Bengaluru Court Gag Order: Kamal Haasan Barred From Defaming Kannada Language Following "Thug Life" Controversy

Kamal Haasan faced backlash last month following comments he made about the Kannada language during a promotional event for his film, Thug Life. His statement resulted in legal challenges, and the film was effectively banned in Bengaluru. The controversy surrounding his remarks continues to resonate.

A civil court in Bengaluru has now issued an ex parte interim injunction, preventing the actor from making any further defamatory remarks against the Kannada language or culture.

Court Order Prevents Defamatory Posts

The order, issued on Friday, July 4th, by an Additional City Civil and Sessions Judge, came after Mahesh Joshi, President of the Kannada Sahitya Parishat (KSP), filed a civil suit. The petition sought to legally restrain Kamal Haasan from making "defamatory remarks" about the Kannada language and its cultural origins, according to PTI.

The court has prohibited Kamal Haasan from “posting, making, writing, or publishing any statement or remarks claiming linguistic superiority over the Kannada language or making any statements against Kannada language, literature, land, and culture.”

The actor has been summoned to appear in person for the next hearing, scheduled for August 30th.

The Controversial Remark

Back in May, during a promotional event for Thug Life in Bengaluru, Kamal Haasan sparked controversy when he compared Tamil and Kannada, stating, “Kannada was born out of Tamil.” These comments were poorly received by Kannada activists and cultural organizations. The situation escalated when Haasan declined to retract his statement or issue an apology. Ultimately, Thug Life was not released 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, features a cast including Silambarasan, Trisha Krishnan, and Aishwarya Lekshmi. The film's performance at the box office was disappointing.