Kamal Haasan's Remarks On Origins Of Kannada Language Spark Massive Row

Actor-politician Kamal Haasan has found himself in the eye of a 'linguistic storm' after suggesting that Kannada “was born out of Tamil” during the audio launch of his upcoming film 'Thug Life' in Chennai.

The statement has sparked strong reactions in Karnataka, with the Bharatiya Janata Party’s state unit and pro-Kannada groups labelling it offensive and factually erroneous.

According to some, the remark, delivered on stage alongside Kannada actor Shivarajkumar, was intended as a gesture of cultural unity. “Your language (Kannada) was born out of Tamil, so you too are included,” Haasan said, following his Tamil invocation: “Uyire Urave Tamizhe” (“My life, and my family, is in Tamil language”), as per a report by The Hindu.

Karnataka BJP President B Y Vijayendra described the comment as “uncultured” and “insulting” to Kannada’s 6.5 crore speakers. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he wrote, “Artists should have the culture of respecting every language. It is the height of arrogance that actor @ikamalhaasan, who has acted in many Indian languages including Kannada, has insulted Kannada...”

“...He is not a historian to tell with authority which language gave birth to which,” he added, asserting Kannada’s over 2,500-year-old independent heritage.

As per a report by The Times of India , Haasan, who visited Bengaluru on Tuesday (28 May) for the film's promotions, reportedly exited the venue before members of the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike could confront him. The outfit’s president, Praveen Shetty, warned: “You want to do business in Karnataka and show your movies, stop insulting Kannada and Kannadigas.” Members also tore down posters of the film in parts of Bengaluru.

Set for release on 5 June, Thug Life now faces boycott calls in Karnataka.

Linguistic scholars clarify that while both Tamil and Kannada belong to the Dravidian language family, they evolved as distinct tongues with unique scripts, grammars, and literary histories — making Kannada a sibling, not an offspring, of Tamil.