'You are sticking to your ego': Karnataka HC as Kamal Haasan says won't apologise; 'Thug Life' release deferred in state

The counsel for the petitioner submitted that the release can wait in Karnataka until a dialogue between the parties take place. The matter has been adjourned till June 10.

Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday rapped actor Kamal Haasan for being non apologetic to his statement that the language – Kannada – is born out of language – Tamil.

“Discretion is the best part of valor. Mistakes do happen. We are not here for tongue bashing. When mistakes happen you must know what must be done. You cannot unscramble the scrambled egg. You (Kamal Haasan) have let it go beyond control,” Justice M Nagaprasanna said.

The actor had made the statement about Kannada language in Chennai during the audio launch of his movie ‘Thug Life’. Refusing to tender an apology, even after being advised by the high court on Tuesday (June 3, 2025), the Raajkamal Films International, Chennai, the producer of the movie, informed the court that the release of the movie can wait, insofar as in the state of Karnataka, till a dialogue with the concerned yields any result.

Raajkamal Films International, owned by Kamal Haasan, has moved the high court seeking a direction to the state machinery to restrain any prohibition on screening of the film in Karnataka. The petitioner said the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) has decided to ban the movie for the actor’s remarks and demanded an apology from him. The movie is set to release worldwide on June 5.

Justice M Nagaprasanna adjourned the hearing while reiterating to the actor that an apology would put the controversy to rest. The court orally said that in 1950, C Rajagopalachari, the last Governor General of India, had made a statement that Kannada was evolved from Tamil but immediately apologised after being criticised. “75 years later same statement is made and C Rajagopalachari has apologised and you (Kamal Haasan) don’t? And now you are here for a commercial interest saying that your movie should run smoothly and police forces of Karnataka should protect your movie to be run smoothly for a situation created by you. One apology would have solved everything,” the court said.

The judge further orally said that no one has the right to hurt the sentiment of the masses and that the freedom of expression cannot stretch to an extent of a mass in particular. “Three things people are very emotional about in my considered view – Nela (land), Jala (water) and Bhashe (language). The division of this country was on linguistic lines. We are all states on linguistic lines. If a public figure of this kind in a public forum makes a statement that this particular language is born of this language. No language can be born of any other language. And what has happened because of that, unrest and disharmony. And what did the people of Karnataka ask for- an apology. And now you have come up before this court seeking police protection of a circumstance created by you.”

“In law we will consider (the plea seeking protection) that is a different thing. You have undermined the sentiment of people of Karnataka saying Tamil language is the mother of Kannada language. Are you a historian? Are you a linguist?” the court asked.

During the hearing, senior advocate Dhyan Chinnappa, appearing for the petitioner, submitted a letter communicated by the actor to the KFCC on June 3, 2025. The communication is his sincerity about the Kannada language and that with this statement everything should be put to rest, the advocate said. In this statement the actor has stated that the statement during the audio launch was out of genuine affection for the legendary Dr Rajkumar’s family, especially Shiva Rajkumar (Kannada actor and son of Rajkumar), and the same has been misunderstood and taken out of context.

To this, the court said, “There are many ways of clarifying it, but there is only one way of seeking apology.” The court further said, “This is where you are sticking to your ego. It may be Kamal Haasan or anyone else. It is the sentiment of the masses of the state. You should understand the magnitude of the problem. It can lead to something else and your statement can stop everything else. It stands at that threshold.”

The advocate for petitioner said that for now the producer is not willing to screen the movie in Karnataka until a dialogue with the concerned takes place. While adjourning the matter the court reiterated that the actor’s letter to KFCC is also silent on the word apology.

“The letter quoted addressed to KFCC is in response to the demand for an apology. But the word apology is not found in the communication, but nonetheless senior counsel would emphasise that it is in response to the demand for apology by the KFCC. And also in the light of the fact that the screening of the movie would not be insisted upon in the state of Karnataka till the dialogue/trialogue would yield any results. Therefore, the matter stands adjourned to June 10 for further hearing,” the court said in its order.