Nadigar Sangam elections: Sarath Kumar slams Kamal Haasan over joining rival group

A picture of Sarath Kumar.IB Times India

 

The battle between the two factions of Nadigar Sangam (actors' guild) in Tamil Nadu is heating up with president Sarath Kumar slamming Kamal Haasan after the star joined hands with rival group Pandavar Ani led by Nasser.

After Kamal Haasan lent his support for Nasser's candidature for the president's post, Sarath Kumar came out in open accusing Kamal of not being grateful to him. Kumar cites that he stood by the actor when his "Vishwaroopam" and "Uttama Villain" landed in trouble. But the "Nayagan" star had little courtesy to thank him.

Sarath Kumar went on to add that Kamal Haasan is the man behind the Pandavar Ani and caused division in the actors' guild. The rebel group acts on his behest, accuses Kumar.

The Nadigar Sangam president recalls that he had visited Kamal Haasan to console him when he had announced that he would leave the country following the ban on "Vishwaroopam" in Tamil Nadu.

He also claims, "I have personally worked hard for him. He should ask his conscience. Has he even thanked me for it? He must think about it. When the "Uttama Villain" controversy was on, I worked for 36 hours without sleep to make sure the movie is released," the Times of India quotes Sarath Kumar as saying to a private news channel.

Meanwhile, Nasser denied that Kamal Haasan is behind the rebel group and said that all those who are opposing the present ruling are matured enough to take decisions on their own.

Sarath Kumar has occupied the president post at Nadigar Sangam since 2006 as has been elected unopposed for the last three tenures.

However, it is only this time he has found a rival group with Vishal, Karthi, Khushboo and many others raising red flags against the incumbent administration.

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Big B, Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan pay tribute to Ilaiyaraaja

The music composer was felicitated during the audio release of the film 'Shamitabh'

Cinema superstars Amitabh Bachchan, Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan shared stage to pay tribute to music maestro Ilaiyaraaja at the audio launch of R. Balki’s upcoming directorial venture ‘Shamitabh’.

’Shamitabh’ stars Amitabh Bachchan, Dhanush and Kamal Haasan’s younger daughter Akshara, who is making her Bollywood debut. 

“I am not a trained actor and I came in this industry accidentally. Without your [Ilaiyaraaja] music I don’t think I could have come this far. It’s been 15 years now and every day is full of your music. Every shot is full of your music. I draw my emotions from your music. Thank you Raaja sir for everything,” Bachchan said. 

“We all heard about his music and legendary fan following... We have all heard how his name sold movies. We all heard his name is close to the God in the world of music. We all are here to pay tribute to the divine musician of cinema,” Bachchan added. 

When Bachchan asked Rajinikanth about his experiences of working with the legendary composer, he shared, “I know Raaja sir from early ‘70s. He was very naughty and mischievous person at that time. We both used to gossip and used to have our drinks together till morning. And suddenly, I saw a transformation in Raaja sir which extended to his dressing style. And then I started calling him Raaja swami. He is a saint now and mata Saraswati lives in him.” 

Kamal Haasan, who has worked with Ilaiyaraaja in several films, said, “Out of his 1000 films, 10 per cent are mine. He created the songs but we own it. After the transformation I started calling him my brother. And today after 40 years for the first time I hugged him. I knew that he would have reached 1000 one day.” 

Refuting the rumours of ‘Shamitabh’ being the 1000th music composition of the 71-year-old musician, Balki said, “Let me clarify one thing, ‘Shamitabh’ is not Ilaiyaraaja’s 1000th film. He will reach the milestone with Bala’s upcoming Tamil film ‘Tharai Thappattai’. We are here to celebrate that...1000 is just a number. We don’t need any excuse to celebrate Raaja sir.” 

The evening also witnessed performances by Big B, Dhanush along with singer Shreya Ghoshal and Suraj Jagan. 

