Actor Kamal Haasan’s much-anticipated film Thug Life will not be released in Karnataka on Thursday.
When the matter came up for hearing before Justice Nagaprasanna of Karnataka High Court on Tuesday, counsel for Haasan maintained that there was no malice in the actor’s comments on the Kannada language and an apology was not warranted. He submitted that the screening of the movie would not be insisted upon in Karnataka
till the issue gets resolved through dialogue.
The court posted to June 10 further hearing of the petition by the production house, Haasan’s Raaj Kamal Films International, seeking adequate security for the movie’s release in the state.
During the hearing, Haasan came in for strong criticism from the court for his remark suggesting that “Kannada was born out of Tamil”. The court observed that a “single apology could have resolved the situation”. The petition was filed following widespread protests against the actor’s remarks regarding the Kannada language and a demand for his apology.
Justice Nagaprasanna asked Haasan: “Are you a historian or a linguist to make such a statement? No language is born out of another. A single apology could have resolved the situation.”
The judge said no citizen had the right to hurt sentiments and underlined that an apology, “even a symbolic one”, was missing. To this, the counsel for the petitioner submitted that “an apology is needed when there is malice, not for a misunderstanding”.
Justice Nagaprasanna said that Haasan’s statement had stirred the hornet’s nest and triggered “certain unrest in the state of Karnataka”, and held that it undermined the Karnataka people’s sentiments on language.
“There are many ways of clarifying, but only one way of seeking an apology,” the court noted, as it recorded that the letter addressed by Haasan to the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) did not include an explicit apology.
“Freedom of expression cannot be extended to the extent of hurting someone’s sentiment, of a mass in particular,” the judge said. He observed that languages may be many, but the country is still one and there can be no division there.
Haasan had made the comments at a promotional event in Chennai for Thug Life, sparking a backlash in Karnataka and prompting the KFCC to announce that the film would not be screened in the state unless he apologised.
In response, Raaj Kamal Films International filed a plea before the high court seeking protection for the film’s release.
Senior advocate Dhyan Chinnappa, appearing for Haasan, read out the letter the actor had sent to the KFCC, which said that his comments on the evolution of the Kannada language had been misunderstood and taken out of context. The actor has asserted that his love for Kannada is genuine.
“He has sincere love for Kannada and meant no offence,” Chinnappa said and added that the “communication” was issued immediately after Haasan returned from a promotional event in Dubai. The judge said: “But the word apology is not found in the communication.”
