The case involving actor and politician Kamal Haasan’s statement, which sparked controversy by allegedly defaming the Kannada language, literature, land, and culture, has been moved to the Special Court for MLA/MPs in Bengaluru. Initially filed as a private complaint in Kanakapura town court, the case was transferred to the 42nd People’s Representatives’ Court in Bengaluru following Haasan’s election to the Rajya Sabha from Tamil Nadu. The special court has set the next hearing for July 22.
In May 2025, Haasan stirred a linguistic dispute by claiming that “Kannada is born out of Tamil” at an event in Chennai, leading to protests in Karnataka, demands for an apology, and threats to boycott his film “Thug Life.” Despite the backlash, Haasan stood by his remarks, attributing them to affection and historical perspectives. He emphasized that matters of language origins should be left to linguists rather than politicians.
The controversy not only drew criticism from Karnataka’s Chief Minister and other political figures but also caught the attention of the Karnataka High Court, which condemned public figures for offending linguistic sentiments. Recently, a new private complaint was lodged against Haasan in court, reigniting the debate over his earlier statements. The Karnataka High Court had previously advised Haasan that a simple apology could have resolved the issue, questioning his qualifications to delve into historical or linguistic debates.
