Bengaluru, May 29, 2025 – Kannada actor Shiva Rajkumar has addressed Kamal Haasan’s remark that “Kannada was born out of Tamil,” which triggered backlash in Karnataka. While showing respect for Haasan, Shiva stressed that Kannada needs more than just words—it requires genuine support. He questioned the silence of critics during the statement and urged them to focus on uplifting Kannada cinema rather than only criticizing.
The remark, made during a Chennai event for Haasan’s film Thug Life, sparked protests and demands for an apology. Haasan later clarified that he spoke “out of love” and noted that such debates should be left to experts. He also called for unity and mutual respect among South Indian languages despite standing by his original sentiment.
