A controversy has erupted in Karnataka following remarks by actor-politician Kamal Haasan at a recent film event, where he claimed “Kannada was born out of Tamil.” The statement has drawn sharp reactions from Kannada groups and political leaders, including Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who said Haasan lacks awareness of Kannada’s linguistic roots.
“Kannada has a very long history… He () doesn’t know,” told reporters on Wednesday, pushing back against the actor’s comments made during the audio launch of his film, Thug Life, in .
Haasan, sharing the stage with Kannada actor Shivarajkumar, said, “Your language was born out of Tamil. So, you are included in that line.” What seemed like an attempt at fostering cultural unity quickly sparked outrage across Karnataka. Several pro-Kannada organisations, including the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV), condemned the statement and launched protests in cities like , Mysuru, Belagavi, and Hubballi. Demonstrators burned Haasan’s posters and raised slogans demanding an apology.
KRV leader Praveen Shetty warned Haasan against belittling Kannada and threatened to obstruct the screening of Thug Life if he failed to apologise. “You want to show your movies here, but insult us? Not acceptable,” he said.
Political leaders have also entered the fray. Karnataka President B Y Vijayendra accused Haasan of “disrespecting Kannada to glorify his own mother tongue” and demanded an unconditional apology. “Artists should embody the culture of respecting all languages,” he posted on social media.
ಮಾತೃಭಾಷೆಯನ್ನು ಪ್ರೀತಿಸಬೇಕು, ಆದರೆ ಅದರ ಹೆಸರಿನಲ್ಲಿ ದುರಭಿಮಾನ ಮೆರೆಯುವುದು ಸಂಸ್ಕೃತಿ ಹೀನ ನಡವಳಿಕೆಯಾಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಅದರಲ್ಲೂ ಕಲಾವಿದರಿಗೆ ಪ್ರತಿಯೊಂದು ಭಾಷೆಯನ್ನೂ ಗೌರವಿಸುವ ಸಂಸ್ಕಾರ ಇರಬೇಕು. ಕನ್ನಡವೂ ಸೇರಿದಂತೆ ಅನೇಕ ಭಾರತೀಯ ಭಾಷೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ನಟಿಸಿರುವ ನಟ ತಮ್ಮ ತಮಿಳು ಭಾಷೆಯನ್ನು ವೈಭವಿಕರಿಸುವ ಮತ್ತಿನಲ್ಲಿ ನಟ…
— Vijayendra Yediyurappa (@BYVijayendra)
Both Kannada and Tamil are distinct branches of the Dravidian language family, tracing their roots back to the Proto-Dravidian language. Scholars say that while the two languages share ancestral links, they evolved independently over centuries with rich literary traditions.
Haasan has not yet responded to the backlash. The controversy comes just as Hassan’s party, (MNM), has just seat as part of its alliance with the ruling DMK in .
(With PTI inputs)
