‘Spoken with Love’: Kamal Haasan Defends 'Kannada Born from Tamil' Comment Amid Backlash

Actor-politician Kamal Haasan has broken his silence on the controversy surrounding his recent remark about the Kannada language having roots in Tamil. Facing criticism from pro-Kannada groups, Haasan responded with a calm clarification, saying his words came from a place of love and understanding, not disrespect.

Speaking to reporters, Haasan said, "What I said was said with a lot of love. Historians have taught me about language history. I didn't mean anything offensive. Tamil Nadu is a rare state that has accepted leaders from various backgrounds - be it a Menon like M.G. Ramachandran, a Reddy like Omandur Ramasamy Reddiyar, a Tamilian like Karunanidhi, or even a Kannadiga Iyengar from Mandya."

Haasan added that deeper discussions about language origins should be left to historians and experts. "Depending on where you view it from - the North, Thenkumari (South), or from scholarly perspectives - interpretations vary. This is not a justification. Love will never apologise," he said.

The controversy began when Haasan, while speaking at the audio launch of Thug Life in Chennai, made a remark linking Kannada's linguistic roots to Tamil. Referring to actor Shivarajkumar as 'family', he said, "Your language (Kannada) was born from Tamil. So you're part of that family."

The remark sparked outrage from several Kannada groups, who demanded an apology and even called for a ban on Haasan's upcoming film.

Meanwhile, Thug Life is set for release soon. The film follows Rangaraaya Sakthivel (played by Haasan), a ruthless gang leader who raises a boy named Amaran. The story takes a turn when an assassination attempt targets Sakthivel, putting Amaran in the spotlight and unraveling a tale of revenge and loyalty.