A death threat has been issued to actor-politician Kamal Haasan following his controversial statements regarding Sanatana Dharma. The controversy began at the 15th-anniversary event of Tamil actor Suriya’s Agaram Foundation. Haasan publicly criticized the central government’s NEET exam, deeming it an ‘ill outcome of Sanatana Dharma,’ which he claimed had thwarted the aspirations of numerous prospective doctors. This triggered strong opposition, including a death threat from television actor Ravichandran.
Haasan, a Rajya Sabha MP and the founder of Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM), highlighted that education alone possesses the capacity to bring about national change, serving as a weapon against dictatorship and Sanatana. His comments immediately sparked political outrage. The Tamil Nadu BJP called for a boycott of all Kamal Haasan films, including those on OTT platforms, with BJP state secretary Amar Prasad Reddy comparing Haasan’s remarks to those of Udhayanidhi Stalin, accusing them of aiming to undermine Sanatana Dharma. Senior BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan also weighed in, accusing Haasan of insulting Hindu beliefs and sentiments.
The situation escalated when Ravichandran, a television actor, threatened Haasan’s life in a YouTube interview. Haasan previously found himself in a separate controversy earlier this year, when he stated that Kannada originated from Tamil at an event, which resulted in his film ‘Thug Life’ being banned in Karnataka and subsequently faced severe criticism.