Kannada actor Shiva Rajkumar defends Kamal Haasan over language remark

At the audio launch of Kamal Haasan’s upcoming film Thug Life, he made a remark that angered Kannadigas—that “Kannada was born out of Tamil”. Haasan commenced his speech with, "Uyire Urave Tamizhe", meaning "My life and my family are Tamil language".

Directing his comment to Shiva Rajkumar, a Kannada actor who was also present at the event, Haasan said, "This is my family in that place. That's why he (Shiva Rajkumar) has come here. That's why I began my speech by saying life, relationship and Tamil. Your language (Kannada) was born out of Tamil, so you too are included (part of it)."

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Now, during a recent event, Shiva Rajkumar has come to the defence of the actor. Standing by his long-time idol, he said, "Kamal sir has always spoken highly of Kannada and has expressed great admiration for Bengaluru. He speaks with pride about our city. We’ve grown up watching him, and I’ve been a die-hard fan of Kamal sir for years."

Speaking highly about the actor, he called Haasan an “inspiration” and praised his audience appeal. "Some might say, ‘How can you call yourself a fan of Kamal Haasan and not your father?' Father is Family. But Kamal sir is different. He’s not just a star, he's been a true inspiration to me. Like each of you may have a favourite actor. For me, it’s always been Kamal sir. He understands exactly what the audience needs, and I truly believe he always delivers," the actor further said.

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The 62-year-old also remarked that it was an honour to be invited to the Thug Life audio launch as a chief guest and questioned why, if the remark was such an issue, questions were not raised at the event. “I don’t know why people chose to remain silent then," he said.

Complaint lodged against Kamal Haasan

When Haasan’s remarks reached the ears of pro-Kannada organisation, Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, they filed a complaint with the Bengaluru police, claiming that the actor had “hurt sentiments”. “Such statements have been made continuously and have further disrupted peace and order between Kannadigas and Tamils," the complaint alleged.

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