New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday criticised the Karnataka government for preventing the release of actor Kamal Haasan’s film Thug Life in the state, asserting that "mob rule and vigilantism" cannot override the law.

A bench comprising Justices Ujjal Bhuyan and Manmohan said the rule of law must be upheld and that no one should be “held at gunpoint” to stop them from watching a CBFC-cleared film. The court granted the state government a day to respond on steps taken to ensure the film’s release.

“Once a film is cleared by the Central Board of Film Certification, it must be released across all states,” the bench observed, while transferring to itself a pending case from the Karnataka High Court related to the issue.

The film, which released nationwide on 5 June, was blocked in Karnataka following public outrage over comments made by Haasan, in which he reportedly said that “Kannada was born out of Tamil.” The remarks led to a backlash and demands for an apology, with the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce declaring it would not allow screenings without one.

The apex court criticised the Karnataka High Court for overstepping by calling for an apology, stating that such matters should be handled by public debate, not judicial mandates. “If Haasan has said something inconvenient, it does not become gospel. Enlightened citizens of Karnataka could have debated it,” the court said.

The case will be heard again on Thursday.