"Historians Have Taught Me": Kamal Haasan Clarifies Tamil-Kannada Remark (Image-X/rkfioffl)
Veteran actor Kamal Haasan recently landed in a controversy for his comment regarding Kannada language during Thug Life promotions. The actor’s comparison of Tamil and Kannada languages triggered sharp criticism from pro-Kannada groups who demanded a ban on the film in Karnataka. After facing intense backlash, the actor has now explained, saying that it was made with a lot of love.
Amidst the scrutiny, Kamal Haasan clarified that his statement didn’t mean anything. Speaking to the media, he said, “Historians have taught me the language of history. I didn’t mean anything. And, let me tell you, Tamil Nadu is a place that has been open.”
Read Also: “A Very Important Actor For India”: Kamal Haasan Praises Ali Fazal Ahead Of Thug Life Release
He added, “I don’t say there is no other state like this. But a very rare state where a Menon (MG Ramachandran) has been our Chief Minister…a Reddy (Omandur Ramasamy Reddiyar) has been our Chief Minister, a Tamilian (M Karunanidhi) has been our Chief Minister and then a Kannadiga Iyengar has been our CM from Mandya.”
The actor asked his fans to leave this discussion to historians, archeologists and language experts. He went on to add, “If you look at it from the northern point of view, according to them it is right; if you look at it from Thenkumari (south), then what I say is right. There is a third angle to it—the scholars, the language experts.”
While concluding his statement, he also clarified that it was not an answer but an explanation and added that love would never apologise.
The controversy stemmed from a remark he made during a promotional event of Thug Life in Chennai, which Kannada star Shivarajkumar graced. While addressing fans, the Indian 2 actor referred to the Kannada actor and said, “Your language (Kannada) was born out of Tamil, so you too are included in that line.”
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddharamaiah called out the actor’s alleged ignorance of Kannada’s rich history.“Kannada has a long-standing history. Poor Kamal Haasan, he is unaware of it,” Siddharamaiah said.
Read Also: “Will Never Forget”: STR Thanks Mani Ratnam For Supporting Him Amid Industry Scepticism
Kamal Haasan’s Thug Life is scheduled to hit theatres on June 5. The film will release in multiple languages, such as Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam.
Directed by Mani Ratnam, the film features Kamal Haasan, STR, Trisha Krishnan, Abhirami, Joju George, Nassar, Ali Fazal, Pankaj Tripathi, Sanya Malhotra, Aishwarya Lekshmi, and Rohit Saraf, among others.
