Chennai
'Necessity is the mother of inventions' quoted 'Ulaganayagan' Kamal Haasan when 'Makkal Selvan' Vijay Sethupathi put a question about the dwarf character Kamal played in 'Apoorva Sagodharargal'.
Our status quo could draw parallels with the adage quoted by Kamal Haasan.
It was curtains for cinema halls and public gatherings in the wake of lockdown, making us doubt what could entertain us hereafter (OTT isn't immune to boredom).
The necessity of the space that entertainment deserves has what made Kamal Haasan the guest and Vijay Sethupathi as his host, which couldn't have been invented pre-lockdown.
Stars of two eras converged in an Instagram interview on the page of VJ Abhishek ---- deadly idea brother!
On becoming actor par excellence
Kamal Haasan was asked what made him an exceptional actor, he gave various reasons and credits to many. 'Kerala industry moulded me, as their audience were especially welcoming of experiments', he said. He went on to recount how his acting teacher told him not to stay conscious of his physical faculties while playing a role, 'I was told that when I stopped asking questions on where should I place my hands while speaking lines I would become an actor'.
Commercial Compromises
The Vishwaroopam star was unapproving of director Balu Mahendra's coming down on commercial cinema. 'Charlie Chaplin was pivotal in the way I had to make films, make it for the masses and also with aesthetic sense.' Kamal Haasan feels it is a duty of an actor to strike a balance between commercialities and artiness and that was what he said he aspired to do.
Lessons and applause to VJS
Vijay Sethupathi (VJS) took the hour and half talk smoothly like a trained anchor. The Master star imparted lessons from the legend vis-a-vis himself. Kamal Haasan said it was necessary for an actor to entrench dialogues in him, only that could bring out the variations in him. VJS was appreciated by Ulaganayagan for not running behind market value and doing what will make him grow as an actor.
On Kamal Haasan's friend Santhana Bharathi
Haasan fondly remembers how his friend and filmmaker Santhana Bharathi was watchful of him while he was going through divorce. 'Once I was reading a book with a glass of drink beside, Santhana Bharathi barged in from the back door demanding the glass of drink that Kamal had suspecting it to be a spiked drink', said the Uttama Villain star.
How did 'Appu' become the hero of Apoorva Sagodharargal?
Taking the cue from his idol Charlie Chaplin who played a dwarf for one scene in his movie, Kamal was ignited with a spark. He took the idea to his 'Guru' director K Balachander, who dissuaded him from his 'madness'. The rushes of the scenes shot from the film was screened to director/friend Singeetham Srinivasa Rao and Writer/Friend Ananthu. Both were disappointed with the outcome and so was the producer. Veteran writer 'Panchu' Arunachalam was brought in to the discussion, he was the one who said to make the dwarf-Kamal the hero and further suggested to have a relief with another Kamal (Raja) added with the revenge angle like that of Yaadon Ki Baaraat.
On Centrism and lockdown
Kamal was particularly displeased with the hand-in-mouth situation of the poor due to lockdown, condemning Tamil Nadu Government for its shooing-off activists doing groundwork and projecting itself as the sole purveyor. Vijay Sethupathi put across an opinion that Kamal Haasan's charged letter to PM Modi was for political mileage and popularity. For which the Sakalakala Vallavan star wittily replied, 'I would've earned more popularity if I had written a letter praising the PM'.
VJS requested to dissect Kamal Haasan's party name 'Makkal Needhi Maiam', he started saying that staying in maiam (centrism) is like a denounced sage. Being a centrist he said he cannot be dismissive of left and right. Further explaining, he wants to be right at the centre for the fight for people's rights but stay placid like the centre or eye of the storm where the centre is normal but the surrounding is turbulent.
Marudhanaayagam and Chinna Kansa
VJ Abhishek crept in at the right time with the question unresolved since 1997. When will Marudhanaayagam see the light of the day for which Kamal gesticulated a coin-tossing action symbolising the need for money. Also he pointed out the need for a young hero to play as he is the wrong end of the age to play it. Meanwhile, the Hey Raam star has also got Chinna Kansa written in ballad form based on Lord Krishna's maternal uncle Kansa.
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