Bengaluru, March 4 -- Urging the Kannada film industry to take forward the good run it has had over the last few years, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said on Tuesday that his "advice to the film industry might have sounded harsh and rustic but it was well-wishing".

"Whatever I said about the Kannada film industry is for its good. My words may have sounded harsh because of their rustic nature. I want the Kannada film industry to survive and thrive," he said while speaking to reporters at Vidhana Soudha.

Asked about BJP's criticism that his words about Kannada film industry were harsh, he said, "I don't know to use flowery urbane language, my words are rustic, frank and blunt. That is, the media calls me 'bande' (the rock). That is ...