Kamal Haasan thanks Tamil Nadu for supporting him amid Kannada language row; refuses to address the issue: ‘This is not the stage for it'
Amid the controversy over his comments on the Kannada language, which sparked calls to boycott his upcoming film Thug Life in Karnataka, actor-politician Kamal Haasan on Wednesday extended gratitude to the people of Tamil Nadu for their unwavering support. Although he refrained from addressing the row directly, Kamal stated that he would comment on the matter soon.
'I should thank the entire state of Tamil Nadu, which stood behind me. I completely understand the meaning of the phrase, 'Uyire, Urave, Tamizhe (my life and family are Tamil)' that I use during public addresses. And I stand by it,' he said during a press conference in Chennai, ahead of the release of Thug Life on Thursday.
Mentioning that there are topics beyond Thug Life that need to be discussed, Kamal added, 'But this is not the stage for it. It is my duty to talk about those issues in a separate (press) meet, and I will organise it.' The movie's team also refrained from holding a Q&A session with reporters.
Speaking on the occasion, Kamal Haasan heaped praise on Mani Ratnam, noting that working on Thug Life was, for him, what Nayakan was for his co-star Nassar. It may be noted here that Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan's Nayakan marked a major breakthrough in Nassar's career, earning him widespread acclaim. 'The young Mani I saw back then has transformed into a cinema gyani (scholar) now,' he said.
Following Kamal's 'Kannada was born out of Tamil' remark recently, a controversy had erupted in Karnataka with many pro-Kannada groups taking offence to it. After Minister for Kannada and Culture, Shivaraj Tangadagi, wrote to the Karnataka Film Chambers of Commerce (KFCC), urging a ban on Kamal's films in the state until he issued a public apology, the actor publicly declared that he would not apologise, stating that there was nothing wrong with what he said. Following this, the KFCC officially announced a ban on the release of Thug Life.
Meanwhile, he approached the Karnataka High Court seeking protection to ensure the smooth release of the movie. However, the court reprimanded him and urged him to express regret over the comment. In the most recent development, his production house, Raaj Kamal Films International, informed the HC on Tuesday that the actor would hold a dialogue with KFCC. Till then, it said, it would not press for the release of Thug Life in the state.
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