It is not a question of the artistic value of Thug Life, but about thugs’ attempts to control not just art but also people’s lives
The Supreme Court’s unequivocal position that the Karnataka government must facilitate the screening of Kamal Haasan starrer Thug Life in the state and deputy chief minister D.K. Shivakumar’s statement that the government will honour the order of the court should not only pave the way for ending a confrontation between the actor and Kannada activists but also offer a valuable precedent on upholding the right to freedom of speech and expression.
Kananda activists had stated that they will allow the release of the film, originally scheduled for June 5, only if the actor apologised for his statement on the Tamil and Kannada languages. Mr Hassan’s attempt to get a reprieve from the Karnataka high court had failed as the court saw merit in the argument of the language activists and suggested that the actor tender an apology. It even castigated the actor for approaching the court for relief after apparently initiating the controversy.
The Supreme Court has now made it clear that the position of the activists, the state government which supported it and the Karnataka High Court which upheld it are all faulty. The activists cannot take law into their hands and take over the streets, the apex court has asserted. Statements must be countered with statements, it told them. To the state government, it said a film with a valid CBFC certificate must be released and the state has to assure its screening. A film cannot be withheld from being screened for fear of theatres being burnt down. The apex court also disapproved of the high court upholding the demand for an apology from the actor with a terse remark that it was not its business to do so.
While it is imperative that everyone respects the sensibilities of others, and makes every effort to maintain harmony among various groups of people, it is equally important that the fundamental rights of the citizen and the rule of law prevail. It is not a question of the artistic value of Thug Life, but about thugs’ attempts to control not just art but also people’s lives. The apex court has said an emphatic no to that concept.