Amid Kannada Language Row, Kamal Haasan Reacts To Bengaluru Stampede: 'Heart-Wrenching Tragedy'
Last Updated:
Kamal Haasan mourned the Bengaluru stampede victims amid his film's release row, saying his 'heart reaches out' to affected families.
Actor-politician Kamal Haasan has expressed grief over the tragic stampede near Bengaluru's M. Chinnaswamy Stadium that claimed 11 lives and injured 33 others. The incident occurred on Wednesday evening, as thousands gathered for Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) IPL victory celebrations.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Kamal wrote, 'Heart wrenching tragedy in Bangalore. Deeply distressed and my heart reaches out to the families of the victims in this moment of grief. May the injured recover soon."
Heart wrenching tragedy in Bangalore. Deeply distressed and my heart reaches out to the families of the victims in this moment of grief. May the injured recover soon.— Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) June 4, 2025
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah confirmed the stampede occurred due to an overwhelming crowd at the stadium, where RCB players were to be felicitated following their IPL 2025 win. He described it as an 'unexpected tragedy" and announced an ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh for the families of the deceased, along with a magisterial inquiry.
The RCB team, including star player Virat Kohli, had earlier visited Vidhana Soudha to meet CM Siddaramaiah before proceeding to the stadium for the public celebrations. Eyewitnesses noted that fans began scaling walls and fences, leading to the chaos that triggered the stampede.
Kamal Haasan's reaction came amid an ongoing controversy over his recent comments on the Kannada language. The veteran actor had earlier remarked that Kannada originated from Tamil, a statement that triggered backlash from several Kannada groups. Though he clarified that his remarks were meant to express affection for the late Kannada icon Dr Rajkumar and his family, demands for an apology persisted.
Speaking to the media ahead of the pan-India release of his upcoming film Thug Life, Haasan refrained from re-addressing the language row. He added, 'I will speak at length later, as a Tamil who wants to speak a lot." The film is scheduled for release across India and globally on Friday, except in Karnataka.
Haasan had sought court protection for the film's release in the state, but later confirmed that Thug Life would not be released in Karnataka following observations from the Karnataka High Court. Sources close to him said, 'There can be no demand for an apology in a gunpoint situation," referring to alleged pressure from fringe groups.
First Published:
June 05, 2025, 00:44 IST
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
13 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
'Action taken against those visibly responsible': Siddaramaiah defends government's response in Bengaluru stampede case
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for politicising the stampede at Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium, which claimed 11 lives and left dozens injured. The incident occurred during RCB's IPL victory celebrations on June 4. Responding to allegations from the BJP that the Congress-led state government was scapegoating the police, Siddaramaiah told ANI that action had been taken against officials found 'visibly responsible' and 'negligent in their duty.' 'They [BJP] are doing this for politics. I don't do politics. We have taken action against those who were found visibly responsible,' the Chief Minister said. (Also Read: 'Doesn't listen to anyone': Nikhil Kamath recalls what a politician said about suspended Bengaluru top cop B Dayananda) Meanwhile, Karnataka BJP President BY Vijayendra accused the government of acting under pressure, pointing out that key decisions, including the suspension of senior police officers and the registration of FIRs — only came after public outrage. 'The government acted only when pressure mounted. The real accused are Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, and Home Minister G Parameshwara. They should be investigated,' Vijayendra said. Following the tragedy, the government suspended multiple senior police officials, including Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda. He was replaced by senior IPS officer Seemant Kumar Singh, who officially took charge on Friday. The list of suspended officers includes Additional Commissioner of Police Vikash Kumar Vikash, DCP (Central) Shekhar HT, ACP Balakrishna, and Cubbon Park Police Inspector Girish AK. In parallel, Karnataka Police registered an FIR against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), event organisers DNA Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), alleging 'irresponsibility' and 'carelessness' in crowd management. In response, the KSCA board, including President Raghuram Bhat, Secretary A. Shankar, and Treasurer E.S. Jairam, filed a writ petition in the Karnataka High Court seeking to quash the FIRs. The plea will be heard later on Friday by a bench led by Justice Krishna Kumar. (Also Read: Bengaluru stampede: KSCA officials move High Court, seek quashing of FIR)
