Supreme court backs release of Kamal Haasan’s Thug Life in Karnataka

Following uproar in Karnataka over actor Kamal Haasan’s language remarks, which led to a ban on his film Thug Life in the state, the Supreme Court on Tuesday came down heavily on the Karnataka government. The court said, “The rule of law demands that any person must be allowed to release his film. People may not come or watch the film... We are not passing an order to the people to come and watch the movie... But the film must be shown.” The Karnataka government has been given one day to apprise the court about the release of the movie in the state.

What the top court said:

• Mobs and vigilantes cannot be allowed to take to the streets
• “Guns cannot be put to people’s heads” to prevent them from watching a movie
• Once a film receives clearance from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), it must be released in all states
• If Kamal made “inconvenient” statements, it should not be treated as absolute truth, and the “enlightened people of Karnataka” ought to have engaged in debate and countered his views, rather than preventing the film’s release
• The High Court had “no business to seek apology” from Kamal for his remarks
• Filmmakers cannot suffer the bane or fear that cinemas would be burnt down for showing the film

What happened:
On May 27, Kamal Haasan’s statement at an event, allegedly suggesting “Kannada was born out of Tamil,” triggered significant backlash in Karnataka. Despite his clarifications that it was “made out of love” and “taken out of context,” pro-Kannada groups pushed for a ban on his film, which opened nationwide on June 5. Meanwhile, the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce demanded an apology, which Kamal refused. The film’s producers sought police protection from the Karnataka High Court for the film’s release, with the court emphasising a “direct apology.” Kamal’s refusal led to the film not releasing in the state. A PIL was then filed in the Supreme Court by M Mahesh Reddy, challenging the “de facto ban” on the film in Karnataka.