'Kannada born from Tamil': Kamal Haasan stirs language controversy during Thug Life promotions. BJP leader calls him 'uncultured' and demands apology

Veteran actor Kamal Haasan made a controversial comment linking the roots of the Kannada language to Tamil. During a promotional event in Chennai for his upcoming film Thugs Life, Kamal Haasan stirred a storm by stating that the Kannada language descended from Tamil. His remarks came in the presence of Kannada cinema icon Shivarajkumar, who was attending the event as a guest. His statement quickly backfired, triggering outrage in Karnataka and BJP leader seeking an apology.

Haasan began his address with “Uyire Urave Tamizhe”, as he hailed the Tamil language as the essence of his life and family. He then connected the dots to Shivarajkumar, stating that since Kannada emerged from Tamil, the Kannada actor too is a part of this extended linguistic family. He further added, “Your language (Kannada) was born out of Tamil, so you too are included.”

However, the comment did not sit well with many Kannadigas, who took to social media to express their displeasure. Karnataka BJP President B.Y. Vijayendra was among the most vocal critics. In a strongly worded statement, he accused Kamal Haasan of disrespecting Kannada and displaying arrogance. He reminded the actor that loving one's mother tongue should not come at the cost of belittling another. He also emphasised that Kamal Haasan, despite his stature, is not a historian and should refrain from making claims about the origins of languages.

Vijayendra further accused Haasan of forgetting the generosity of the Kannada people, who once welcomed him into their cinema industry. He alleged that the actor has, over time, hurt religious sentiments and now added linguistic pride to that list. Calling his comments "uncultured," Vijayendra demanded an unconditional apology on behalf of the 6.5 crore Kannadigas whose sentiments were hurt.

ಮಾತೃಭಾಷೆಯನ್ನು ಪ್ರೀತಿಸಬೇಕು, ಆದರೆ ಅದರ ಹೆಸರಿನಲ್ಲಿ ದುರಭಿಮಾನ ಮೆರೆಯುವುದು ಸಂಸ್ಕೃತಿ ಹೀನ ನಡವಳಿಕೆಯಾಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಅದರಲ್ಲೂ ಕಲಾವಿದರಿಗೆ ಪ್ರತಿಯೊಂದು ಭಾಷೆಯನ್ನೂ ಗೌರವಿಸುವ ಸಂಸ್ಕಾರ ಇರಬೇಕು. ಕನ್ನಡವೂ ಸೇರಿದಂತೆ ಅನೇಕ ಭಾರತೀಯ ಭಾಷೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ನಟಿಸಿರುವ ನಟ @ikamalhaasan ತಮ್ಮ ತಮಿಳು ಭಾಷೆಯನ್ನು ವೈಭವಿಕರಿಸುವ ಮತ್ತಿನಲ್ಲಿ ನಟ… pic.twitter.com/PrfKX099lZ

— Vijayendra Yediyurappa (@BYVijayendra) May 27, 2025

According to reports by PTI, Praveen Shetty, President of the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (Praveen Shetty faction), stated that Kamal Haasan had left the venue before members of his organisation could confront him. He issued a strong warning to the actor, saying that if Haasan wanted to do business in Karnataka and release his films in the state, he should refrain from insulting Kannada and Kannadigas. Shetty added that the Vikram actor had arrived to promote a movie but left before the group could reach the venue to stage their protest, which included plans to blacken his face.

Kamal Haasan's work
The actor is currently busy promoting his upcoming movie, Thug Life, which will hit the theatres on June 5. The movie will also star Silambarasan, Trisha Krishnan, Abhirami, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Ashok Selvan, Joju George, Nassar, Ali Fazal, Pankaj Tripathi, Rohit Saraf and Baburaj. It is directed by Mani Ratnam, which marks their reunion after Nayakan. He also has S. Shankar's Indian 3 in the pipeline. It will star Kajal Aggarwal, Rakul Preet Singh, Siddharth and Samuthirakani among others.