BREAKING | Kamal Haasan Breaks Silence on Kannada Comment, Says ‘Politicians Not Qualified...'

New Delhi: Actor and politician Kamal Haasan has responded to the controversy surrounding his recent remark that "Kannada was born out of Tamil", stating he will not apologise for something spoken “out of love”. The statement was made during a film launch event in Chennai.

‘Spoken Out of Love’

Speaking to reporters in Thiruvananthapuram, Haasan clarified his comments, saying, “What I said was said out of love, and a lot of historians have taught me language history. I didn’t mean anything disrespectful.”

“Politicians are not qualified to talk about language. Let us leave such in-depth discussions to historians, archaeologists, and language experts,” he added. 

What Did Kamal Haasan Say? 

At the Chennai event launching his new film, Haasan had praised actor Shivarajkumar, a prominent Kannada star, and made the now-controversial statement. “This is my family. That’s why he (Shivarajkumar) has come here. Your language (Kannada) was born out of Tamil, so you too are included,” he had said. 

The speech began with “Uyire Urave Tamizhe” meaning “My life and my family, Tamil.” 

Political Firestorm in Karnataka

The remarks triggered sharp reactions from across Karnataka’s political spectrum. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah rebuked Haasan, saying, “Kannada has a long-standing history. Poor Kamal Haasan, he is unaware of it.”

BJP leader R. Ashoka went further, calling Haasan a “mental patient,” while BJP state president B.Y. Vijayendra condemned the actor on X, accusing him of “uncultured behaviour” and “insulting” Kannada’s identity. “It is the height of arrogance… to disrespect another language, especially when one has acted in many Indian languages including Kannada,” he said.