Actor and politician Kamal Haasan is facing significant criticism after a speech at the 15th-anniversary celebration of Suriya’s Agaram Foundation in Chennai. Haasan’s comments, in which he described education as a weapon against “Sanatana,” have drawn fire from political figures who accuse him of trying to divide people and inflame religious tensions.
Politicians Call for Ban on Haasan’s Films
Amar Prasad Reddy, the State Secretary of the BJP in Tamil Nadu, has called for a boycott of Kamal Haasan’s films. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Reddy appealed to “every Hindu” and “every Sanatani” to ignore the actor’s movies in theaters and on OTT platforms. “Let’s see which actor dares to mock Hindus next,” he wrote. In an accompanying video, Reddy referenced similar comments made by Tamil Nadu Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin and urged Hindus to “teach a lesson to these kind of people.”
Other political leaders also condemned the remarks. Tamilisai Soundararajan, a BJP leader, told ANI that Haasan first “raised the language issue, dividing people of different states,” and is now “raising the religious issue to divide people on religious sentiments.” Surendra Jain, the national secretary general of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), told PTI that Haasan “cannot be innocent” and is “deliberately working under an agenda to defame Hindu society.”
What Kamal Haasan Said
Kamal Haasan, a Rajya Sabha MP and founder of the Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) party, spoke about the power of education at the Agaram Foundation event. He stated, “In this war, only education has the power to change the nation. It’s the only weapon that can break the chains of dictatorship and Sanatana.” He advised against using other weapons, warning that “ignorant majoritarians will defeat you.”
This is not the first time Haasan has been at the center of controversy. Recently, before the release of his film Thug Life, he faced criticism in Karnataka for claiming that the Kannada language was “born out of Tamil.” The dispute led to a temporary halt of his film’s release in Karnataka, which was later revoked by the Supreme Court after he refused to apologize.