“I am thankful to Rajini sir that he came for this function. When I signed ‘Shamitabh’ I never expected that something like this will happen in my career,” Dhanush said. 

The event was also attended by eminent personalities like Sridevi, husband Boney Kapoor, Shruti Haasan, Gulzar, Tabu, Abhishek and wife Aishwariya Rai Bachchan.

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'Drishyam' is like a great shirt you want to wear: Kamal Haasan

Kamal Haasan opens up about 'Papanasam' and a variety of topics including social consciousness and sexual abuse

Kamal Haasan, in his typical style, resorts to an analogy to explain why he chose to do Papanasam. “When we see a good shirt, we immediately want to wear it. Though Drishyam was a film done by a top actor (Mohanlal), I thought it’d be a good idea for me to do it; I wanted to bring it to my people.” In the last five years, the actor has had a mere two releases as lead, Vishwaroopam and Uttama Villain— both imposing, ambitious films. In that sense, it’s not a surprise that people are comparing Papanasam with Mahanadi. “Maybe because I wear a dhoti in both films?” he laughs and shrugs away the comparison.

In Papanasam, he plays a self-made man from Tirunelveli called Suyambulingam. The credit for his Nellai Tamil, he accords to “friends and teachers on the sets”. “The story could have been set in any place really… like Vasool Raja. We could have made that film work in a Tirunelveli setting too.” He also reunites in cinema with his partner, Gautami, who returns to films after 19 years. “I was a bit sheepish when her name was suggested by Jeethu Joseph. I asked her if she wanted to, and she responded by asking me if I thought it was a good idea. And so, we went, back and forth, without quite deciding, until Jeethu convinced us. Now that I’ve seen the film, I can confidently say that she’s perfect in the role. This also made me realise that no matter how experienced one is in the film industry, an outside perspective (Jeethu’s, in this case) can sometimes be a great thing.”

As anybody who’s spoken with Kamal Haasan will attest, he is a man full of interesting little nuggets of information. For instance, when asked about the title, Papanasam, he talks of Nashik in Maharashtra, and explains that its full name is actually Papanashik. “There is also a river called Papanasini (destruction of sins). These are holy places people people go to, to wash away their sins. Like Kasi, Rameswaram and Ajmer.” He lets you make your own conclusions about the film’s story from these little factoids.

It’s terrific to see Kamal Haasan play a ‘normal’ part, says Baradwaj Rangan in his review of 'Papanasam'.Read here

He is reasonably confident of Papanasam’s success. “The story has done well in three languages (Malayalam, Kannada and Telugu), after all.” About the lack of commercial elements, like fight scenes, he isn’t unduly perturbed. “Aval Oru Thodar Kathai ran at a time when MGR and Sivaji films were the rage.” The lesson: a good film does well, even devoid of commercial considerations.

It’s quite intriguing that Papanasam releases a week ahead of Bahubali, a film that has cost over 150 crore to make. When asked if Baahubali’s ambition reminded him of his own Marudhanayagam, a big-budget period film that never got made, he says he has no regrets. “I’d have made that film had American investors not washed their hands off the project. They’re good at doing such things, those Americans.”

Invariably, due to the nature of the film, the conversation veers towards sexual abuse. “Gandhi mentioned that we can consider ourselves to be truly free only when a woman can safely walk outside at midnight wearing her jewellery. So, clearly, we aren’t free yet.” Kamal doesn’t believe that harsher punishment is the way to go though. “What’s ‘harsh’? I don’t support capital punishment as I don’t trust a system with doling out irreversible judgements. As good people, we must practise self-restraint. If the rules stop us from crossing the ‘stop’ line at signals, we must follow them, without waiting for a policeman to enforce them. Take the new helmet rule, for instance. People don’t need to view it as a some draconian law enforced by the government.” Interestingly, it was only recently that Kamal himself apologised for a scene in Papanasam that shows him riding a bike without a helmet. But he also expects people not to take everything in cinema seriously. “MGR hung off chandeliers. We don’t hang off tubelights, do we?”

