Star actor and politician Kamal Haasan has decided not to bow down to pressure, or release his film Thug Life in Karnataka, after a Tamil vs Kannada language row erupted over his remarks, 'Kannada is born out of Tamil'.

Kamal Haasan's decision to stall the release of Thug Life in Karnataka comes after the Karanataka high court came down heavily on the Tamil star for refusing to apologize for his remarks, and instead seeking protection from the court for a "mistake he made". 

While stating that he intended 'no malice', Kamal Haasan has once again refused to apologize for his 'Kannada is born from Tamil' statement. Kamal Haasan however has proposed 'dialogue with the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce'; KFCC is the Kannada film body that initiated a state wide ban on Thug Life, after pressure from politicians, and pro-Kannada outfits.

Thug Life releases in theaters worldwide except Karnataka on June 5, 2025. The movie is jointly written by Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam, and is directed by Mani Ratnam. Thug Life also stars Silambarasan TR, Ashok Selvam, Trisha, Abhirami, among others, and has AR Rahman for music.