PIL in Supreme Court challenges de facto ban on screening of Kamal Haasan's 'Thug Life' in Karnataka

New Delhi: A plea has been filed in the Supreme Court, questioning the de facto ban on the screening of the CBFC certified Kamal Haasan-starrer film 'Thug Life' in Karnataka, allegedly effected through threats of violence, intimidation, and extra-constitutional directives by non-state actors.

The PIL by M Mahesh Reddy from Bengaluru filed through advocate A Valan sought a declaration that such a ban was illegal, unconstitutional, and void ab initio, being violative of Articles 14, 19(1)(a), 19(1)(g) and 21 of the Constitution.

The petition under Article 32 of the Constitution claimed a duly CBFC-certified Tamil feature film, 'Thug Life,' starring Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan actor Kamal Haasan and directed by Padma Shri Mani Ratnam, slated for nationwide release on June 5, 2025, faced an unconstitutional 'extra-judicial ban' in Karnataka.

"This ban stems not from any lawful process, but from a deliberate campaign of terror, including explicit threats of arson against cinema halls, incitement to large-scale communal violence targeting linguistic minorities, and a chilling call for a repeat of past anti-Tamil riots," it contended.

This serious situation occurred within a disturbing societal context where chauvinistic elements have targeted linguistic minorities such as Hindi speakers in Bengaluru with impunity, fostering a climate of fear that now directly threatens constitutional order over this film, it alleged.

Even as "Victory Cinema", a movie theatre in Bengaluru announced its intent to screen 'Thug Life', forces of intimidation struck openly. T A Narayana Gowda of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV) publicly threatened to "set theaters on fire", while social media was used for inciting a violent revival of the 1991 anti-Tamil riots. Emboldened by the State's inexplicable passivity – itself a symptom of the breakdown in law and order – KRV members aggressively attempted a siege of Victory Cinema, the petitioner alleged.

The Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce then buckled under this pressure, publicly admitting to imposing a ban due to – a clear sign of the collapse of lawful authority and a testament to the prevailing lawlessness. When the film's producer, Raaj Kamal Films International sought protection from the Karnataka High Court, the proceedings, distressingly, appeared to prioritise appeasement, the petitioner claimed.

The plea sought a direction for the safe, secure, and unimpeded exhibition of the Tamil feature film in all cinema theatres and multiplexes across the State of Karnataka, which are willing to screen it.

Besides, it sought a direction to the state authorities to take all necessary steps to prevent any recurrence of such intimidation for this or any other lawfully certified film.

The petitioner also sought criminal prosecution against all individuals and office bearers of organisations who have issued threats of violence, arson, or incited communal hatred or violence in connection with the release of the film 'Thug Life', and to submit a status report on action taken to this court within a time-bound manner.

"What is at stake is more than just a film. It is the sanctity of the constitution itself, the authority of this court's own longstanding judgments protecting free speech against the "heckler's veto," and the very idea of India as a nation governed by laws, not by mob intimidation," it said.

The de facto ban constituted a gross and blatant violation of the fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression guaranteed under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution. This right is not merely for the creators of the film but also for the citizens who wish to view it, the petitioner contended.

"The palpable inaction and effective abdication by the State authorities symptomatic of the systemic failure of law and order, in the face of this escalating crisis demand no less than this court’s decisive action to pull Karnataka back from the brink of lawlessness and prevent an imminent outbreak of serious violence. This PIL is an appeal to defend the core principles of our Republic," it said.