The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday lashed out at actor and filmmaker Kamal Haasan for his controversial comment claiming that “Kannada originated from Tamil.” During a hearing on his plea seeking protection for the release of his upcoming film Thug Life, the court expressed displeasure over his refusal to issue an apology, stating that the remark had "hurt the sentiments" of people across the state.

Justice M. Nagaprasanna, presiding over the case, strongly questioned Haasan’s qualifications for making such a linguistic claim. “You have undermined the sentiment of the people of Karnataka… Are you a historian? Or a linguist?” the judge asked in court.

The judge highlighted how the issue of water, land, and language 'Jala, Nila, Bashe' holds deep emotional value, reminding the court that India’s state boundaries were drawn largely on linguistic lines.

Haasan’s comment led to widespread backlash from political parties across the spectrum, including both the BJP and Congress, as well as pro-Kannada groups who staged demonstrations demanding a public apology. In light of the unrest, Haasan filed a petition seeking security for the release of Thug Life in Karnataka.

Court questions motives and demands apology

Senior advocate Dhyan Chinappa, representing the film’s producer, argued that Haasan’s remark was “not intended to offend” and that the court should assess it in context. However, the court was unconvinced. Justice Nagaprasanna responded: “You want to earn some crores from Karnataka also. One apology would have solved everything. Now you want the police to protect you from a situation you created!”

He added that freedom of speech must not extend to hurting mass sentiment, especially when the situation could have been easily resolved with a simple apology or clarification: “You could’ve just said, ‘I made a statement without looking into the history.’ Rajagopal Acharya apologised for a similar remark decades ago.”

The court further questioned Haasan’s intentions, saying: “Now you are here for a commercial interest… seeking police protection while refusing to apologise. What kind of attitude is this?”

While the court has not yet issued a ruling on the petition, it has urged Haasan to “consider issuing an apology.” The hearing was adjourned to 2:30 PM for further proceedings.

The controversy began when Haasan, during a promotional event for Thug Life, reportedly stated that “Kannada was born from Tamil.” The remark immediately triggered a firestorm, as linguistic identity is a sensitive issue in Karnataka, with Kannada being a source of pride and cultural heritage for its people.

• The High Court will resume the hearing this afternoon.

• Haasan has not issued a formal statement or apology yet.

• Protesters in Karnataka have warned of continued demonstrations if the actor does not retract his comments.