Despite advance bookings for Kamal Haasan ’s Thug Life commencing elsewhere, no shows for the film are currently listed in Karnataka. This exclusion comes amid intense uproar over the actor’s alleged statement that “Kannada is born out of Tamil” during a promotional event in Chennai, including protests by pro-Kannada organisations and a ban by the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) over the release of the film. On Sunday, a pro-Kannada organisation, Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV), attempted to lay siege to Victory Cinema Theatre in Kamakshipalya, Bengaluru. Praveen Shetty of the group warned the theatre owners against releasing the film, alleging that the actor made inappropriate remarks about the Kannada language.