Kamal clarifies remarks on Kannada, offers no apology

EVEN as the Karnataka High Court made remarks that nearly censured actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan for stating that Kannada was born out of Tamil, the veteran actor clarified on Tuesday that his intention during his speech at the 'Thug Life' audio launch event, which sparked the controversy, was to express that "We are all one and from the same family" and not to diminish Kannada in any way.

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In a letter to the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce, which has refused to release the film in Karnataka, Haasan said, "There is no dispute or debate about the rich legacy of the Kannada language." However, he did not apologize for his remarks.

"It hurts me that my statement at the 'Thug Life' audio launch —said out of genuine affection for the legendary Rajkumar's family, especially Shiva Rajkumar—has been misunderstood and taken out of context," Haasan said.