The actor known for his bold, unconventional and often brilliant roles on screen bears the same unapologetic, defiant, confident stance off it – often not the most prudent course
“The one who knows to forgive is a great person; the one who knows to ask for forgiveness is an even greater person.” Kamal Haasan, the filmmaker, made this dialogue famous in Virumandi, a 2004 Tamil movie written and directed by him. But can Kamal Haasan, the politician, live by it?
That is what many are wondering as a row over a remark by Haasan regarding Kannada – and his refusal to apologise for the same – blows up, threatening his forthcoming release, putting an ally party in a spot, and on Tuesday, earning him a reprimand from the Karnataka High Court. The storm has also cast a cloud over Haasan’s entry into the Rajya Sabha, a much-awaited political dream of the actor that is finally within reach.
The controversy began last week at the audio launch of Thug Life, the Haasan film scheduled for a June 5 release, in Chennai. In a moment ironically meant to signal cultural unity, Haasan said: “Uyire Urave Tamizhe”, or “My life and my family is Tamil.” He then turned to Kannada actor Shiva Rajkumar, who was present at the launch, and added: “Your language (Kannada) was born out of Tamil. So you are included in this.”
Soon, there were protests in Karnataka, where any presumed insult to Kannada is a lightning rod. The fact that the subject of the remarks, Shiva Rajkumar, is the son of the late Kannada matinee idol Rajkumar didn’t help. Pro-Kannada organizations like the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike called for a boycott of the Haasan film, unless he tendered an unconditional apology.
Haasan refused, and Raajkamal Films International, the production company in which he is a director, opted instead to go to the Karnataka High Court seeking police protection for the film’s release.