Being Kamal Haasan: A hero on and off screen

As Tamil Nadu awaits Bigg Boss 2, which will be launched today, the host and the face of this reality show, Kamal Haasan meets us on the sets of the show. He is sporting his signature handlebar moustache, which he had earlier showcased in his hit film Thevar Magan. He begins by saying, “For me, taking up the first season of Bigg Boss had a reason. Though I couldn’t reveal my trajectory even to my friends, who asked me why I am taking it up. Now that is out in the open, I see this as an opportunity to communicate and a platform to reach out to the masses. Even if you say that it is a small number, the response has been fantastic. I don’t mind hosting the next season too.” 

So, is Kamal Haasan making the most use of TV to convey his political ideologies to people this season? “I wouldn’t say it is the power of the medium, but the reach of this show that surprised me. I’m here to tell people the truth that remains untold. Sadly the truth is, many think it is even irrelevant to speak the truth. So, every Saturday, I will call a spade, a spade,” he laughs twirling his moustache.

Speaking of films, the teaser of Vishwaroopam 2 went viral, drawing fans into a tizzy. “I’m a happy person. I couldn’t have asked for anything more. I would have been content with even a milder reaction than this. But, this is just a trailer,” he winks.

The actor-producer is undoubtedly one of the biggest cheerleaders of Tamil cinema. While many say Kollywood has evolved and broken into the global mainstream, we ask him if that is the real scenario or if Tamil filmmakers are just deceiving themselves.

He remarks, “I completely agree with you. We are being dishonest. Tamil cinema has gone nowhere. Namma innum maarala. Namma maaritom nu nammalaye namma emaathikitu irukomgardhu dhan unmai. (We didn’t change yet. We just assume that we have evolved better and that’s the truth) If one markets Vishwaroopam like a Hollywood film, we would be doing us and our audiences a disservice. Vishwaroopam is a Tamil film. It could have been made like a Hollywood film but it remains intrinsically Tamil by nature. They say Kamal Haasan is a visionary, or a soothsayer like Nostradamus. Tamil audiences agree with this thought, but the businessmen behind cinema, who take it to the people, are 15 years behind schedule. They feel, if they play it safe, they will make big returns. But I am making films for the audience, who are light years ahead of me and are in the age of YouTube and Netflix. I worry if my films would appeal to them and keep them engrossed.

Does he believe that cinema is ready to entertain the audience like it did in previous decades? “No, the industry is losing its plot.”

In one of his previous interviews a few years ago, he had said, ‘Cinema va kathhukitu dhan inga vandhu pozhaika mudiyume thavira, cinema kulla vandhu kathukardhungardhu mudiyaadha vishayam’ (You learn cinema before you foray into the industry and not learn the art by after entering it). Has the situation changed? He replies, “We never let a driver or a cook learn the job after we appoint them. That is how cinema is. Just because someone has money they can’t produce a film. It is an art. We make it out of passion. I have had people telling me. ‘Sir uyira kuduthaavadhu edupen sir padatha nu’ (I would die to make this film) . Cinema doesn’t work that way. We need people, who have learnt cinema and its nuances. There are a few directors in Hollywood or international cinema, who aren’t formally trained in the arts and the science of filmmaking. To be a director in world cinema, you should have a solid grounding in these disciplines. That is the reason why American and French cinemas are more successful.”

Lamenting the lack of such facilities, he says. “The irony is we have had people at the helm of this state, who have come from the film industry. But what have they done to improve the state of the cinema industry? We can only proudly say that they hailed from cinema. It is sad that they seldom turned around to give us a second glance or a second chance.” When probed about the two big sequels this year, Vishwaroopam 2 and Indian 2, he says, “To me Vishwaroopam is just one film. I have broken it into two parts and presented it to the audience. Also, I am a participant in Indian 2, which is like Ramayanam. It would have Kambar and Valimiki’s versions of it,” he laughs. On a concluding note, he says that he will resume Sabash Naidu after Bigg Boss 2. “For now my only focus is on Bigg Boss as I also have to concentrate on Makkal Needhi Maiyyam. So, I’m not taking up both things simultaneously,” he concludes.