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Kamal's new ventures
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"Yes, I'm not here for serving art. Aren't we taking money from people for the entertainment we are giving them? It is entirely, purely commercial."
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Kamal Hasan giving foodgrains to a physically challenged person.
HOW WILL you give another man the courage unless you celebrate valour?" he asked when `Virumaandi' entered cinema halls across the State during Pongal.
Fifty days later, Kamal is back from a long holiday, happy. Ecstatic, in fact. Virumaandi's bravado has not gone unrewarded. The movie, which he termed as `The Last of the Mohicans' (implying that it was probably the last time he would spend big money for just a rural market) now, is probably the biggest hit of his career.
And, he's ready to try out something new yet again.
"Very few films have been made for kids. There are movies with kids but not movies made for them. Even the ones made for them, have been laced with sex and violence. `Virumaandi' was made for an adult audience. So we have next decided to do something which children will like to watch," he said.
At a recent press conference, he announced that Raajkamal Films International would produce two films. "One is a movie which I will direct myself and another is a movie for children, which will be directed by Singeetham Srinivasa Rao. Titles, photos and details will be provided later," the once-bitten `Sandiyar' smiled.
"A child will play the lead. And we are still trying to script it in a way that I will have a substantial role too," he said. After `Pushpak,' `Apoorva Sahodargal' and `Michael Madana Kamarajan,' the actor has gone back to his trusted veteran director Singeetham Srinivasa Rao for the project which was initially titled `Krishna Leela.'
"Krishna Leela was a title we registered because we liked it. But we may not use it. `Thevar Magan' was initially called Nammavar," he said.
It is now time for niche films - making films for a specific audience. "You cannot please everyone all the time. So, we at Raajkamal have decided to make different films for different audiences," said the filmmaker with his businessman-mode still on. "Yes, I'm not here for serving art. Aren't we taking money from people for the entertainment we are giving them? It is entirely, purely commercial."
But yes, there is a social side to the actor too. On the occasion of the 50th day of `Virumaandi,' his fan club-turned-social welfare organisation, `Tamizhaga Kamal Hasan Narpani Iyakkam,' donated a day's provisions to a thousand people including the poor and the disabled.
As he always emphasises on such occasions when the media tries to lure him into making political statements, the actor once again, steered clear of it declaring that politics was not his core-competency. "But you have a good heart, you have a huge following. Isn't that all that's required for politics?" a journalist asked.
"It's only because there are people like that, that we have so many bad films today. Just because someone looks good does not qualify him or her to be an actor. Similarly, you need more than just a good heart to get into politics. Not that I am decrying politics. Just that I am not qualified enough. MGR didn't just take his make-up off and become a Chief Minister. Even Sivaji had adequate grounding before joining politics. There is more to it than what you think," the star shot back.
Not that he finds politics dirty or corrupt. "There is corruption everywhere. Even my own industry has corruption. We are guilty of making so many bad films. Even I maybe guilty of some. I may not have been corrupt but I have been careless in spending more money than required or exceeding budgets," he said, much to the surprise of many in the media.
By Sudhish Kamath
Photo: K. Pichumani
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