Tamil stalwart Kamal Haasan’s keenly awaited action drama, Thug Life, is scheduled for a massive global release on June 5, 2025. Kamal and legendary director Mani Ratnam have joined forces with each other after 38 years since the release of their cult classic, Nayagan, making Thug Life a hot cake among fans and trade circles. However, the film has hit a major roadblock in Karnataka.
Kamal’s recent “Kannada is born out of Tamil” statement during Thug Life’s audio launch event hasn’t gone down well with Kannadigas. And the actor refusing to apologise for his comments has only made matters worse. According to the latest updates, Thug Life has been banned all over Karnataka over Kamal’s remarks. The Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) has announced the ban on Thug Life, raising objections to Kamal’s statement and the emotions it stirred among the language-loving Kannadigas.
Several pro-Kannada outfits, including the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, lodged complaints against Kamal Haasan, accusing him of hurting Kannadigas’ sentiments. On the other hand, the KFCC has expressed solidarity with the protesting groups, demanding an apology from Kamal within 24 hours and warning of a total ban on Thug Life across the state in case the actor refuses to apologise.
Despite the intense controversy over his comments, Kamal remained defiant and refused to apologise. He said in a latest interview that he would only apologise if he genuinely made a wrong statement. Kamal further said that he had made the statement out of “love” for Kannada and its history.
Kamal also clarified that he made the comment based on his knowledge of linguistic history and suggested that such discussions should be left to linguistic experts and not politicians or celebrities. Incidentally, Karnataka’s CM Siddaramaiah criticized Kamal for his lack of awareness about the long-standing history of the Kannada language.
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