Kamal Haasan Gagged: Court Order Restrains Actor from Disparaging Kannada Language

Kamal Haasan found himself in legal crosshairs following remarks he made about the Kannada language at a promotional event for his film, Thug Life, last month. His comments sparked controversy, leading to calls for a ban of the film in Bengaluru.

The repercussions of his statement continue to resonate, prompting a Bengaluru civil court to issue an ex parte interim injunction. The order effectively prevents the veteran actor from making any further disparaging statements against the Kannada language or its culture.

Court Orders Restraint on Defamatory Remarks

The ruling, delivered by an Additional City Civil and Sessions Judge on Friday, July 4th, came in response to a civil suit filed by Mahesh Joshi, President of the Kannada Sahitya Parishat (KSP). According to PTI, the petition sought legal action to prevent Kamal Haasan from making any further "defamatory remarks" about the language and its cultural heritage.

The court order specifically prohibits Kamal Haasan from “posting, making, writing, or publishing any statement or remarks claiming linguistic superiority over the Kannada language or making any statements against the Kannada language, literature, land, and culture.”

The actor has also been summoned to appear in person for the next hearing, scheduled for August 30th.

The Controversy Stemming from Kannada Language Comments

During the Thug Life promotional event in Bengaluru back in May, Kamal Haasan sparked outrage when he stated, "Kannada was born out of Tamil." These comments were met with strong opposition from Kannada activists and cultural organizations. The situation escalated when Haasan declined to retract his statement or issue an apology. Consequently, Thug Life did not see a release in Karnataka, despite efforts from the production house and Kamal Haasan to appeal to the High Court.

About Thug Life

Thug Life, directed by Mani Ratnam, features a star-studded cast including Silambarasan, Trisha Krishnan, and Aishwarya Lekshmi. However, the film has not performed well at the box office.