Pink Villa
15 minutes ago
- Pink Villa
Thug Life Box Office Collections: Kamal Haasan starrer is Dead on Arrival with a poor first day
Thug Life is a dead-on-arrival at the box office, with the film taking a below par opening and then followed it with poor initial audience reception. The Kamal Hassan starrer grossed a mere Rs. 17 crore approx on its first day at the Indian box office. The film had underwhelming advances, but even they were better than what it has finally ended up with, due to negligible walkup business during the day. Tamil Nadu made up for most of the first day collection with Rs. 13 crore. From advances, it was expected to collect around Rs. 15-16 crore, but it fell significantly short of that. The first day of business in the state is similar to Indian 2. While that film had some numbers outside Tamil Nadu while this has nothing to show for. The film missed out on a Karnataka release due to the controversy surrounding recent remarks made by Kamal Haasan, but even where it was released, it was a non-starter. Thug Life marks the second major disappointment for Kamal Hassan after Indian 2, third considering Indian 3 is already written off. The legendary actor made a comeback to the forefront of the Tamil box office same week three years ago, with a mega blockbuster Vikram. On paper, his follow-up lineup to Vikram looked highly promising, but it has failed spectacularly. Despite the dismal theatrical performance, the producers of Thug Life are insulated from financial loss, as they fetched handsome prices for the non-theatrical rights. The losses will be with those who paid those prices, as they are certainly not going to recover them, and with the exhibition sector, missing action during the peak summer period. The First Day Box Office Collections of Thug Life are as follows:
Hindustan Times
18 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Housefull 5A and 5B difference explained: Why the Akshay Kumar film has two versions and which one should you watch
Akshay Kumar is back with the mindless comedy genre with Housefull 5, which has hit the screens today (June 6). The Tarun Mansukhani-directed film is getting one of the widest releases of Akshay's career, with release in 5000 screens across India. Interestingly, the film has released in two versions, but not by language or viewing format, but by its climax. Housefull 5 has two different endings, with both getting a simultaneous release as Housefull 5A and Housefull 5B. (Also read: Housefull 5 review and release live updates: Akshay Kumar fans call it 'best in franchise'; twin ending cause confusion) Housefull 5 is the story of a murder on a cruise ship. A wealthy billionaire (Ranjeet) is murdered shortly after he announces he will leave his wealth to his successor Jolly. The twist is that there are three Jollys on the cruise - Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh, and Abhishek Bachchan. The three, and their girlfriends (Jacqueline Fernandez, Sonam Bajwa, and Nargis Fakhri) are all suspects in the murder. The two versions of Housefull 5 have different climaxes and different killers, which changes the viewing experience slightly. According to the makers, of the 140-minute runtime of the film, the first two hours are the same in both versions, but the last 20 minutes differ. Distributors say that they are securing almost equal screens for both versions. Most multiplexes have kept 2 shows per screen for both films, with any additional show going to Kamal Haasan's Thug Life, which has also released this weekend. Early reactions from fans and critics for the film have largely been positive, with praise for the comedy and slapstick nature of the film. The reactions say that 5A has a clear resolution, and 5B comes close to replicating it as well, but it did seem forced to a few. If you go by what the makers say, you could watch both. In a video posted by Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment ahead of the release, Akshay and Riteish urged the audiences to watch the film twice - once for each ending. The idea behind the two endings is an attempt to maximise profits. If the film has a positive word of mouth, audiences will be encouraged to go to the theatres. And the makers are hoping that the two endings will cause some viewers, if not all, to return to the theatres for repeat viewings. The trend of watching a film in theatres multiple times is on the wane, outside of the hardcore fandoms of actors. This is what Housefull 5 makers hope to revive. Directed by Tarun Mansukhani of Dostana fame, Housefull 5 stars Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh, Abhishek Bachchan, Fardeen Khan, Nana Patekar, Jackie Shroff, Ranjeet, Johny Lever, Jacqueline Fernandez, Nargis Fakhri, Chunky Panday, Dino Morea, Sonam Bajwa, and Soundarya Sharma. Produced by Sajid Nadiadwala's production banner Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment, Housefull 5 is the fifth instalment of the Housefull franchise.
