Thug Life Won't Release In Karnataka On June 5: Kamal Haasan’s Counsel Tells HC Amid Kannada Remark Row

Kamal Haasan also refused to issue a formal apology before the Karnataka High Court, which is currently hearing a petition related to the dispute.

Thug Life which was supposed to release on June 5, will not release in Karnataka. 

Source : Facebook

Actor and filmmaker Kamal Haasan’s film Thug Life will not release in Karnataka for now, following ongoing controversy over his comments regarding the Tamil and Kannada languages. The move comes after the actor refused to apologise for his remark that 'Kannada was born out of Tamil'. 

Haasan also refused to issue a formal apology before the Karnataka High Court, which is currently hearing a petition related to the dispute. The Karnataka High Court was hearing a petition filed by Raajkamal Films International—the production house co-founded by actor Kamal Haasan—seeking police protection to ensure the smooth release of the film Thug Life in the state.

Kamal Haasan's counsel, Chinnappa, informed the court that a dialogue with the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) could help resolve the matter, emphasizing that the unity of the country holds greater importance than the film's release.

He added, "He (Kamal) said Art can wait, the film’s release can wait."

Following this, Thug Life which was supposed to release on June 5, will not release in Karnataka. Later, Karnataka High Court adjourned the matter for June 10 at 3:30pm.

'Are You A Historian Or A Linguist': Karnataka HC

Earlier, Justice Nagaprasanna remarked, "Are you a historian or a linguist to make such a statement? No language is born out of another. A single apology could have resolved the situation."

“No citizen has the right to hurt sentiments. Water, land, and language — Jala, Nela, Bashe — are crucial to citizens. The division of this country itself was based on linguistic lines,” he observed, as per a report on PTI.

Referring to a historical precedent, the judge remarked that C Rajagopalachari made a similar statement in the past but had the grace to offer a public apology. "If Rajagopalachari could tender a public apology 75 years ago, why can't you (Kamal Haasan)? For your commercial interest, you have approached this court seeking police protection for a situation created by you," the judge said.

In response, the petitioner contended that Haasan’s remarks had been misquoted and taken out of context, asserting that there was no intention to offend.