Kamal Haasan
Chennai burns at a sweltering 38 degree C. But Kamal Haasan's office cabin is freezing. The actor jokes saying — "I'm not material for cold storage, but I like the temperatures that way" His Viswaroop (Hindi) is in its final stages of mixing. The trade says it will release in August. The filmmaker says — "I'll let you know soon." Between cups of hot Kumbakonam degree coffee, he finds time for a quick chat.
Is Viswaroop (Hindi) (Viswaroopam in Tamil) — written, produced and directed by you — your most ambitious project?
I'm borrowing a line from writer-filmmaker Ingmar Bergman here. He said, 'Every time I do a film, I think this is the last film.' It could be. We don't really know. Hypothetically, what would I do if this were my last film? I don't know if I will be allowed to make another film. Anything unforeseen can happen. So every film that I make, I just put everything I have in it. You see, for the audience it may not be the last film that they are seeing. But for an actor, every film he does, should be done in that spirit, because that's the only way to approach your work. I will not kill myself over a film. I adopt a very motherly attitude to every film of mine. I want to feed it, nurture it, and give it all the emotion I have. So many things can go wrong even if you are the top star. The biggest names like Johnny Depp, Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, if you think there is 200 crore riding on each of their projects, there are also 200 crore-worth of obstacles to surmount. Believe me, if you live, eat, breathe movies like the way I do, then you tend to obsess over your movies. An actor, filmmaker can either be just an actor — shun the problems on set, lock himself inside his vanity van and play with Dame Luck — or he can be right there with the rest of the crew leading from the front. Makers like Steven Spielberg etch every line that goes into making their film. I prefer to be like Spielberg, this keeps me happy and busy.
After 200 films you still have a child-like enthusiasm towards your work. And for an actor who is in his late 50s, you also seem to have preserved your looks very well.
I've my father to thank for this. I've not gone into the hands of a plastic surgeon, at least not yet. If it comes to that, I will do anything to preserve my looks.
What's next after Viswaroop?
I am looking at a sequel to Viswaroop. We are prepping it. I have a script in hand. I read some media report the other day saying — 'Kamal has overshot hence he is making a sequel.' This is insulting and is not true. I know there is scope for a sequel here. Instead of making a three-and-a-half-hour film, I decided to tell the rest of the story in a sequel.
You were very prolific at one point. Of late you have cut down on assignments as an actor.
That's because we have no good producers here. A man having money and respect doesn't qualify as a producer. Production is a technique. It needs a talent, just like acting does. You can't run a magazine just because you have money. You need the right editors/journalists. Producing a movie is as important and as much a hands on job as direction. When I say that out of 200 films that I have done, I've only 100 perfect producers, it doesn't mean that as an actor, I wasn't served my breakfast on time, or that I got my tea in a plastic cup. I'm talking about producers who have done evil to the film. Those who've harmed the aesthetics of the film.
So the attitude of callous producers seems to have left a bitter taste in your mouth?
I can't generalize. For every bad producer that I met, I have also met a good one. However, the dismissive producers and their talks disturb me. I have heard guys saying — 'these guys are fussing too much over the script.' Or others suggesting— 'Sir, take two nice girls, go to a foreign location and shoot the film.' It's almost like they are suggesting that I have a picnic. It's also been suggested that there should be more women on set because it's fun. This is the wrong attitude.
Did the rest of India wake up to the Kamal-Rajini phenomenon late?
I don't think that's true, at least in my case. The Hindi film industry has been on my side from the time I did Ek Duuje Ke Liye. When I needed them to have their eyes open for me, they were there. It's my fault that I haven't made too many Hindi films. I still have people from across the country meeting me at airports and asking me — 'When is your next film?' How can I tell them, it will take another two years. So I say soon. It's my fault that I release a film once in 2-3 years. This is not the best thing to do. The people of India have been with me. I'm the Rip Van Winkle. I don't want to miss out on any segment of the audience, so I've made my films in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.
Why have you been caught napping?
The thing is now I write and direct my movies besides just acting in them. That takes a whole year out of me. Nayakan has a place in film history?
Yet we haven't seen Mani Ratnam and you join forces on a project.
My film with Mani may or may not happen. We talk, but nothing seems to materialize. Shekhar Kapur and I have been talking of doing a film together for the last 35 years. And we are still only talking...
Will we see Rajinikanth and you in a project again?
If you have Rajini and me on board, the sky is the limit to how much you can sell a film for. But there is also a limit to how much you can pay the two of us as actors. When you finish giving him and me our remunerations, I don't think there will much of a budget left to make the movie with.
