Actor Kiccha Sudeep Calls For Equality For Tulu-speaking People In Karnataka

Kiccha Sudeep is one of the prominent actors in the Kannada cinema and stays in the limelight due to his films Kempe Gowda, Sparsha, Eega, etc. He is recently in the limelight for his speech at the Yakshadhruva Patla Sambhrama-2024 given on Sunday, May 26, at Adyar Gardens, Mangaluru. Sudeep questioned why the Tuluvas, the people from Tulu Nadu, are questioned differently from the natives of Karnataka. According to him, the Tulu Nadu, the land of Tulu-speaking is a part of Karnataka only. Therefore, the Kempe Gowda actor said that Tuluvas should not be treated differently. The 52-year-old actor said that he also has a connection with Tulu Nadu as his mother Saroja hails from this region.

According to Sudeep, his mother also taught him a few words of the Tulu language, i.e.- Enchina Mararre and Unasanda. He said that his amma (mother) asked him to say these words to say to the guests who arrived at his house.

A video of his speech has surfaced on social media.

Sudeep’s words come up at the point when the Tulu and the Kannada-speaking people are at loggerheads. Some time back, the Congress-led Siddaramaiah government made it mandatory for business establishments to ensure that at least 60 per cent of the text on their signboards is in Kannada. It has infuriated the Tuluvas, who now demand at least 30 per cent of any signboard in the state be in Tulu. They said 50 per cent should be in Kannada and the remaining 20 per cent in any other language.

Sudeep is set to make his comeback to the silver screens after a gap of two years with his upcoming Kannada film MAX. The film is directed by the debutant Vijay Karthikeyan. It boasts an ensemble cast of Samyuktha Hornadu, Sukrutha Wagle, Anirudh Bhat and others.

The film is expected to be released in cinema halls in June or July. Max went on the floors last year but was delayed due to the Chennai floods. The shooting of the film has now been completed. Sudeep informed his fans about the wrap-up of the production stage of the film. The 52-year-old actor uploaded the video and wrote a heartwarming message for the makers and directors of the film. The post has gone viral.

It will be a pan-India film.