With just a day to go before the release of Kamal Haasan’s Thug Life, amid the language row and the subsequent ban in Karnataka, the actor’s fans have taken to social media to express their support for him and the film. Numerous posts on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook have sprung up in support of Haasan, featuring the hashtag #IStandWithKamalHaasan.
ALSO READ | ‘Thug Life’ will not release in Karnataka: Kamal Haasan to Karnataka HC
Tweets quoting textbooks, saying that Kamal’s statement was rooted in linguistic history and there was no intention to insult Kannada or any other language, are trending on X. Many have shared their opinion that Tamil is one of the oldest languages in the world and that Tamil and Kannada have linguistic ties.
One of the tweets read, “Respecting Kannada sentiments is important, but Tamil's historical influence on Kannada is a fact, not an insult. Kamal Haasan's intent was misunderstood; his refusal to apologize is principled, not arrogant. Let's foster dialogue, not division.”
Respecting Kannada sentiments is important, but Tamil's historical influence on Kannada is a fact, not an insult. Kamal Haasan's intent was misunderstood; his refusal to apologize is principled, not arrogant. Let's foster dialogue, not division. #ThugLife #IstandWithKamalHaasan
— Vinothsingh (@Vino091189) June 4, 2025
The decision to defer the release of Thug Life in Karnataka is expected to cause a loss of close to Rs 40 crore for the makers in the total box office revenue. Industry experts say that the estimated loss will be Rs 12 to Rs 15 crores in the producer’s share. Tamil films usually make at least seven per cent of its total revenue from the neighbouring state of Karnataka. Recently, movies like Rajinikanth’s Jailer, Vijay’s GOAT and Kamala’s Vikram earned a revenue ranging between Rs 25 to 40 crores. But despite the loss, Haasan’s fans continue to push the hashtag in support of Thug Life.
ALSO READ | Will 'Thug Life' release ban in Karnataka affect the release of Vijay’s 'Jana Nayagan' in Tamil Nadu?
Bankrolled by Raj Kamal Films, Red Giant Movies and helmed by ace director Mani Ratnam, the film has Hassan, Simbu, Trisha Krishnan, Abhirami, Ashok Selvan, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Sanya Malhotra, Joju George and Ali Fazal, in lead roles. A.R. Rahman has composed the music with songs like Jingucha and Muthamazhai already trending on social media.
