Kamal Haasan on Kannada-Tamil language row: I won’t apologise if I am not wrong

Actor-politician Kamal Haasan on Friday said he will not apologise for the remarks he made over the Kannada language. Haasan has been facing a lot of backlash over his remark that “Kannada is born out of Tamil” during an audio launch event of his latest film Thug Life in Chennai last week.

Haasan’s remark drew criticism from Karnataka politicians and many demanded an apology from the actor.

However, on Friday, Kamal Haasan said he would only apologise if he was wrong.

‘It is a democracy’

Several pro-Kannada groups have threatened to boycott his film and demanded an apology for his comment on the Kannada language. Responding to their demands, Kamal Haasan said, “It is a democracy. I believe in the law and justice. My love for Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Kerala is true. Nobody will suspect it except for those who have an agenda. I've been threatened earlier too, and if I am wrong, I would apologise, if I'm not, I won't.”

The controversy began a day after the actor was named as the candidate for Rajya Sabha by DMK. The party allocated one out of its four seats in the Upper House to Haasan’s political part,y Makkal Needhi Maiyam (MNM).

‘Said out of love’

Earlier this week, Haasan said that his remarks were made out of love and insisted that "love will never apologise."

Speaking to reporters in Thiruvananthapuram, Haasan said those creating controversy over his statements were "confusing the issue." He added, "What I said, was said out of love. And a lot of historians have taught me language history and I did not mean anything."

He further described Tamil Nadu as a "rare state" that has always been welcoming to people from various backgrounds. "And, let me tell you, Tamil Nadu is a place which has been open. I don't say there is no other state like this. But a very rare state where a Menon (MG Ramachandran) has been our Chief Minister...a Reddy (Omandur Ramasamy Reddiyar) has been our chief minister, a Tamil (M Karunanidhi) has been our chief minister and then a Kannadiga Iyengar has been our CM, from Mandya," the actor said, apparently referring to the late Jayalalithaa as the Kannadiga Iyengar.

What is the controversy about?

Kamal Haasan and his movie Thug Life sparked controversy in Karnataka after he reportedly said that "Kannada is born out of Tamil" at a Chennai event.

This led to protests outside the INOX cinema hall in Belagavi, Karnataka, organised by the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike group, which expressed anger and demanded an apology from the actor.

The ruling Congress party stated that Haasan was unaware of the greatness of Kannada, while the BJP demanded an apology from the actor-politician and accused him of ‘disrespecting’ the language.

On Wednesday, Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah criticised Kamal Haasan’s remarks, saying he was unaware of the “long-standing” history of the Kannada language.

“Kannada has a long-standing history. Poor Kamal Haasan, he is unaware of it,” Siddaramaiah said.

Pro-Kannada groups strongly opposed Haasan’s comment, leading to a police complaint against him. The groups have also demanded a complete ban on Thug Life release in Karnataka.

Shiva Rajkumar defends Kamal Haasan

Shiva Rajkumar, a popular Kannada actor, called himself a fan of Haasan at a public event in Bengaluru, and added that the Tamil actor is a big inspiration for him.

Shiva asked those criticizing Haasan and asking for his boycott to understand that actions speak louder than words. He also questioned them about whether they had contributed anything to the Kannada film industry or provided new opportunities for young artists.

Haasan had made the controversial remark while Shiva Rajkumar was seated in the audience.