
'Thug Life' makers move Karnataka HC, seek smooth screening of Kamal Haasan-starrer in state: Report
Raajkamal Films International, co-producer of the upcoming Kamal Haasan-starrer Thug Life, has moved the Karnataka High Court seeking directions to ensure that the film is allowed to be screened in the state without disruption, Bar and Bench reported.
The plea was filed amid fears that the film's release in Karnataka could face hurdles following backlash over Haasan's controversial, 'Tamil gave birth to Kannada' comment.
The Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce's (KFCC) also announced that it would not permit the screening of the film.
Pro-Kannada groups have demanded a public apology from Kamal Haasan, alleging that his remarks hurt Kannada sentiments. In response to boycott threats over his upcoming film, Haasan stood firm, reaffirming his faith in the principles of 'law' and 'justice' in a democratic society.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Indian Express
25 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Kamal Haasan, and the Tamil vs Kannada over-reaction
The cacophony of outrage over Kamal Haasan's remark that Kannada was 'born out of Tamil' has reached an unseemly but not unexpected crescendo — it follows a pattern seen whenever the politics of language and the language of hurt sentiments are invoked. It has gone all the way to the Karnataka High Court, which advised Haasan to apologise and questioned his credentials to make such a statement, asking, 'Are you a historian, linguist?' But there are other pertinent questions, which the Court didn't ask: Is such escalation over a misinformed comment proportionate or justified? Does one need to be an expert, or even correct, to exercise the right to free speech? Is this an appropriate use of the state's time and resources? The fallout of Haasan's remark saw apologies demanded, protests held, effigies burnt, a police complaint filed, a state minister calling for a ban on screening the actor-politician's film Thug Life in Karnataka and the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce promptly obliging him. There is a history and a context to this mobilisation of linguistic grievance: In the present, it is exacerbated by growing resentment over the presence of people from other states, particularly Hindi speakers. Alongside this is an older anxiety over the dominance of Tamil speakers in Bengaluru, in the backdrop of the regional rivalry between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Looming over it all, but sometimes unmentioned in the context of North-South and South-South tussles, is the shadow of English. All this — with parallels across multiple states, for instance in neighbouring Maharashtra — creates fertile ground for a politics of relentless prickliness that makes mountains out of molehills. It can lead to violence, and often has. Haasan is wrong about Kannada and Tamil, and appears to be ill-informed about the history of the Dravidian languages. One did not come from the other — the two are better characterised as sisters. He has refused to apologise. The question is not whether or not he's been wise. What's questionable is the clamour for an apology — it comes from a place of parochialism. What is needed, instead, is an imagination that is broad enough to accommodate the aspirations of regional and linguistic subnationalism and address people's legitimate concerns about the future of their mother tongues. Also needed is a self-confidence to engage fruitfully with an increasingly cosmopolitan reality. Political leaders could do worse than take a leaf out of Karnataka Deputy CM D K Shivakumar's book. In one of the most sensible responses to this controversy, he said, 'We are not enemies; we are all friends. I don't want to comment on it because I don't know the history of that issue.'


Indian Express
32 minutes ago
- Indian Express
June 4, 1985, Forty Years Ago: Assam talks
The month-long talks between the Centre and the Assam agitation leaders on resolving the vexed foreign nationals issue seem to have reached a crucial stage. Both Governor, Bhishma Narain Singh and Chief Minister, Hiteshwar Saikia are now in the capital to be available for consultations. However, according to informed sources, there are still some differences on the cut-off year as well as the question of disenfranchisement. Mob teargassed Police lobbed teargas shells in the ancient town of Patan when a violent mob stoned a police chowki there, while violence continued in the central parts of Gujarat. Arsonists set ablaze a post office and a policeman was injured in stone-pelting. Four people were arrested in this connection. Joint statement India and Sri Lanka have agreed to take early steps to defuse and cease the ethnic violence so that conditions are created for finding a durable political settlement acceptable to all concerned. In a joint press statement issued at the conclusion of the visit of the Sri Lankan President, J R Jayewardene, both sides have also agreed for speedy restoration of normalcy in the northern and eastern provinces of Sri Lanka, conducive to the return of the Sri Lankan Tamil refugees in India. Technology import Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's forthcoming visit to the US is likely to open new vistas of cooperation in the field of 'high technology', flow of investment in infrastructure sectors of the Indian economy and diversification of trade between the two 'the vibrant democracies'. During his direct talks with Ronald Reagan, Gandhi will also try to personally get to know and understand the US President.


Time of India
42 minutes ago
- Time of India
Blake Lively WITHDRAWS 'emotional distress' claims against Justin Baldoni in 'It Ends With Us' legal battle
Blake Lively has formally withdrawn two claims against actor and director Justin Baldoni in their ongoing legal battle following their collaboration on the 2024 romantic drama It Ends With Us. The withdrawn claims specifically related to allegations of "emotional distress", in the actress' lawsuit against her director filed in December 2024. According to Variety, Judge Lewis Liman, who is overseeing the case in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, confirmed that Lively's claims for emotional distress would be thrown out. The judge noted that the withdrawal was based on 'the plaintiff's representation that the relevant claims will be withdrawn,' and as a result, the director's motion to compel Lively to release her medical and therapy records was denied. Lively initially filed a lawsuit, accusing Baldoni of sexual harassment and orchestrating a public smear campaign. In response, Baldoni's team moved to access Lively's mental health records, arguing that such evidence was essential to counter her claims of 'severe emotional distress and pain, humiliation, embarrassment, belittlement, frustration and mental anguish'. However, the court noted that without the emotional distress claims, those records were no longer relevant. Judge Liman instructed both parties to decide whether the dismissal of these claims would be permanent (with prejudice) or temporary (without prejudice), and offered the actress the opportunity to choose to try to reach an agreement with Baldoni. If no formal dismissal is made, Lively will be barred from introducing any related evidence. Lively's attorneys, Esra Hudson and Mike Gottlieb, criticised Baldoni's legal team for their approach which they claim is 'a press stunt'. In a statement to the media, her lawyers said, 'Ms. Lively has offered to dismiss those claims because they are no longer necessary and she will continue to pursue emotional distress damages through other active claims in her lawsuit, including sexual harassment and retaliation. ' Meanwhile, Baldoni is suing both Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds for $400 million. He alleges the actress attempted to extort him and later defamed him through statements published in The New York Times. The legal battle now involves six separate lawsuits in various courts. 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 .