My remarks misunderstood; intention was to say Tamil, Kannada belong to same family: Kamal Haasan

CHENNAI: MNM founder Kamal Haasan said his remarks on Kannada during ‘Thug Life’ movie promotion a few days ago were ‘misunderstood’ and that his intention was only to say that Tamil and Kannada belonged to the same family.

“It pains me that my statement has been misunderstood and taken out of context. My words were intended only to convey that we are all one and from the same family, and not to diminish Kannada in any way. There is no dispute or debate on the rich legacy of the Kannada language," he said in a letter addressed to Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) president Narasimhalu.

Kamal said Kannada, like Tamil, has a proud literary and cultural tradition that he had admired for a long time. “My love for Kannada is genuine, and I have great respect for the love that Kannadigas have for their mother tongue,” he said.

Kamal’s remark that Kannada originated from Tamil during the audio launch of his upcoming movie ‘Thug Life’ last month had snowballed into a controversy with several political leaders from Karnataka demanding an apology. Kamal, however, refused to apologise stating that ‘Love never apologises.’ Posters had sprung up across Chennai with these words on Tuesday.

Even in the letter to KFCC Kamal chose not to apologise inviting sharp comments from Karnataka high court.

Kamal said he always stood for the equal dignity of all Indian languages and opposed to the dominance of any one language over another, as such imbalance undermines the linguistic fabric of ‘Union of India.’

Kamal expressed regret for the ‘embarrassment’ that Kannada superstar Shivraj Kumar had to go through for sharing the stage with Kamal during the audio launch.

He said cinema must remain a bridge between people, never a wall that divides them. “I sincerely hope my words are received in the spirit they were intended, and that my enduring affection for Karnataka, its people, and their language is recognised in its true light,” he said.