On Kamal Haasan's comment, the court said "Let discussions take place about what this individual has said — let the intelligent people of Bengaluru debate the extent to which his remarks were wrong and foolish."
Published Jun 17, 2025 | 5:21 PM ⚊ Updated Jun 17, 2025 | 5:21 PM
A poster of the film 'Thug Life'. (X)
Synopsis: The court categorically stated that goons and rioters could not be allowed to hold the law hostage. It said the government is responsible for the safe release of the movie.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday, 17 June, said it was the responsibility of the state government to ensure the safe release of a Censor Board-certified movie, and not allow “goons and rioters” to hold law hostage.
A Bench of Justice Ujjal Bhuvan and Manmohan made the observation in a petition against the Karnataka government halting the release of Thug Life, starring Kamal Haasan in the lead role.
The court also directed the government to submit its response. Related cases pending before the High Court of Karnataka were also transferred to the apex court.
The government prevented the movie’s release after Haasan’s remark that Kannada was born out of Tamil sparked a huge debate in Karnataka.
During the hearing, the Supreme Court said, “We cannot accept a situation where goons and rioters take the law into their own hands and occupy our streets. Every community must operate within the framework of law.”
Responding to the government counsel’s submission that a related case was pending before the Karnataka High Court, the judges said, “Does that mean we must turn a blind eye to what is happening outside the law?”
The bench emphasised that the film in question has been duly certified by the Censor Board, and therefore, the filmmakers have the right to release it. The court criticised the state’s inaction.
“If some people are issuing threats to burn theatres if the film is released, it is the duty of the state government to ensure the film’s safe release. It is not acceptable to stop a legally certified film due to such threats. The decision to watch or ignore a film lies with the public, not with those who issue threats,” the court said.
When the Karnataka counsel said that the film’s producer had voluntarily decided to delay the release until the issue is resolved, the court asked, “Are you suggesting we should allow actions that violate the law just because the producer made a choice?”
“Once a film is certified by the Censor Board, it cannot be banned arbitrarily. The government must uphold this principle. Everything must function according to the law, not based on the preferences or dislikes of a few,” the court further stated.
The Supreme Court directed the Karnataka government to file its official stance on the issue, including security arrangements for the film’s release, by Thursday. It also transferred all related cases pending in the Karnataka High Court to the Supreme Court.
Before concluding, the bench indirectly referred to Kamal Haasan without naming him. “Let discussions take place about what this individual has said — let the intelligent people of Bengaluru debate the extent to which his remarks were wrong and foolish.”
