Film starring Kamal Haasan won’t be released in Karnataka for now, production house tells HC

Actor Kamal Haasan’s production house on Tuesday told the Karnataka High Court that it will not seek to release Tamil film Thug Life in Karnataka until it holds a discussion with the state’s Film Chamber of Commerce, The Indian Express reported.

The film is slated to be released on June 5. However, the film chamber has warned that its release will be blocked unless Haasan issued a formal apology for saying on May 24 that Kannada was “born out of Tamil”.

The actor on Tuesday refused to apologise, saying he had “no malice” behind the remarks, Live Law reported.

Raaj Kamal Films International said on Tuesday that it will hold a dialogue with the film chamber on Haasan’s comments. The production house’s lawyer Dhyan Chinappa said that it will not insist on the release of the film till then.

Haasan made the remarks on May 24 at the audio launch for Thug Life in Chennai, after which pro-Kannada organisations held protests demanding that he should apologise for them. In the wake of the protests and demands to block the film, Raajkamal Films International moved the High Court seeking directions to ensure its release.

Justice M Nagaprasanna, who heard the case on Tuesday, said that the actor’s statements had caused “unrest and disharmony” in Karnataka, Live Law reported. The judge verbally urged Hasaan to apologise for his statement.

“You may be Kamal Haasan or anybody,...

Read more