The Linguistic Issue That Opened the Doors of Parliament for Kamal Haasan Has Led to His Rejection at the Box Office

Kamal Haasan, a celebrated South Indian actor and National Award winner, is set to join India’s Parliament, nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the Tamil Nadu government as a political reward for his party's support on the language issue

His party, Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM), backed his nomination unanimously, largely due to his strategic silence on the Hindi language controversy and controversial remarks about the Kannada language

Despite his political success, Kamal Haasan's latest film, "Thug Life," has been a major box office flop, failing to recoup its substantial ₹200 crore budget, earning only ₹4225 crore in the first week.

The film's performance was particularly poor in its Hindi version, an ironic twist as Kamal is about to enter the Indian Parliament where Hindi is a major language

"Thug Life" marked a highly anticipated reunion between Kamal Haasan and director Mani Ratnam after 36 years, but it did not live up to expectations, partly due to Kamal's controversial statements

At a music launch event in Bengaluru, Kamal Haasan's remark that Kannada was derived from Tamil sparked outrage in Karnataka, leading to protests and a ban on the film's release in the state

The backlash from the statement not only affected Kamal Haasan's reputation but also impacted Mani Ratnam, known for his artistic excellence in cinema

Kamal Haasan's dual career in politics and cinema seems to be at odds, as his recent political maneuvers have negatively impacted his film career

The situation highlights the challenges of balancing a political career with the demands and sensitivities of the film industry, as Kamal Haasan faces both political advancement and cinematic setbacks