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Kamal Haasan has reportedly agreed to do another film for producer Lingusamy to compensate for the losses of Tamil drama "Uttama Villain". Comments (0) By: Indo-Asian News Service | Chennai | Published:July 11, 2015 3:09 pm Kamal Haasan, Lingusamy, Actor Kamal Haasan, Kamal haasan Papanasam, Kamal Haasan Uttama Villian, Kamal haasan Lingusamy, Kamal Lingusamy Uttama Villian, Kamal Haasan Papanasam Movie, Kamal Haasan uttama Villian Movie, Kamal Haasan Lingusamy Movies, Entertainment news Actor-filmmaker Kamal Haasan may do another film for producer Lingusamy which will be an out-and-comedy entertainer. Actor-filmmaker Kamal Haasan has reportedly agreed to do another film for producer Lingusamy to compensate for the losses of Tamil drama “Uttama Villain”. “Kamal may do another film for Lingusamy. This will be an out-and-comedy entertainer. Talks were initiated a few weeks back but he’s yet to sign on the dotted line,” a source told IANS. Reportedly, veteran director Singeetham Srinivasa Rao, who has worked with Kamal in memorable hits such as acePushp

Papanasam movie review: 'Papanasam' is the best and the most faithful remake of the original. It shows what Kamal Haasan is capable of doing when he's at his best.

y: Indo-Asian News Service | New Delhi | Updated: July 5, 2015 5:42 pm

Papanasam is a thriller as much as it’s a family drama. It’s about two families and how difficult it is to raise children today.

The Kamal Haasan we get to see in “Papanasam”, the Tamil remake of Malayalam blockbuster “Drishyam”, is the actor that made him a legend; an acting idol for many contemporary and upcoming actors.

Not the star he has grown into in recent years trying to don multiple hats – direct, write, sing, and produce – all at once. And it had become a major concern not because Kamal is bad at these things, but mostly because it made the actor we all love overpowered by the star. So when Kamal, in “Papanasam”, showcases what he can do when he concentrates on only acting, plain acting, it’s a treat to watch him on screen, even if it means for three long hours.

For those who’ve watched the original, its faithful remake “Papanasam” doesn’t come as a surprise, yet Kamal’s presence along with the flawless ensemble performance of the supporting cast makes it a riveting thriller.

Kamal plays Suyambulingam, a cable-TV operator and a cinematic fanatic, whose world revolves around his family; his wife and two daughters. If one of the joys of watching “Papanasam” is to see Kamal, for once, just act, the other is to see the ease with which he slips into the shoes of a villager. Because it’s been a long time since he has played anything close to what we see of him in this film. And it’s terrific to see Kamal play a role that doesn’t require you to brush up your basics about bombs, chemistry, world economy, terrorism, chaos theory et al.

“Papanasam” is a thriller as much as it’s a family drama. It’s about two families and how difficult it is to raise children today. For instance, when Gautami eavesdrops on a conversation in which her daughter talks about being photographed by some kid in school, her instant reaction is funny, but totally understandable. There’s also a wonderful stretch where Kamal feels bad for making his children do things they are not supposed to do and feels guilty about it, only to quickly realise anybody in his place would’ve reacted the same way.

In another beautiful scene towards the end, members of both the families meet and talk about their children. While one family admits to have not raised their child well, the other talks about how selfish they were to save theirs.

The film also focuses on so many other things like class divide, abuse of power, police brutality, and finally on the impact of cinema on our lives. In cinema, it’s tough to differentiate between a truth and a lie because everything that’s shown is mostly taken for granted. We get exactly that in “Papanasama, in which Kamal is the creator, who makes everybody around him believe the lies he shows them.

The film also has a few lovely meta references like the onscreen romance between Kamal and Gautami, who are real life partners. Like Suyambulingam, Kamal too has two daughters and is an avid film lover.

