Actor-politician Kamal Haasan found himself at the center of a heated linguistic controversy after stating that “Kannada was born out of Tamil” during the Thug Life audio launch in Chennai on May 24. The comment sparked backlash from pro-Kannada groups, with calls for a boycott and demands for an apology. Despite mounting pressure, several celebrities, including actors Divya Spandana and Vinodhini Vaidyanathan, have stepped up to support him and clarify the context of his statement.
Divya Spandana, also known for her political background, called Kamal’s statement a “faux pas” and urged people to view it in context. She shared a linguistic evolution map on social media and explained, “I think what @ikamalhaasan meant was Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam are all Dravidian languages we have shared linguistic ancestry and commonality. But to boycott is a bit much, no? A faux pas is excusable.”
Vinodhini Vaidyanathan echoed similar sentiments and applauded Kamal Haasan’s refusal to apologize. Posting on X, she wrote, “Whoever is twisting what Kamal Sir said is simply stupid. He spoke out of genuine love and mutual respect. It is only diabolical minds who have created this unnecessary ruckus. That he didn’t apologise shows his spine and conviction,” using hashtags like #LoverNeverApologises and #LoveIsNeverHavingToSaySorry.
Kamal Haasan’s original comment came during an emotional speech at the Thug Life event, where he addressed fellow actor Shiva Rajkumar as family. He said, “Uyire Urave Tamizhe” meaning “my life and my family is Tamil language” and followed it by saying, “Your language (Kannada) was born out of Tamil. So you are included in that line.” The phrase triggered immediate outrage among Kannada groups, with activists tearing down posters of the film and demanding a formal apology.
The Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV) filed a police complaint seeking legal action against Kamal Haasan for his remarks. Additionally, the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce warned that the film Thug Life would not be released in Karnataka unless the actor issued an official apology.
In response, Kamal Haasan clarified during an event in Thiruvananthapuram, “What I said was out of love. A lot of historians have taught me about language history. I didn’t mean to offend anyone. Let’s leave these deep discussions to historians, archaeologists, and language experts.”
Despite the controversy, Kamal Haasan’s supporters argue that his intention was to highlight cultural unity among Dravidian languages rather than offend Kannada speakers. As the debate continues, all eyes are now on whether Thug Life will see its Karnataka release and how Kamal’s remarks continue to resonate across linguistic and cultural lines.
