'Thug life' must be released in Karnataka, guns can't be put to people's head: SC
The film must be released as per the rule of law, the SC said, giving Karnataka government one day to apprise it about the movie's release in the state
Coming down heavily on the Karnataka government for not releasing Kamal Haasan's new film 'Thug Life' in theatres, the Supreme Court on Tuesday (June 17) saying mobs and vigilantes cannot be allowed to take to the streets.
A bench of Justices Ujjal Bhuyan and Manmohan said rule of law has to be established and guns cannot be put to people’s head to stop them from watching the movie.
I he film must be released as per the rule of law, the Supreme Court asserted, giving the state government one day to apprise it about release of the movie in the state. Further, it said that once a film has got the Central Board of Film Certification clearance, it has to be released in all the state.
It also questioned the Karnataka government's failure to ensure the film's release in the face of threats against its screening
Also read: SC seeks Karnataka govt's reply on plea seeking release of 'Thug life' in state
Freedom of speech
The top court said it would step in to protect fundamental rights and freedom of speech, notwithstanding the controversy over the actor-politician's comment about the Kannada language being "born out of Tamil".
Justice Bhuyan orally expressed concerns about the situation. "We cannot allow mobs and vigilante groups to take over the streets. The rule of law must prevail. We cannot allow this to happen," he said.
The SC pointed out that the "rule of law mandates that a person must be able to release his film... a film with a CBFC (Censor Board of Film Certification) must be released".
The controversy
The Tamil movie, 'Thug Life', which reunited Kamal Haasan with filmmaker Mani Ratnam after 1987's "Nayakan", could not be released in Karnataka after the 70-year-old's comments about Kannada language sparked a major controversy.
'Thug Life' was released all over the country on June 5.
"If actor Kamal Haasan said something, let people debate it but film cannot be stopped from screening in theatres," said the SC two-judge bench to Karnataka government, while hearing a plea filed by one Mahesh Reddy seeking directions to allow the screening of 'Thug Life'.
The bench said if Haasan has said anything inconvenient it cannot be taken as a gospel truth and the enlightened people of Karnataka should have debated and said he was wrong.
Also read: Still no apology, Karnataka HC tells Haasan, accepts implead application from oufit
SC pulls up high court
It also pulled up Karnataka HC for seeking an apology from Kamal Haasan over his remarks and said it has not business to seek apology.
The Karnataka HC court had strongly criticised Haasan for his remark suggesting that "Kannada was born out of Tamil", and observed that a "single apology could have resolved the situation."
On June 3 the High Court even told the actor "... you cannot unscramble a scrambled egg" and urged him to make an apology.
The actor, however, stuck to his stand and refused to apologise.
The remark, reportedly made by Haasan at a promotional event in Chennai for his film, sparked a backlash in Karnataka, prompting the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) to announce that the film would not be screened in the state unless Haasan apologised.
Case transferred to SC
Meanwhile, the SC transferred the case related to 'Thug Life' to the apex court.
It also directed the state to file a reply in 24 hours.
(With inputs from agencies)
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