Five Kamal Haasan films that courted controversies

Thug Life: Here is a look at five of Kamal Haasan films that faced trouble in the past over the last two decades.

Thug Life, starring acclaimed actor Kamal Haasan, has hit the screens — barring Karnataka, where controversy erupted following his comments suggesting that Kannada originated from Tamil. For Mr. Haasan, such rows are not new; his films have frequently faced opposition over the years.

What sets this episode apart is that, unlike past instances where the objections were over the film’s content or title, this time, the controversy has nothing to do with the movie itself.

Here is a look at five of his films that faced trouble in the past over the last two decades:

The first part of this two-part film, produced by Raaj Kamal Film International, ran into trouble even a month before its scheduled Pongal release in 2013. Theatre owners objected to Mr. Haasan’s proposal to release the film simultaneously on Direct-to-Home (DTH) platforms. As a result, the release was pushed beyond Pongal, and the actor-producer dropped the DTH release plan to resolve the conflict.

However, just ahead of its theatrical release, a more serious controversy erupted. Several Muslim outfits launched major protests, accusing the actor of demonising their community and hurting religious sentiments. The Federation of Tamil Nadu Muslims Social and Political Organisation and the Tamil Nadu Thowheed Jamaath were at the forefront.

The night before the film’s scheduled release, the Tamil Nadu government banned its screening for two weeks, citing a “law and order” threat.

An angry and upset Mr. Haasan, who was in the United States at the time, termed the opposition “cultural terrorism.”