'Your language (Kannada) was born out of Tamil': Kamal Haasan comment triggers fresh row

The actor began his speech with the phrase "Uyire Urave Tamizhe", meaning "my life and my family is Tamil language".

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

The comments stirred a sharp row in Karnataka with state BJP chief Vijayendra Yediyurappa calling the actor's behaviour "uncultured" and accusing him of insulting Kannada.

"One should love one's mother tongue, but showing disrespect in its name is uncultured behavior. Especially artists should have the culture of respecting every language. It is the height of arrogance and arrogance that an actor @ikamalhaasan who has acted in many Indian languages, including Kannada, has insulted Kannada by including actor Shivarajkumar in the glorification of his Tamil language," the state BJP chief said.

"Kannada has been a prominent language in many parts of the world, including India, for centuries. The fact that Kannada is the most respected language in the world should be known to narrow-minded people like Kamal Haasan. Kamal Haasan, who has also acted in Kannada films before insulting Kannada, has forgotten the generosity of Kannada and Kannada people, and has revealed their ungrateful personality," he said.

Yediyurappa accused Kamal Haasan, who has also acted in Kannada films, of being ungrateful towards the "generosity of Kannada and Kannada people".

"Kamal Haasan, who is supposed to bring harmony to South India, has been continuously insulting Hinduism and hurting religious sentiments for the past few years. Now, he has insulted Kannada by hurting the self-respect of 6.5 crore Kannadigas. Kamal Haasan should immediately apologize unconditionally to Kannadigas," he said.

The state BJP chief further said that the actor is not a historian to define which language gave birth to which language.

"Let us remember Kamal Haasan, who spoke like a true sage who said that Kannadigas are not language haters, but have never sacrificed self-respect when it comes to Kannada land, language, people, water, and ideas," he stressed.

Pro-Kannada groups have also slammed the actor and threatened to ban his film in the state. They also protested and tore up his movie posters in Bengaluru.

"We are warning you that if you talk against Kannada and Kannadigas we have to ban your movie," warned Karnataka Rakshana Vedike leader Praveen Shetty.

Haasan's Thug Life will hit cinemas on June 5. This marks his 2nd collaboration with the National Award-winning auteur Mani Ratnam after almost four decades.