Did Kamal Haasan's 'Thug Life' Spark a Ban in Karnataka

At a recent Thug Life promotional event, Kamal Haasan’s comment about Kannada being “born out of Tamil” stirred a strong reaction. Talking to Shiva Rajkumar, Haasan suggested a shared linguistic heritage, but it didn’t go down well with local groups.

The Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, led by Praveen Shetty, slammed Haasan’s words as disrespectful. They accused him of belittling Kannada while trying to push his film in the state. Shetty warned that if Haasan keeps making such remarks, they will call for a ban on his films in Karnataka.

The backlash reached political circles, too. BJP state chief BY Vijayendra called Haasan “arrogant” and demanded a clear apology. He pointed out that Haasan had acted in Kannada films before and said his comment showed a lack of gratitude.

The issue has now grown beyond one remark, touching on identity, language pride, and how stars tread lines between cinema and culture.