Kamal Haasan Gagged: Court Order Restrains Actor From Defaming Kannada Language After "Born of Tamil" Remarks Spark Outrage

Kamal Haasan is now legally barred from making potentially defamatory remarks about the Kannada language. A Bengaluru court issued the order, one month after the actor's initial comments sparked controversy. Last month, Haasan's statements regarding the Kannada language during a promotional event for his film Thug Life triggered a wave of criticism. The remarks led to legal challenges, and the film faced a ban in Bengaluru.

The controversy surrounding his statement continues, and the echoes of the incident are still being felt.

Kamal Haasan can't share defamatory posts about Kannada language

An Additional City Civil and Sessions Judge issued the ex parte interim injunction on Friday, July 4, following a civil suit filed by Mahesh Joshi, President of the Kannada Sahitya Parishat (KSP). According to reports, the petition sought to legally restrain Kamal Haasan from making "defamatory remarks" about the language and its cultural heritage.

The court's order specifically prohibits Kamal Haasan from “posting, making, writing, or publishing any statement or remarks claiming linguistic superiority over the Kannada language or making any statements against the Kannada language, literature, land, and culture.”

The court has summoned the actor to appear in person at the next hearing, scheduled for August 30.

Kamal Haasan's controversial remark about Kannada

During a promotional event for Thug Life in Bengaluru in May, Kamal Haasan sparked outrage by comparing Tamil and Kannada. His statement, “Kannada was born out of Tamil,” was met with strong opposition from Kannada activists and cultural organizations. The situation escalated when Haasan declined to retract his statement or offer an apology. Thug Life was ultimately not released in Karnataka, despite efforts by the production house and Kamal Haasan to appeal to the High Court.

About Thug Life

Thug Life, directed by Mani Ratnam, features Silambarasan, Trisha Krishnan, Aishwarya Lekshmi, and other prominent actors. The film's performance at the box office was unfortunately below expectations.