Mysuru: Actor Kishore Kumar yesterday urged people not to interpret Kamal Haasan’s recent remarks on the Kannada language emotionally, stating that such discussions should be approached intellectually rather than sentimentally.
Reacting to the veteran actor’s statement that “Kannada was born out of Tamil,” Kishore said, “There is no need to consider the statement offensive. Instead, it would be more meaningful to examine the context and intent, especially given Kamal Haasan’s intellectual calibre.”
He added that language, like caste and religion, has often been used for political mileage, and cautioned against allowing such issues to stir public sentiment.
“Language should be seen for what it is — a medium of communication — and not something to be emotionally entangled with. No one should feel insulted if one language is said to have emerged from another. There is still no definitive research on how languages evolved,” Kishore said.
Using a metaphor, he added, “If a child is born to a mother, where is the humiliation — either to the mother or the child? Just like all other languages, both Kannada and Tamil have emerged from somewhere. Let’s not disturb people’s emotions unnecessarily.”
On ‘Operation Sindoor’
When asked about the recent Pahalgam terror incident and the response under ‘Operation Sindoor,’ Kishore remarked that such operations often seem to be executed more within the country than outside.
“The voices of the media are being stifled. Rather than politicising the Pahalgam attack, we should focus on seeking the truth and demanding accountability. We don’t yet have full details of what happened. In a democracy, asking questions is fundamental. We’re already blind to caste and religion — but we cannot afford to be blind when it concerns the nation,” he asserted.
Kishore was in Mysuru to perform in the Kannada play ‘Love Letters: Ninna Preetiya Naanu’ at Kiru Rangamandira in Kalamandira premises on May 31. The play, directed by Venkatesh Prasad, was staged by the Theatre Collective Institute from Bengaluru.
This post was published on June 2, 2025 6:37 pm