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Kamal Haasan 'pained' that his statement on languages misunderstood
A controversy has blown up in the south Indian state of Karnataka over the actor's remark that casts a shadow over the release of his upcoming tentpole, 'Thug Life'
- PUBLISHED: Tue 3 Jun 2025, 1:47 PM
- By:
- ANI
Actor Kamal Haasan has shared his response to the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) after the film union body decided to ban the release of his film Thug Life in Karnataka amid the ongoing controversy around his "Kannada is born out of Tamil' remark.
Haasan said his statement about the Kannada language at his film Thug Life audio launch in Chennai has been "misunderstood" as he claims to have spoken it "out of genuine affection" for the legendary actor Dr Rajkumar's family in Karnataka.
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"... My words were intended only to convey that we are all one and from the same family and not to diminish Kannada in any way," Haasan said.
The veteran actor said that he loves all languages and has immense "respect" for the love Kannadigas have for their language.
"...Like Tamil, Kannada has a proud literary and cultural tradition that I have long admired. Throughout my career, I have cherished the warmth and affection extended to me by the Kannada-speaking community, and I say this with a clear conscience and conviction: my love for the language is genuine, and I have great respect for the love that Kannadigas have for their mother tongue," Haasan wrote.
He reiterated his love for different languages and wrote, "My bond with Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam—and all languages of this land—is abiding and heartfelt. I have always stood for the equal dignity of all Indian languages and remain opposed to the dominance of any one language over another, as such imbalance undermines the linguistic fabric of the Union of India."
He further wrote that he only knows and speaks the "language of cinema" as he believes that it is a "universal language" which only knows the way of "love and bonding."
Meanwhile, the Karnataka High Court on May 3 began hearing petitions seeking direction to authorities, including the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce, not to take any measures—to restrain or refrain from screening and releasing Thug Life in Karnataka, which is scheduled for release on June 5.