Actor Kamal Haasan has stirred controversy with a comment made during the audio launch of his film Thug Life in Chennai. He said that the Kannada language was “born out of Tamil.”

Speaking at the event, Kamal began with the words “Uyire Urave Tamizhe,” which means “My life and family is Tamil.” He then added that actor Shivarajkumar, who is from Karnataka, is like family to him. “Your language (Kannada) was born out of Tamil. So you are part of that family,” he said.

This statement angered pro-Kannada groups. The Kannada Rakshana Vedike strongly condemned the comment. They warned Kamal Haasan to stop making such claims.

In Bengaluru, some activists tore down banners of Thug Life in protest. Shivarajkumar, the Kannada actor mentioned by Kamal, was present at the event.