Actor and Makkal Needhi Maiam party chief Kamal Haasan sparked a major controversy in Karnataka with his comments at a film function, where he reportedly said that the Kannada language originated from Tamil. These remarks caused an uproar in the state.

Both the ruling Congress party and the opposition BJP strongly condemned Kamal Haasan's statement. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah responded by saying, “Kannada has a long history. Poor Kamal Haasan, he is unaware of that fact.”

Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly and BJP leader R. Ashoka accused Kamal Haasan of consistently disrespecting the Kannada language and Karnataka. He demanded that the government boycott all films featuring Kamal Haasan, stating that otherwise, “he will continue to behave like a mentally unstable person.”