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'No ban on 'Thug Life': Karnataka govt tells SC
19 Jun 2025

The Karnataka government has assured the Supreme Court that there is no ban on the screening of Kamal Haasan's film Thug Life in the state.

This comes amid protests from pro-Kannada groups over Haasan's controversial remarks about the Kannada language.

The state government also promised to provide adequate protection and security for theaters screening the film if it is released in Karnataka.

KFCC urged Haasan to apologize for remarks
Government assurance

The Karnataka government, in its affidavit, emphasized its commitment to safeguarding all parties involved with the film's release.

The affidavit also acknowledged that the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) had earlier written to Haasan, urging him to apologize for his controversial remarks about Kannada.

These remarks reportedly claimed that Kannada "originated" from Tamil and sparked protests from several pro-Kannada groups.

'Haasan should have apologized...': Pro-Kannada leader
Appeal for peace

Praveen Shetty, chief of a prominent pro-Kannada organization, reiterated that his group does not oppose the film's release. However, he insisted that Haasan should have apologized as per the Karnataka High Court's earlier suggestion.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar appealed to pro-Kannada organizations to honor the Supreme Court's directive for the unhindered release of Thug Life.

SC's earlier remarks to Karnataka government
Court's intervention

The Supreme Court had earlier reprimanded the Karnataka government for not screening Thug Life in the state.

The court had said that mobs and vigilantes cannot be allowed to take over streets, emphasizing the need for law and order during such situations.

Meanwhile, even with the SC's direction, film distributors are not that enthusiastic about the movie release.

Since Thug Life has been out for over two weeks already, releasing it anew in Karnataka won't "make sense."