Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan on Friday said he will not apologise if he is not wrong and revealed that he has faced threats before amid controversy over his remark that “Kannada is born out of Tamil” during a promotional event for his latest film Thug Life in Chennai.
“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,” said the MNM President and actor, responding to warnings by pro-Kannada groups who threatened to boycott his film and demanded an apology for his comment on the Kannada language.
The controversy began a day after the actor, who is the founder of Makkal Needhi Maiyam (MNM), was recently named the candidate for the Upper House of Parliament by the DMK, which allocated one Rajya Sabha seat to MNM.
Earlier, 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."
{{/usCountry}}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."
{{/usCountry}}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.
Row over Kamal Haasan’s ‘Kannada’ remarks
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.
While the ruling Congress said that Haasan was unaware of the greatness of Kannada, the BJP demanded an apology from the actor-politician, accusing him of having “disrespected” 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.
Meanwhile, a film association plans to discuss a possible ban on the veteran actor’s upcoming film “Thug Life,” directed by Mani Ratnam.
Haasan’s remarks sparked anger among various pro-Kannada organisations, which protested in multiple cities including Belagavi, Mysuru, Hubballi, and Bengaluru. Activists asserted that Kannada has a history spanning thousands of years. In protest, they burned Kamal Haasan’s posters in Belagavi and other locations, chanting slogans against him.
Condemning the actor-politician’s statement, the groups demanded an apology to the people of Karnataka. They also threatened to block the screening of “Thug Life” in the state if he does not apologise. The pro-Kannada group Karnataka Rakshana Vedike filed a complaint with Bengaluru Police over Kamal Haasan’s remarks.