“Are You A Historian?” High Court Blasts Kamal Haasan For Kannada Remark
The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday heavily criticized actor Kamal Haasan for his controversial statement that “Kannada was born out of Tamil,” questioning his credentials and demanding an apology while hearing his petition seeking directions for the release of his upcoming film Thug Life in the state.
Justice M Nagaprasanna questioned Haasan’s refusal to apologize for the statement that has hurt public sentiment across Karnataka, telling the actor’s legal team: “Are you a historian? Or a linguist?” while criticizing his stance on the linguistic controversy.
“No citizen has the right to hurt sentiments,” Justice Nagaprasanna observed, emphasizing the importance of language to people’s identity. “Water, land and language — Jala, Nila, Bashe — are important to citizens. The division of this country was on linguistic lines.”
The judge questioned the factual basis of Haasan’s claim, stating: “No language can be born out of another. Where is the material to support this (claim)? And what has happened? Disharmony. And what have the people of Karnataka asked? (Only) an apology.”
Justice Nagaprasanna criticized the actor’s public responsibility, adding: “You have undermined the sentiment of the people of Karnataka… On what basis?”
The controversy emerged after Haasan’s petition seeking protection for his film’s screening in Karnataka following widespread backlash and protests by pro-Kannada groups across the state.
The court’s response was pointed when addressing the commercial implications: “(If you won’t apologise) Why do you want the film to run in Karnataka? Leave it. Freedom of expression cannot be stretched to hurting sentiments of a mass. You apologise, then no problem. You want to earn some crores from Karnataka also.”
Justice Nagaprasanna questioned the actor’s approach of seeking police protection after creating the controversy himself: “Now you are here for a commercial interest, that police should protect for a situation created by you! One apology would have solved everything.”
Senior advocate Dhyan Chinappa, representing the film’s producer, argued that the actor’s statement could be viewed contextually and was not intended to offend, suggesting it was not drastically wrong.
However, the court remained unconvinced by this defense, emphasizing the impact on public sentiment over intent.
The court noted that Haasan could have issued a simple clarification stating: “I have made a statement without looking into the history.”
Justice Nagaprasanna referenced a similar incident from decades ago, noting: “Rajagopal Acharya had apologised for a similar statement decades ago. Language is a sentiment attached to people. You have said something to undermine that.”
The comparison highlighted how linguistic controversies have historically been resolved through public apologies rather than legal battles.
Haasan’s controversial remark sparked widespread criticism from political leaders across Karnataka and triggered protests by pro-Kannada organizations throughout the state.
The statement touched a sensitive nerve in Karnataka, where Kannada language and culture hold deep significance for the population’s identity and pride.
Pro-Kannada groups have been demanding a public apology from the actor, viewing his statement as an attack on their linguistic heritage and cultural identity.
