Kamal Haasan Gagged: Court Order Prevents Further Anti-Kannada Remarks OR Court Restrains Kamal Haasan From "Defamatory" Kannada Language Comments After Controversy OR Bengaluru Court Silences Kamal Haasan on Kannada Language Criticism

Kamal Haasan recently faced legal repercussions following remarks he made about the Kannada language during a promotional event for his film, Thug Life. His comments sparked controversy, leading to calls for a ban of the film in Bengaluru. Now, a month after the initial uproar, a Bengaluru civil court has issued an ex parte interim injunction, preventing the actor from making further disparaging statements against the Kannada language or culture.

Kamal Haasan Faces Legal Restraint on Kannada Language Comments

The order, issued on Friday, July 4th, comes after a civil suit was filed by Mahesh Joshi, President of the Kannada Sahitya Parishat (KSP). The Additional City Civil and Sessions Judge ruled in favor of the petition, which sought to legally restrain Kamal Haasan from making "defamatory remarks" regarding the language and its cultural heritage, according to PTI reports.

The court's injunction 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.

Controversy Stemming from Kannada Language Comparison

The controversy originated from an event in Bengaluru promoting Thug Life in May. Kamal Haasan stated that “Kannada was born out of Tamil,” which triggered immediate backlash from Kannada activists and cultural organizations. His refusal to retract the statement or apologize further fueled the controversy. Consequently, Thug Life did not release in Karnataka, despite efforts by the production house and Kamal Haasan to appeal to the High Court.

About Thug Life

Thug Life, directed by Mani Ratnam, stars Silambarasan, Trisha Krishnan, Aishwarya Lekshmi, and others. The film's performance at the box office was underwhelming.