Director Jeethu Joseph needs special mention for bringing back the Kamal we love watching onscreen and also for extracting stellar performances from other actors such as Ananth Mahadevan and Asha Sharath. Ananth’s scene with Kamal in the end is one of the reasons why the film shouldn’t be missed. Nivetha, who missed being part of the original, is terrific.

“Papanasam” is the best and the most faithful remake of the original. It shows what Kamal Haasan is capable of doing when he’s at his best.

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Kamal Haasan may do another film for producer Lingusamy

Kamal Haasan has reportedly agreed to do another film for producer Lingusamy to compensate for the losses of Tamil drama "Uttama Villain".

By: Indo-Asian News Service | Chennai | Published:July 11, 2015 3:09 pm

Actor-filmmaker Kamal Haasan may do another film for producer Lingusamy which will be an out-and-comedy entertainer.

Actor-filmmaker Kamal Haasan has reportedly agreed to do another film for producer Lingusamy to compensate for the losses of Tamil drama “Uttama Villain”.

“Kamal may do another film for Lingusamy. This will be an out-and-comedy entertainer. Talks were initiated a few weeks back but he’s yet to sign on the dotted line,” a source told IANS.

Reportedly, veteran director Singeetham Srinivasa Rao, who has worked with Kamal in memorable hits such as acePushp

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'Kamal Haasan said his greatest challenge was that Mohanlal did the original'

'I thought either Rajnikanth or Kamal Haasan should do Papanasam.'

'Rajni sir liked it but was not sure about how his fans would accept certain scenes, if he were to do it. Like the scene where he is beaten up by a cop.'

'Kamal sir loved the film and agreed to do it.'

'Later, Rajni sir was willing to take it up but by then, the project was already on with Kamal sir.'

Director Jeethu Joseph discusses his well-reviewed film.

Malayalam filmmaker Jeethu Joseph's latest film Papanasam, starring Kamal Haasan, is getting rave reviews.

The film is the Tamil version of Mohanlal's Malayalam blockbuster Drishyam, directed by Jeethu himself.

In an exclusive interview with Rediff.com contributor Vijay George, the ace director talks about Papanasam and his forthcoming projects.

Image: Kamal Haasan and Gauthami in Papanasam

How is the reaction to Papanasam?

I am feeling very happy. If you ask me if such reviews were expected, I would say since there is a cultural difference, we were curious about how the viewers would react.

But the original had a fabulous run in Malayalam and receiving such a response from the Tamil audience is so exciting.

There are reports that Papanasam was rejected by Rajnikanth, before Kamal Haasan agreed to do it.

Not exactly. During the initial discussions, the producers asked about my favourite choices to play the lead in Tamil. I thought either Rajni sir or Kamal sir should do it. Both of them saw Drishyam.

Rajni sir liked it but he was not sure about how his fans would accept certain scenes, if he were to do it. Like the scene where he is beaten up by a cop.

Meanwhile, Kamal sir loved the film and agreed to do it.

Later, Rajni sir was willing to take it up but by then, the project was already on with Kamal sir. We conveyed it to Rajni sir and he was fine with it. 

You made the film in Malayalam and Tamil. Was the second experience any different?

I couldn't add more to the original beyond a point and obviously, the fun of creating something new was missing.

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Kamal Haasan said I can use my eyes to do the talking

Roshan Basheer is still pinching himself to make sure that he is not dreaming. When Jeethu Joseph called him for a part in Drishyam, the youngster had no clue that within a span of two years he would be acting alongside some of the biggest stars of the South — Mohanlal in Malayalam, Venkatesh in Telugu, and now Kamal Haasan in Tamil. "I think of myself as immensely lucky. The child artist Esther and I were the only actors from the original who got to act in all the three versions," says Roshan, who plays the villain in the movie. "To be honest, I never thought I would be called for the Tamil version but then Jeethu Joseph called suddenly and asked if I had the dates for it."

