Bengaluru – The controversy surrounding actor Kamal Haasan’s remarks about the Kannada language continues to escalate, nearly a month after his comment sparked a statewide uproar. Now, a Bengaluru civil court has issued an ex parte interim injunction, preventing Haasan from making any further statements against Kannada language, culture, or heritage.
The order was passed on Friday by an Additional City Civil and Sessions Judge, following a plea from the Kannada Sahitya Parishat (KSP), represented by its president Mahesh Joshi. The petition urged the court to bar the actor from issuing any defamatory or disparaging comments that demean Kannada language or literature.
The court accepted the plea and instructed that Kamal Haasan refrain from posting, writing, speaking, or publishing any content implying linguistic superiority over Kannada or attacking its associated cultural values. A summons has also been issued, and the case is scheduled for its next hearing on August 30, when Haasan must appear before the court.
What Sparked the Row?
The controversy began during the Bengaluru music launch of Haasan’s film “Thug Life”, where he reportedly stated that “Kannada was born from Tamil.” The comment provoked widespread criticism from pro-Kannada activists and cultural bodies. Kamal Haasan stood by his remark and declined to apologise, resulting in the film being withheld from release in Karnataka.
Though the filmmakers eventually won legal clearance, the delay hurt the film’s prospects. “Thug Life”, which marked Kamal’s reunion with Mani Ratnam after decades, earned only ₹93 crore globally and underperformed critically. The film is now available on Netflix.