India, May 28 -- Veteran actor and politician Kamal Haasan has sparked a major controversy with his recent comments linking the Kannada language's roots to Tamil. The remarks, made during a promotional event for his upcoming film Thug Life in Bengaluru, have triggered sharp criticism from Kannada activists and political leaders, including Karnataka BJP president B Y Vijayendra.

The controversy began when Haasan, while speaking at the event, greeted the audience with the Tamil phrase "Uyire Urave Tamizhe" (which translates to "My life and my soul is Tamil"). He went on to address Kannada superstar Shivarajkumar, who was also present, referring to him as "family from another state." Kamal then made a contentious claim, "That's why I began ...