Kamal Haasan, known for speaking his mind on political and cultural issues, has once again ignited debate and this time addressing the sensitive topic of Hindi imposition in non-Hindi-speaking states while promoting his film Thug Life.
The controversy began when Haasan’s comment that Kannada originated from Tamil sparked outrage in Karnataka, leading to Thug Life not releasing in the state. Despite the backlash, the actor stood firm, reminding critics of his own past work in Hindi cinema.
“I am the actor from Ek Duuje Ke Liye,” Haasan told PTI, referring to his iconic 1981 film about a Tamil man falling in love with a Hindi-speaking woman.
On language imposition, Kamal Haasan made his stance clear, “Without imposition, we will learn. Don’t impose, because this is ultimately education and we must take the shortest route to education… and not put hurdles in its way,”
He emphasized that resistance to Hindi imposition is not just a southern concern, and said, calling for linguistic inclusivity across India, “I stand with Punjab. I stand with Karnataka. I stand with Andhra. This is not only place which is resenting imposition.”
Highlighting global competitiveness, Haasan suggested that English offers the most practical path forward given India’s long history with the language, “And English seems to be fair enough. You can do Spanish also, or Chinese. But I think the most practical thing where the shortest route to that is that we have 350 years of English education, slowly but steadily. So when you suddenly replace it, it’s all over again. You make unnecessarily many people illiterate, especially in Tamil Nadu.”
He also voiced the frustrations of non-Hindi speakers, “You suddenly force all through Hindi and you tell them that you will not get your job beyond the Vindhyas, then you start wondering, what about the promises? What about my language? Am I not one of the 22 (official languages)? These are the questions that are coming.”
Haasan’s Thug Life got embroiled in controversy following the film’s audio launch in Chennai. During the event, Haasan opened with an emotional tribute to his Tamil roots, saying, “Uyire Urave Tamizhe,” meaning “My life and my family is Tamil.” Addressing Kannada superstar Shivarajkumar, who shared the stage with him, Haasan added, “Your language was born out of Tamil. So, you are included in that line.”
The Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) then threatened to ban the release of Thug Life in the state if the actor did not apologise. According to industry experts, the gangster thriller is expected to face a loss of Rs 35–40 crore in gross box office collections and Rs 12–15 crore in distributor share due to being banned in Karnataka, as per a report by The Hindu.
