
Moreover, Tamils and Kannadigas have a history of conflict, particularly concerning language and the Cauvery water dispute, with notable instances of tension in 1991 and 2016.
'Politically, it used to be north versus south. But this shows the fissures among southern languages. It was an unnecessary statement but is being played out on social media. But it is part of the larger Kannada activism,' said one Bengaluru-based political analyst, requesting anonymity.
However, the linguistic row also ties into the broader resistance to the imposition of Hindi in both Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
A significant portion of the pro-Kannada movement has focused on opposing the imposition of Hindi, with Tamil-language speakers often seen as allies in this fight against the Union government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
One prominent pro-Kannada voice, Arun Javagal, said on X that it was imperative to maintain unity among non-Hindi speakers and avoid language hierarchies.
'Kannada is not the daughter language of Sanskrit or Tamil. It is a sovereign and classical Dravidian language, with its own independent history, grammar, and literary tradition,' he said.
'Labelling one language as the 'mother' of another is not only linguistically inaccurate but also culturally harmful. These terms can unintentionally promote superiority complexes among certain language groups, leading to friction within the non-Hindi speaking communities,' he added.
He argued that such fissures will only help those pushing for Hindi imposition.
Unity Among Non-Hindi Speakers is Crucial — Avoid Language Hierarchies
Kannada is not the daughter language of Sanskrit or Tamil. It is a sovereign and classical Dravidian language, with its own independent history, grammar, and literary tradition.
Labelling one language as the… pic.twitter.com/lllrYaU5LB
— ಅರುಣ್ ಜಾವಗಲ್ | Arun Javgal (@ajavgal) May 28, 2025
Still, Haasan did find some support in Karnataka.
Kannada actress Ramya, or Divya Spandana, argued in favour of the actor, posting an entire flowchart of Dravidian languages on X Thursday.
'I think what @ikamalhaasan meant was Kannada, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam are all Dravidian languages- we have shared linguistic ancestry and commonality. But to boycott is a bit much no? A faux pas is excusable,' Ramya posted on X.
I think what @ikamalhaasan meant was Kannada, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam are all Dravidian languages- we have shared linguistic ancestry and commonality. But to boycott is a bit much no? A faux pas is excusable. pic.twitter.com/3MNYCDo3Sn
— Ramya/Divya Spandana (@divyaspandana) May 29, 2025
Ramya was trolled for her stand. But her flowchart, detailing the origin and splintering of the Proto-Dravidian language, is largely accurate, said experts.
Experts said both Tamil and Kannada have the same origin but there was nothing to suggest one came from the other.
They classify Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam and Tulu as the 'Pancha Dravida' languages, but there is no consensus, nor any conclusive evidence, to indicate an age hierarchy among these five languages as they largely developed and thrived at around the same time.
Linguistic scholars generally agree that these five major languages, along with others, originated from a Proto-Dravidian language. This reconstructed language represents the shared ancestry of the broader Dravidian language family.
The authority or benchmark for all linguistic arguments is the 1856 book, A Comparative Grammar of the Dravidian or South-Indian Family of Languages, by British missionary and linguist Robert Caldwell.
The 18th-century linguist was the first to categorically state that Sanskrit was not the mother of all Indian languages and provided a deeper insight into the Dravidian family of languages.
'There is a misinterpretation that Tamil is the original Dravidian language. Robert Cauldwell did not say that either. He said that Proto-Dravidian language is seen more in Tamil and the others have been influenced by Aryan languages,' Professor Madhava Peraje from the department of Dravidian studies at Kannada University said to ThePrint.
Peraje said that the 450 CE Halmidi Shasana is one of the earliest documented works of literature in Kannada and that Tamil, too, dates back to the same period.
Dravidian is a term largely used with reference to Tamil Nadu but more as an ideological or political context, experts said. This, they add, has lent to claims that Tamil Nadu is the cradle of Dravidian languages as well as the entire civilisation.
'We cannot, and nor should we, say that one language came out of another. This Proto-Dravidian is what politicians here (Tamil Nadu) say is Tamil. But this is said, even by Haasan, without knowing well about the subject,' Professor A. Ramaswamy, former faculty at the Manonmaniam Sundaranar University in Tirunelveli, told ThePrint.
He said that Tamilians claim to be more 'pure' since they resisted Sanskrit. He added that there is a higher influence of Sanskrit on the other Pancha-Dravida languages but nothing to prove that Kannada originated from Tamil.
Scholars argue that language is not an accurate science and there are only hypotheses that point toward a general direction of consensus.
'In science, you can determine the exact dates or find exact answers. But languages are not like that and any hypotheses won't be 100 percent accurate,' Peraje said.
(Edited by Sugita Katyal)
Also read: Amid TN-Centre row, a reality check: Most states, even non-BJP, offer Hindi or Sanskrit as 3rd language
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