Finally your daughters-Shruti and Akshara are both in the movies. Are you happy for them?
Of course I am. Though I always thought Akshara would be in front of the camera and Shrutibehind it.
Is Viswaroop (Hindi) (Viswaroopam in Tamil) — written, produced and directed by you — your most ambitious project?
I'm borrowing a line from writer-filmmaker Ingmar Bergman here. He said, 'Every time I do a film, I think this is the last film.' It could be. We don't really know. Hypothetically, what would I do if this were my last film? I don't know if I will be allowed to make another film. Anything unforeseen can happen. So every film that I make, I just put everything I have in it. You see, for the audience it may not be the last film that they are seeing. But for an actor, every film he does, should be done in that spirit, because that's the only way to approach your work. I will not kill myself over a film. I adopt a very motherly attitude to every film of mine. I want to feed it, nurture it, and give it all the emotion I have. So many things can go wrong even if you are the top star. The biggest names like Johnny Depp, Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, if you think there is 200 crore riding on each of their projects, there are also 200 crore-worth of obstacles to surmount. Believe me, if you live, eat, breathe movies like the way I do, then you tend to obsess over your movies. An actor, filmmaker can either be just an actor — shun the problems on set, lock himself inside his vanity van and play with Dame Luck — or he can be right there with the rest of the crew leading from the front. Makers like Steven Spielberg etch every line that goes into making their film. I prefer to be like Spielberg, this keeps me happy and busy.
After 200 films you still have a child-like enthusiasm towards your work. And for an actor who is in his late 50s, you also seem to have preserved your looks very well.
I've my father to thank for this. I've not gone into the hands of a plastic surgeon, at least not yet. If it comes to that, I will do anything to preserve my looks.
What's next after Viswaroop?
I am looking at a sequel to Viswaroop. We are prepping it. I have a script in hand. I read some media report the other day saying — 'Kamal has overshot hence he is making a sequel.' This is insulting and is not true. I know there is scope for a sequel here. Instead of making a three-and-a-half-hour film, I decided to tell the rest of the story in a sequel.
You were very prolific at one point. Of late you have cut down on assignments as an actor.
That's because we have no good producers here. A man having money and respect doesn't qualify as a producer. Production is a technique. It needs a talent, just like acting does. You can't run a magazine just because you have money. You need the right editors/journalists. Producing a movie is as important and as much a hands on job as direction. When I say that out of 200 films that I have done, I've only 100 perfect producers, it doesn't mean that as an actor, I wasn't served my breakfast on time, or that I got my tea in a plastic cup. I'm talking about producers who have done evil to the film. Those who've harmed the aesthetics of the film.
So the attitude of callous producers seems to have left a bitter taste in your mouth?
I can't generalize. For every bad producer that I met, I have also met a good one. However, the dismissive producers and their talks disturb me. I have heard guys saying — 'these guys are fussing too much over the script.' Or others suggesting— 'Sir, take two nice girls, go to a foreign location and shoot the film.' It's almost like they are suggesting that I have a picnic. It's also been suggested that there should be more women on set because it's fun. This is the wrong attitude.
Did the rest of India wake up to the Kamal-Rajini phenomenon late?
I don't think that's true, at least in my case. The Hindi film industry has been on my side from the time I did Ek Duuje Ke Liye. When I needed them to have their eyes open for me, they were there. It's my fault that I haven't made too many Hindi films. I still have people from across the country meeting me at airports and asking me — 'When is your next film?' How can I tell them, it will take another two years. So I say soon. It's my fault that I release a film once in 2-3 years. This is not the best thing to do. The people of India have been with me. I'm the Rip Van Winkle. I don't want to miss out on any segment of the audience, so I've made my films in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.
Why have you been caught napping?
The thing is now I write and direct my movies besides just acting in them. That takes a whole year out of me. Nayakan has a place in film history?
Yet we haven't seen Mani Ratnam and you join forces on a project.
My film with Mani may or may not happen. We talk, but nothing seems to materialize. Shekhar Kapur and I have been talking of doing a film together for the last 35 years. And we are still only talking...
Will we see Rajinikanth and you in a project again?
If you have Rajini and me on board, the sky is the limit to how much you can sell a film for. But there is also a limit to how much you can pay the two of us as actors. When you finish giving him and me our remunerations, I don't think there will much of a budget left to make the movie with.
Finally your daughters-Shruti and Akshara are both in the movies. Are you happy for them?
Of course I am. Though I always thought Akshara would be in front of the camera and Shrutibehind it.
