Veteran actor and politician Kamal Haasan has once again taken a firm stance against the imposition of Hindi in southern India, voicing solidarity with states such as Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Haasan’s remarks come amid controversy surrounding his latest film Thug Life, which released this week but has not screened in Karnataka following his earlier comment suggesting that Kannada 'originated' from Tamil.
The Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce demanded an apology, which Haasan has refused to issue. His production house, Raajkamal Films International, has since approached the Karnataka High Court seeking protection for the film's release.
Haasan, however, remained undeterred. “I am the actor from Ek Duuje Ke Liye...,” he said, referencing his 1981 Hindi-language film that depicted a cross-cultural romance between a Tamil man and a Hindi-speaking woman.
He added, “Without imposition, we will learn. Don’t impose, because this is ultimately education and we must take the shortest route to education… and not put hurdles in its way.”
The 70-year-old actor, who has long been an advocate for linguistic autonomy, made the comments while promoting Thug Life, his 234th film in a cinematic career spanning over six decades. The film, which reunites him with acclaimed filmmaker Mani Ratnam after nearly four decades, has been marred by controversy and a lukewarm box office response, netting ₹30 crore across India in its opening weekend.
The language debate has also acquired political dimensions, with Tamil Nadu’s ruling DMK party repeatedly opposing the three-language formula under the National Education Policy (NEP). The party has alleged that the BJP-led Central government is attempting to “impose Hindi” on non-Hindi-speaking regions, a charge the Centre has consistently denied.
Also read: We'll learn sans language imposition: Haasan on Kannada-Tamil row
“I stand with Punjab. I stand with Karnataka. I stand with Andhra. This is not only place which is resenting imposition,” said Haasan.
He further questioned the practicality of enforcing a common language in a multilingual country. “If you are truly looking at international breakthrough, you must learn one language. And English seems to be fair enough. You can do Spanish also, or Chinese.”
Haasan elaborated that India’s long legacy of English-medium education provides a practical route to global communication. “We have 350 years of English education, slowly but steadily. So when you suddenly replace it, it’s all over again. You make unnecessarily many people illiterate, especially in Tamil Nadu.”
He warned that enforcing Hindi as a prerequisite for employment and upward mobility would marginalise speakers of other official languages. “You suddenly force all through Hindi and you tell them that you will not get your job beyond the Vindhyas, then you start wondering, what about the promises? What about my language? Am I not one of the 22 (official languages)? These are the questions that are coming.”
The Thug Life controversy took a legal turn after the Karnataka High Court sharply criticised the promotional comment. Subsequently, producers declared that the film would not be released in Karnataka.
Haasan, known for his cinematic versatility and political candour, has long advocated for preserving linguistic plurality. The latest controversy, while detrimental to his film’s release, appears unlikely to silence his stance.
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