Kamal Haasan Gagged by Court Order Over Alleged Defamatory Remarks Against Kannada Language

Kamal Haasan is now legally barred from making potentially defamatory remarks against the Kannada language and culture. This ruling comes after a controversy erupted last month following comments he made during a promotional event for his film, Thug Life. His statements led to legal challenges and a ban on the film in Bengaluru.

A civil court in Bengaluru has issued an ex parte interim injunction, preventing the veteran actor from making any further statements perceived as critical of the Kannada language or culture.

The order was issued on Friday by an Additional City Civil and Sessions Judge following a civil suit filed by Mahesh Joshi, President of the Kannada Sahitya Parishat (KSP). The petition sought legal restraint on Kamal Haasan to prevent him from making any "defamatory remarks" about the language and its cultural heritage.

The court's order 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 30.

Controversial Remark

The controversy stems from an event in Bengaluru in May, where Kamal Haasan allegedly compared Tamil and Kannada, stating that "Kannada was born out of Tamil." These comments were met with opposition from Kannada activists and cultural organizations. His refusal to retract the statement or apologize further fueled the controversy. As a result, Thug Life did not see a release in Karnataka, despite efforts from the production house and Kamal Haasan to appeal to the High Court.

About Thug Life

Thug Life, directed by Mani Ratnam, features Silambarasan, Trisha Krishnan, Aishwarya Lekshmi, and other prominent actors. The film, unfortunately, did not perform well at the box office.