Kamal Haasan has made a statement about the Kannada language; Kannadigas demand an apology from Kamal Haasan

Tamil actor Kamal Haasan's statement at the audio launch of his new film "Thuglife" recently has triggered a huge controversy in Karnataka. His statement that "Kannada language is a language derived from Tamil" has been termed by Kannadigas as an insult to their language, triggering outrage across the state. At the event, Kamal uttered these controversial words in front of kannada actor Shivarajkumar. "Even before I started speaking, I had started saying that my breath is Tamil. You are a language born out of Tamil. Do you get involved in it?" came straight words from Kamal Haasan.

Kannada – an ancient, rich language in India, a language with its own script, literature, classical status. Pro-Kannada organisations have strongly objected to Kamal Haasan's reckless remarks on such language. Karnataka Rakshana Vedike president Praveen Shetty said, "If you insult Kannada, we will block your films in Karnataka." There have been protests against Kamal Haasan, black ink measures, and severe criticism on social media. Kamal Haasan, who had earlier made statements about Hindi-speaking people, has now made a statement on Kannada which has created fears that the two languages are creating a poor sense between the two states.

The demand of Kannadigas is clear – Kamal Haasan should clarify his statement and apologise. There have been sharp reactions that speaking without respect for the language will hurt India's linguistic diversity.