Extra-judicial ban on ‘Thug Life’ in Karnataka is contrary to rule of law, says SC

Today, a Partial Court Working Day Bench of Justices Ujjal Bhuyan and Manmohan stated that the Karnataka government must ensure the release of ‘Thug Life’, the Kamal Haasan-Simbu starrer Mani Ratnam film. The Bench was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Mahesh Reddy, a resident of Bengaluru, seeking a safe screening of the film in the state. 

The movie was released on 5 June 2025 worldwide, except Karnataka, following Haasan’s remarks during a press event. Haasan had claimed that Kannada was “born out of Tamil.”

The story so far

On 24 May, at the film’s audio launch in Chennai, while acknowledging Kannada actor Shiva Rajkumar’s presence at the event, Hasaan remarked that Rajkumar’s language (Kannada) was “born out of Tamil”. 

 The comment sparked immediate controversy within the Kannada-speaking population, who demanded an apology from Haasan. Soon after, Karnataka’s Minister for Kannada and Culture, Shivaraj Tangadagi, wrote to the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) urging a ban on the film’s release. “Kannada is our pride and we will not tolerate any insult to it,” he said. On 30 May, the KFCC confirmed the ban. 

On 4 June, Justice M Nagaprasanna of the Karnataka High Court nudged Haasan to tender the apology. The High Court was hearing a plea seeking police protection for the film’s release. “A citizen has no right to hurt the sentiments of the masses. People are very emotional about three things: Jala, Nela, and Bhashe,” the judge said. 

On 6 June, Reddy moved the top court. He claimed that the petition was “an urgent appeal against the flagrant suppression of constitutional freedoms and what can only be described as a flagrant failure of law and order in the State of Karnataka, leading to the alarming rise of mob rule.”

The petition noted that the film had already received clearance from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and argued that a CBFC-certified film could not be extra-judicially banned. 

A Bench of Justices P.K. Mishra and Manmohan issued notice on 13 June. They listed the case for 17 June, “considering the urgency shown in the matter and the issue involved.” 

Supreme Court: Mobs cannot take over streets

The Bench today stated that the extra-judicial ban on the film in Karnataka violated the rule of law, which “demands that any film that has a CBFC certificate should be released.” It reportedly remarked that statements must be countered with statements, not threats to burn down theatres. The Bench also stated that if people had a problem with the film, they could choose not to watch it, but it must be released. 

Justice Bhuyan referred to the Supreme Court’s judgment quashing the FIR against Rajya Sabha MP Imran Pratapgarhi over a social media post. He noted that it cited the Bombay High Court’s decision, which had set aside the ban on the play Me Nathuram Godse Boltoy, which made derogatory remarks about M.K. Gandhi. 

The Bench also criticised the High Court for urging Haasan to apologise. “There is something wrong with the system when one person makes a statement and everyone gets involved. Why should the High Court say ‘express an apology’? That is not its role,” the Bench said. 

The Bench transferred the pending case before the Karnataka High Court to the Supreme Court and directed the state to file a counter-affidavit by tomorrow. 

The case is listed to be heard again on 19 June 2025.