Play all audios:
A defiant Kamal Hassan remained firm in dismissing demand for his atonement, maintaining that there is no question of tendering an apology, in the face of backlash in neighbouring Karnataka
over his remark that Kannada language was born of Tamil, even as the sandalwood industry’s apex body KFCC on Friday announced a ban on the release of the versatile actor’s upcoming movie
“Thug Life”. “I won’t apologise if I am not wrong. If I’m wrong, I will apologise. It is my lifestyle, please don’t tamper with that,” he told the media after calling on Chief Minister and
DMK president MK Stalin and his son and Dy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, at the DMK headquarters, Anna Arivalayam in Chennai. Advertisement Founder president of the Makkal Needhi Maiam
(MNM) party, Kamal had come to thank the DMK leadership for allotting a Rajya Sabha seat for the MNM as per an earlier agreement during the 2024 LS election. Advertisement “I have been
threatened in the past. It is a democracy and I believe in law and justice. My love for Karnataka is true, my love for Andhra is true and my love for Kerala is true. Nobody will suspect it
except those with an agenda,” was his response to a question on the threat from the KFCC to ban his movies. It was also hit that the protests against him were being orchestrated but not
spontaneous. While ‘Thug Life’, directed by ace filmmaker Mani Ratnam, is slated for release on June five and the Kannada Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) has given an ultimatum to the actor
to apologise or face a ban on his movies in the state. Karnataka Minister for Backward Classes, Kannada and Culture Shivaraj Tangadagi had also called for a black out of Kamal’s movies.
Further, Kannada organisations have been orchestrating protests against Kamal Hassan. However, the actor, all set to make his debut in Parliament as a Rajya Sabha MP with the support of the
DMK, is undeterred by the threats since he maintains that linguists and etymologists have concluded what he had said: Kannada is born out of Tamil. Meanwhile, there is growing support for
Kamal with the CPI(M) as well as Tamil outfits and pro-Tamil political parties rallying behind the actor and blaming the BJP for instigating the protests. Charging the BJP with playing with
fire and turning it into an issue between the two states, CPI(M) state secretary P Shanmugham in a post on ‘X’ said, “No one has any issue with Kannadigas having pride in their language and
claiming it as the best. Kamal Hassan is no linguist but he has only echoed the view of etymologists and language experts. An idea has to be countered with an idea. “Unleashing violence and
turning it into a problem between the two neighbouring states is a nefarious design of the BJP.” Countering the threat of Kannada, Tamilaga Vazhvurimai Katchi president T Velmurugan, a
legislator and an ally of the DMK, has warned that Kannada movies would also be blacked out in Tamil Nadu. Advertisement