Kamal Haasan Fans From Bengaluru Reach Tamil Nadu's Hosur To Watch 'Thug Life' Post Karnataka Ban

Mani Ratnam's Kamal Haasan-starrer 'Thug Life' has been banned in Karnataka following Kamal Haasan's controversial remark that "Kannada is born from Tamil".

His refusal to apologise added fuel to the fire. Haasan, fondly called 'Ulaganayagan', on the other hand said that the comment was "made out of love".

Photo Credit: PTI

Despite the statewide ban, the actor's fans remain undeterred, taking to social media to express their willingness to travel over 40 km to Tamil Nadu's Hosur to watch his latest release, reported the Hindustan Times.

Kamal fans determined to watch 'Thug Life'

With 'Thug Life' hitting cinemas on Thursday, social media was flooded with images and videos of enthusiastic fans celebrating outside theatres and sharing their thoughts on the film.

One user on X shared footage of fans setting off firecrackers outside a single-screen theatre in Hosur, Tamil Nadu.

They noted that many had travelled from Bengaluru to see the film: "Thuglife is banned in Karnataka, but no one can stop our love for Kamal Haasan. All the fans in Bangalore are gathered here in Hosur!"

Over on Reddit, some Kamal fans expressed concern about how locals might react to them crossing the border to see the film.

One Redditor wrote: "Big Kamal Haasan fan here from Bengaluru. Is it safe to come to Hosur tomorrow in bike to watch THUG LIFE. Don't get offended please... I just don't want my vehicle's tyre to be punctured or vehicle scratched."

Another replied that it should be safe, pointing out that Hosur has a large number of Karnataka-registered vehicles, just as Bengaluru has many from Tamil Nadu.

Other users also reassured the original poster that there was nothing to worry about.

The language controversy

Although 'Thug Life' marks the first collaboration between Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan in nearly four decades - since the 1987 classic 'Nayakan' - the actor's remarks during a promotional event in Karnataka have taken centre stage.

On Tuesday, the Karnataka High Court criticised Haasan's refusal to apologise during a hearing on a plea seeking protection for the film's release in the state.

The judge observed that a "single apology" might have "resolved the situation" and even questioned whether the actor was "a linguist or a historian."

Thug Life features an ensemble cast including Kamal Haasan, Silambarasan TR, Trisha Krishnan, Abhirami, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Ashok Selvan, Joju George, Nassar, Ali Fazal, Rohit Saraf, and Baburaj.