Kamal Haasan has responded to the controversy surrounding his recent remark suggesting Kannada was born from Tamil. Speaking to reporters, the veteran actor clarified that his intentions were misunderstood and that his words stemmed from a place of respect and love.
“I think what I said was said with a lot of love. Historians have taught me the language history…I didn’t mean anything. And, let me tell you, Tamil Nadu is a place which has been open. I don’t say there is no other state like this. But a very rare state where a Menon (MG Ramachandran) has been our Chief Minister…a Reddy (Omandur Ramasamy Reddiyar) has been our Chief Minister, a Tamilian (M Karunanidhi) has been our Chief Minister and then a Kannadiga Iyengar has been our CM from Mandya,” Haasan explained, as quoted by PTI.
He further stated that debates of this nature are best left to specialists who can evaluate them within historical and linguistic frameworks. “So let’s leave all these very in-depth discussions to historians, archaeologists and language experts. If you look at it from the northern point of view, according to them it is right, if you look at it from Thenkumari (south), then what I say is right. There is a third angle to it– the scholars, the language experts. This is not an answer, an explanation. Love will never apologise,” the actor added.
Kamal Haasan’s comments emphasize his broader appeal to harmony and intellectual discourse, calling for thoughtful dialogue rather than reactive criticism.
