No apology, will not release film in K'taka: Haasan in HC

Actor Kamal Haasan told the Karnataka high court on Tuesday he will not release his upcoming film Thug Life in the state for now, amid a growing controversy over his recent remarks on the origin of the Kannada language, asserting he had nothing to apologise for.

- Arun Dev

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BENGALURU:

It came after the high court strongly criticised Haasan for his remarks suggesting that "Kannada was born out of Tamil", saying he might be a big star but he had no right to hurt the sentiments of the people of Karnataka. The court observed that a "single apology could have resolved the situation".

Haasan's counsel, senior advocate Dhyan Chinappa, informed a bench of justice M Nagaprasanna that the actor and his production company, Raajkamal Films International, had decided to withhold the film's release in the southern state at least until they engage in a "dialogue" with the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC), which has demanded an apology and barred the film's screening in the state.

Chinappa argued that Haasan's written statement submitted to the KFCC earlier in the day conveying his love and respect for the Kannada language and its people was a sincere and adequate response to the controversy. Haasan should not be compelled to apologise in a prescribed format, he added.

"Apology is required only if there is malice, and there is no malice here," Chinappa submitted, adding that Haasan's comments, made during the audio launch of Thug Life in Chennai on May 24, were not intended to undermine Kannada or its speakers and were expressed in a spirit of goodwill.

"He has expressed nothing but affection and admiration for the language and the state," the counsel added.

The court, however, expressed dissatisfaction with the actor-filmmaker's refusal to apologise and questioned the absence of a simple gesture that could have defused the situation.

"Discretion is the better part of valour," justice Nagaprasanna remarked, quoting Shakespeare, and urged the actor to show humility.