Following the controversial statement of actor and politician Kamal Haasan in Karnataka about Kannada language, the crisis has deepened on the release of his upcoming film ‘Thg Life’. Haasan said during an event held in Chennai that “Tamil gave birth to Kannada”, causing resentment to Kannada -speaking communities and organizations in Karnataka.
The Government of Karnataka has taken this statement seriously. Kannada and Culture Minister Shivraj Tangdgi of Karnataka wrote a letter to the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC), saying that if Haasan does not ask for forgiveness, the release of his films should be banned in the state. He said that this statement of Haasan is going to hurt the feelings of the people of Karnataka, and they should apologize immediately.
Following the controversy, KFCC has given Hassan two days to apologize in public, otherwise the release of his film ‘Thg Life’ will be stopped in the state. The film’s distributor Venkatesh has also been informed in this case.
Hassan later clarified his statement, saying that he had made this comment with love and his purpose was not to hurt anyone. He said that “love never apologizes”, and his statement was based on the information taught by historians.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also reacted to Hassan’s statement, saying that Kannada language has a long and rich history, and Hassan is not aware of it.
This dispute exposes sensations related to language and cultural identity in Karnataka. The Kannada -speaking communities have deep allegiance to their language and culture, and do not tolerate any kind of derogatory remarks. Now it has to be seen what steps Haasan take to resolve the controversy and whether his film ‘Thg Life’ is released in Karnataka.
