Court Order Silences Kamal Haasan on Kannada Language Remarks After Film Controversy

Kamal Haasan is now legally restricted from making potentially defamatory statements about the Kannada language. A Bengaluru court issued the order following controversial remarks he made about the language last month.

The dispute arose from comments Haasan made at a promotional event for his film Thug Life, leading to calls for a ban on the film in Bengaluru. Despite the passage of a month, the controversy remains a sensitive issue.

An Additional City Civil and Sessions Judge issued an ex parte interim injunction on Friday, July 4, preventing the veteran actor from making further statements perceived as detrimental to Kannada language or culture. The action was taken after Mahesh Joshi, President of the Kannada Sahitya Parishat (KSP), filed a civil suit.

The petition sought legal constraints on Kamal Haasan, preventing him from uttering "defamatory remarks" concerning the language and its cultural origins, according to PTI reports.

The court order specifically bars Kamal Haasan from “posting, making, writing, or publishing any statement or remarks claiming linguistic superiority over the Kannada language or making any statements against the Kannada language, literature, land, and culture.”

Furthermore, the court has summoned the actor to appear in person at the next hearing, scheduled for August 30.

Controversy Stemmed From Comparison of Tamil and Kannada

The controversy began when Kamal Haasan compared Tamil and Kannada languages at a Thug Life promotional event in Bengaluru in May. His statement, “Kannada was born out of Tamil,” was met with opposition from Kannada activists and cultural organizations. The situation escalated when Haasan declined to retract his statement or issue an apology. Ultimately, Thug Life was not released in Karnataka, despite efforts by the production house and Kamal Haasan to appeal to the High Court.

About Thug Life

Thug Life, directed by Mani Ratnam, features Silambarasan, Trisha Krishnan, Aishwarya Lekshmi, and other prominent actors. The film has unfortunately not performed well at the box office.