So how was it acting with the three superstars? "I could learn just by spending time with them. The things I learnt from each were entirely different. During the shoot of Papanasam, Kamal Haasan sir would give me several acting tricks and techniques. The best thing he told me was that I had expressive eyes and could use them to do the talking for me," says Roshan, whose blue eyes are his trademark. The actor has also turned leaner in the two years and lost the puppy fat on his face.

And what next? "The Hindi version is releasing, if they call me for that too, I will need nothing more! I'm joking of course, it's an entirely different team in Bollywood. Right now, I'm concentrating on making careful decisions regarding my next projects. I did get many offers after Drishyam but if I had taken up all of them, I might have ended up as a flop actor and would have lost out on the Tamil and Telugu versions. I am waiting for the release of my Tamil film Kuberarasi and am working on a Telugu film too. I am only 24, there is plenty of time ahead. All I know is that I plan to take up films seriously," he signs off.

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About Kamal Haasan

From babyhood to childhood, from adolescence to youth, from manhood to middle age, I have been part of this magician's life... Kamal has evolved into everything that I have dreamed he would be. Indeed, I should never be surprised by anything he achieves, yet I am constantly amazed.

K Balachander, in “His Master's voice 1 September 2010”

Yes, I own Kamal. Yet, he does not belong to me — he belongs to the world of cinema. It is often argued that had he been born abroad, he would have won the Oscar many times over.

K Balachander, in K Balachander praises Kamal Hassan! (2 September 2010)

A few Oscars maybe. But what value are a few Oscars in front of the adulation and warmth of a billion smiles and the awe and respect of a billion salutes? I have never ceased to be amazed by the limits and standards he sets (for) himself — standards that nobody else imagines even exists!

K Balachander, in “K Balachander praises Kamal Hassan! (2 September 2010)”

I did not teach him everything he knows. He just absorbed everything I knew. The rest he discovered himself by asking, probing, begging, watching, observing, reading, demanding, investigating, improvising, experimenting, experiencing, learning and not being afraid of stretching himself beyond his own limits. I only gave him the platform and the opportunity to discover himself. In the process, I was blessed enough to discover myself.

K Balachander, in “His Master's voice 1 September 2010”

He is a legend in every sense of the term. He is a writer, singer, director, lyricist and an actor par-excellence. We are extremely honoured to present the Lifetime Achievement Award to Kamal Haasan.

Shyam Benegal, after Kamala hasan was selected for the honour of the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 15th Mumbai Film Festival for 50 years in the Indian film industry, in Kamal Haasan to be Bestowed with Lifetime Achievement Award (15 September 2013)

I walk down the road and people want to kiss me. I'd never do all that to anyone. Not Bachchan or Rajinikanth. The exception is Kamal. I asked him if I could touch him when I first met him,

Shahrukh Khan, in A dream come true for him (25 August 2006)

He has an amazing sense of using space. When he plays an old man his gait and the way he stands is enough to convey his age. He doesn't need make-up. I find him greater than Dustin Hoffman and Robert De Niro put together, I know Kamal can make you cry with a look in his eyes. I know his pauses. He has an amazing sense of timing that he knows the audience likes. He's a technician par excellence. That kind of knowledge and control every actor should strive to get.

Shahrukh Khan, in “A dream come true for him (25 August 2006)”

It's Kamal who inspired me to do one film at a time.

Aamir Khan in “A dream come true for him (25 August 2006)”

There are some things he can do that others can but there are many things Kamal can do that no other actor can.

Aamir Khan, in “A dream come true for him (25 August 2006)”

He has famously said that he is a reluctant actor. He has an avid interest in every aspect of filmmaking and is known for his work as a choreographer, director, and writer, as well.
Maiam Magazine, in Kamal Hassan Biography

I'm always a Kamal Hassan fan...From day one I was very clear that I was not going to tap his immense talent. I've seen it all and he's done it all. I didn't want him to look different like he is in some of his films. I wanted to make a simple film, which will work for a change. I didn't want him to go overboard with anything. He's a good-looking guy in real life and that's the way I wanted him to look. We wanted somebody very sober and quiet so the histrionics were underplayed.

