Actor Kamal Haasan says Kannada was ‘born out of Tamil’, draws backlash

Actor and politician Kamal Haasan has remarked that the Kannada language was “born out of Tamil”, sparking a backlash from political leaders and pro-Kannada activists, The Indian Express reported.

At the audio launch for the Tamil film Thug Life on May 24 in Chennai, Haasan described his bond with the Tamil language with the words: “Uyire Urave Tamizhe [My life and my family is Tamil].”

He addressed Kannada actor Shivarajkumar, who was at the event, and said: “Actor Shivarajkumar is my family living in another state… Your language was born out of Tamil. So, you are included in that line.”

Kamal Haasan Claims Kannada Originated From Tamil, Triggers Outrage #KamalHaasan #KannadaTamilRow #LanguageDebate #TamilVsKannada #SouthIndiaPolitics #KamalStatement #DravidianLanguages #LinguisticControversy #KannadaIdentity #TamilRoots pic.twitter.com/BWMiq0GJJl— Business Today (@business_today) May 28, 2025

Hours later, pro-Kannada group Karnataka Rakshana Vedike accused the actor of belittling the language, and threatened to boycott his film, according to The Indian Express.

“We are warning Kamal – do you want business in Karnataka? Then stop insulting Kannada,” the newspaper quoted the organisation’s leader Praveen Shetty as saying. “Today, you were in the state and ran away. We were ready to apply black ink to your face. If you continue to speak against Karnataka and Kannadigas, there will be protests.”

The Bharatiya Janata Party’s Karnataka chief BV Vijayendra accused Haasan of insulting 6.5 crore Kannada speakers, The Hindu reported.

“It is the height of arrogance that Kamal Haasan, who has...

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