Throughout the television programme Mega Icons, hosted by National Geographic channel, Kamal Haasan was referred to as a ‘polymath’. Closer home, he’s known by the sobriquet ‘Sakalakala Vallavan’, which translates to the master of arts. He’s someone who became a dwarf for Aboorva Sagotharargal, a schizophrenic for Aalavandhan, a ventriloquist for Avargal and so on. With Kamal Haasan actively involved in grooming his political party Makkal Needhi Maiam, very little is left for fans of the actor. By his own admission, the upcoming films Indian 2 and Thevar Magan 2 might be among his last. On the actor’s birthday, MetroPlus speaks to four prominent filmmakers belonging to different generations, asking to share their anecdotes about one Kamal Haasan film that changed their lives forever.
Gautham Menon
My Kamal favourite: Nayakan
A self-declared fan of Kamal Haasan, filmmaker Gautham Menon unabashedly admits that he first watched Nayakan on a VCR player. He was hardly 15, but he wanted to experience it on the big screen. “I cursed the people who played it on VCR. Nayakan, Sathya and Thevar Magan are my biggest influences. I sneaked out of school to watch Nayakan. I must have watched it at least 15 times at Anand theatre,” Gautham Menon informs us. Even after all these years, Menon is still puzzled by the way Nayakan, directed by Mani Ratnam, was executed. “The fight scene with the cop, where he (Haasan) breaks the bottle on his head and a flurry of punches is exchanged between them... it’s still etched fresh in my mind,” he says. Gautham Menon landed an opportunity to direct Kamal Haasan in the detective-thriller Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu.
Ameer
My Kamal favourite: Mahanadi
Ameer is rather proud of the fact that he’s a self-learned assistant of Kamal Haasan. Even though he has been influenced by other language films and filmmakers, he believes it was Kamal who shaped his filmmaking knowledge. "I can even tell you the row in which I had sat to watch Mahanadi. Everything — the story, screenplay and characters — was gracefully handled," he says. It shouldn’t be an exaggeration to call Ameer a rabid Kamal Haasan fan, for he literally waited a whole day to watch Mahanadi at Ram Victoria theatre in Madurai. "The reel usually arrives at the theatre at 5 am, so I waited for the early morning show. But for some reason, the reel didn’t reach Madurai. Unfortunately, it was screened only on its second day at 5 pm," he says, adding, "After rescuing his daughter from the brothel, the scene with Kamal and Sukanya at their house has so much depth and sadness."
RS Prasanna
My Kamal favourite: Gunaa
Unlike others, RS Prasanna doesn’t didn’t "find it particularly hard to pick one film. His immediate response is was "Gunaa. "My father took me to watch to "this film when called Gunaa. "I must have been around six or seven years, 6-7 "when it released. In fact, I was too young wasn’t even age-appropriate "to watch the film. But only after watching it that film "did I develop a fascination for cinema and Kamal Haasan," he says, adding, "The iconic scene inside the hospital, where he walks around chanting Abhirami’s name, stayed in my mind for a long time." Describing the film as an "underrated classic", Prasanna began to emulate Kamal’s character following its release. So much so that he started shouting Abhirami’s name. "My parents were really worried about me," he laughs. Prasanna, who made Kalyana Samayal Saadham and its Hindi remake, Shubh Mangal Saavdhan, is currently working on his next Hindi film.
Lokesh Kanagaraj
My Kamal favourite: Virumaandi
Lokesh Kanagaraj, the director of last year’s Maanagaram, has is ecstatic about his favourite Kamal Haasan film. Acknowledging that the actor is his biggest inspiration, Kanagaraj said that he "watched Virumaandi six times in theatres. "It released on Pongal and I was studying in college. I was blown away by the script and Kamal sir’s performance. After watching it, I took all my friends as if I myself had made the film. That was the impact," he says, "At the time, I wasn’t aware of its non-linear narrative or that it was the first Tamil film to use live-sync sound." Kanagaraj opines that Virumaandi is one of the finest films ever made. "That court scene, where the priest testifies against Virumaandi, followed by Kamal sir’s reaction... it stayed with me for a long time," he adds.