Gautam Menon, in “A dream come true for him (25 August 2006)” about the Kaakha Kaakha film with kamal hasan in the lead role.

Definitely from the actors I've worked with and the actors I've watched. I was amazed by the distinct way he handles a scene I've written. It was something I wouldn't have thought of. His way of looking at a scene would be different from what was on paper. He's an institution as far as acting is concerned. For example when I took a scene to him he did something that was not on paper, something you don't expect and can't write.

Gautam Menon, in “A dream come true for him (25 August 2006)” about the Kaakha Kaakha film with Kamal hasan in the lead role.

In every theater the collections are going up. Only Kamal can do this sort of a role and the film is a turning point for him. Saravanan also rightly advised Kamal not to sell the film - which cost Kamal Rs.80 lakhs to produce - outright, but only on a commission basis, as he felt it would be a "perennial gold-mine".

Ramesh Menon, on Kamal Hassnan’s success of the innovative Tamil film Apoorva Sahodarakal

(Unique brothers) after a series of flops, in “Comeback king (31May 1989)”

Nobody associated with Sahodarakal is really willing to disclose what camera wizardry it was that finally transformed Kamalahasan into a fascinating midget. Some of the dwarf scenes were shot in a circus playing in Cochin by digging a pit with the actor standing knee-deep in it. The shoes were fixed to his knee and the pit was covered with a carpet.

Ramesh Menon, in “Comeback king (31May 1989)”

I have not seen an actor who would play the most ludicrous roles without bothering about his star image.

Pratap Pothen, in “Comeback king (31May 1989)”

What can we say about Kamal Haasan that has not already been said? This man was born to be an actor. Winning a national award for his first performance as a four year old, he has carved out a niche for himself in the [[w:Film industry|industry like no other actor could. Although his acting has been celebrated over the years, his style has not been given due credit. Kamal’s look not only changed as he grew as an actor but was strategically chalked out to suit each of his characters. From his haircut, to beard, mustache, his wardrobe, he was one of those pioneering actors in India to extremely to use prosthetics for different looks. One could say he was addicted to [[w:Experimenting|experimenting with his looks and characters. Go over his career and you will be amazed with exactly how much Kamal’s style has evolved over the past half century.

Maya Raj, in Southscope July 2010 - Side A

He is truly a master of all the arts. But everything has a reason and I decided to find out why. There is a bit of arts in every one and the goddess of the arts of the arts endows some people with extra gifts and leads them by the hand. People like me, Mammootty, Mohan Lal, Venkatesh and Amitabh Bachchan are amongst those whom the goddess has chosen to lead by the hand. But the goddess has picked up Kamal and cradled in her arms and clasped her to her bosom. I asked her “Is this fair” You are holding Kamal close to you. But all of us are also your children, we should be equal in your eyes.” The goddess replied, “Rajini, you wanted to be an actor and struggled to become one from your last life; but Kamal has desired to be an actor for ten lifetimes. Can I put him down?” I told her, no, goddess, let him stay where he is.” Kamal is truly the favorite child of the goddess of arts. I am proud that my name will also go down in history as somebody who has acted with him.

Rajinikanth, in fulsome of Kamal Haasan, in Rajinikanth: The Definitive Biography (15 January 2014), p. 120

Only an actor of Kamal's calibre can play a Dwarf effectively.

Singetham Srinivas Rao, in “Comeback king (31May 1989)”

I know Kamalahasan rather well personally, but I haven't seen his films. I think he's very talented. I like to talk to him because he's intelligent.

Satyajit Ray, in 'I can hope for nothing more' (25 June 2013)

The range and versatility of Kamalahasan is unbelievable. He is one of our best actors.

Ramesh Sippy, in “Comeback king (31May 1989)”

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