Kannada ‘born out of Tamil’: Kamal Haasan’s comment triggers linguistic row in Karnataka

The moment, intended perhaps as a gesture of cultural unity, instead ignited outrage. Within hours, a pro-Kannada organisation, the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV), lashed out, accusing Haasan of belittling the Kannada language and threatening action against him and his upcoming film.

“Kamal Haasan said Tamil is better than Kannada… We are warning Kamal — do you want business in Karnataka? Then stop insulting Kannada,” said KRV leader Praveen Shetty in a video statement. “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. Your movie will be banned.”

ಮಾತೃಭಾಷೆಯನ್ನು ಪ್ರೀತಿಸಬೇಕು, ಆದರೆ ಅದರ ಹೆಸರಿನಲ್ಲಿ ದುರಭಿಮಾನ ಮೆರೆಯುವುದು ಸಂಸ್ಕೃತಿ ಹೀನ ನಡವಳಿಕೆಯಾಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಅದರಲ್ಲೂ ಕಲಾವಿದರಿಗೆ ಪ್ರತಿಯೊಂದು ಭಾಷೆಯನ್ನೂ ಗೌರವಿಸುವ ಸಂಸ್ಕಾರ ಇರಬೇಕು. ಕನ್ನಡವೂ ಸೇರಿದಂತೆ ಅನೇಕ ಭಾರತೀಯ ಭಾಷೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ನಟಿಸಿರುವ ನಟ @ikamalhaasan ತಮ್ಮ ತಮಿಳು ಭಾಷೆಯನ್ನು ವೈಭವಿಕರಿಸುವ ಮತ್ತಿನಲ್ಲಿ ನಟ… pic.twitter.com/PrfKX099lZ

— Vijayendra Yediyurappa (@BYVijayendra) May 27, 2025

Shetty alleged that Haasan had left Karnataka prematurely to avoid confrontation, adding that film promotions could not come at the cost of regional pride. “You want to show your movies here, but insult us? Not acceptable,” he said. The backlash soon turned political. Karnataka BJP state president B Y Vijayendra called the remarks “the height of arrogance.”

“Artists should embody the culture of respecting all languages,” he posted on social media. “It is appalling that Kamal Haasan, who has worked in several Indian languages including Kannada, has now insulted Kannada.” The controversy has since snowballed. Boycott calls against Haasan’s films have gained traction on Kannada social media channels, and theatre owners across parts of Karnataka have reported pressure from groups to not screen Thug Life, directed by Maniratnam, unless Haasan apologises.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah reacted to the controversy and said the Kannada language has a very long history, and Haasan is unaware of it.

“Kannada language has a very long history….he (Kamal Hassan) doesn’t know,” Siddaramaiah told reporters.

At the heart of the storm is an old fault line: language as identity. In the South, where linguistic pride runs deep, any perceived slight can ripple into a full-blown protest.

What made his claims over origins politically charged was the same Dravidian origin of Tamil and Kannada – both Dravidian languages have long and distinct literary histories. Mainstream linguistic studies suggest that both Kannada and Tamil are major languages of the Dravidian family, but they developed as separate branches from a common ancestor, known as Proto-Dravidian. Or Kannada’s roots can be traced to the Proto-Dravidian language, just like Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam.

Haasan has yet to respond publicly to the controversy.