Ram Gopal Varma deletes social media post supporting Kamal Haasan amid Tamil-Kannada row

Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma extended his support to Kamal Haasan amid the controversy surrounding Haasan’s recent remark about Tamil and Kannada during the promotion of his upcoming movie 'Thug Life', which created chaos in Karnataka.


Ram Gopal Varma's social media post

The remark sparked protests and calls for a boycott in Karnataka, with pro-Kannada groups expressing outrage against the film. Ram Gopal Varma has now deleted his social media post without offering any clarification.

Earlier today (June 2), Ram Gopal Varma criticised those who were campaigning against Kamal Haasan and Thug Life. In a post on his X (formerly Twitter) handle, he wrote: “DEMOCRACY’s new name is INTOLERANCE... irrespective of factual correctness, threats to ban Thug Life in Karnataka unless Kamal Haasan apologises amount to a new kind of HOOLIGANISM.”

However, the post has since been deleted or removed. The reason behind the filmmaker’s decision to delete the post supporting Kamal remains unknown.

Kamal Haasan's 'Tamil - Kannada' remark



The controversy stems from Haasan’s statement during a promotional event for the film, where he remarked, “Kannada was born out of Tamil.” The comment triggered strong reactions in Karnataka, with some groups burning his pictures and demanding a public apology from the actor.

Haasan stood firm, stating: “Love will never apologise. I will apologise only if I am wrong. If I am not, I will not.”
In an interview with PTI, Kamal Haasan said that debates on language origins should be left to historians and experts. He explained that perspectives differ based on regional viewpoints and emphasised that his remarks were not intended as an answer but as an explanation.

The Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce stepped in to halt the release of Thug Life in the state. Haasan has since approached the Karnataka High Court, seeking legal clearance for the film’s release.

About Thug Life

Directed by Mani Ratnam, 'Thug Life' also features Silambarasan, Trisha Krishnan, Joju George, Nassar, Abhirami, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Ashok Selvan, Ali Fazal, Pankaj Tripathi, Rohit Saraf, and Baburaj in key roles. It is set for a global release on June 5.