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JJ Abrams erstwhile said, “As a director, each you ever privation is to enactment with actors who marque you look better, who marque the enactment you bash look arsenic bully arsenic it tin beryllium and adjacent amended than it is.” Now, determination aren’t galore actors who are consummate connected this front, but 1 of the astir salient Indian actors to scope this pinnacle of perfection is actor-filmmaker Kamal Haasan. For years now, helium has elevated a movie similar it is nobody’s business, but it is besides important to enactment that this didn’t hap close from his archetypal film. One of the absorbing facets successful Kamal Haasan’s vocation is however helium finds his fewer favourites among filmmakers, and trusts them to present films that not conscionable enactment astatine the box-office, but besides are prime products that would basal the trial of time.
Interestingly, Dadasaheb Phalke grant victor and Kamal Haasan’s guru K Balachander erstwhile said, “I did not thatch him everything helium knows. He conscionable absorbed everything I knew. The remainder helium discovered himself by asking, probing, begging, watching, observing, reading, demanding, investigating, improvising, experimenting, experiencing, learning and not being acrophobic of stretching himself beyond his ain limits.”
So, connected the juncture of his 70th birthday, present are 10 predominant collaborators of Kamal Haasan, who knew the imaginable of the generational talent. It was with these filmmakers that the multi-hyphenate Kamal Haasan asked, probed, begged, watched, observed, read, demanded, investigated, improvised, experimented, experienced, learned, and brushed disconnected the fearfulness of stretching himself beyond limits. Of course, the rider present being they’ve directed him successful 3 films oregon more.
Kamal Haasan and K Balachander
Having started his vocation arsenic a kid actor, Kamal transitioned to playing roles arsenic an big with K Balachander’s Arangetram successful 1973. It was befitting that his large litmus trial arsenic an big was titled Arangetram. Interestingly, from 1973 to 1981, determination ne'er was a twelvemonth erstwhile a Kamal-KB movie didn’t merchandise successful the theatres. The instauration of what was to travel was laid astatine this school. He played a doting lover, a idiosyncratic successful a taboo relationship, a Casanova, a delicate leader who is consumed by the all-encompassing love, an unemployed younker frustrated with society, and an adept instrumentalist touring the world. This was Kamal’s superior schoolhouse of sorts wherever helium could marque mistakes and autumn without a information net. But astatine the backmost of his mind, helium knew, travel what may, helium volition ever person a relation successful a K Balachander film.
Post 1981, determination was a little gap, till they reunited with Punnagai Mannan successful 1986 and Unnal Mudiyum Thambi (1988). It was similar Kamal near portion helium was successful superior school, lone to instrumentality to the aforesaid instauration arsenic a impermanent teacher with the required expertise.
Kamal Haasan and K Balachander from Unnal Mudiyum thambi
Bharathiraja and Kamal Haasan
Of course, the films with K Balachander pushed the envelope of characterisations, but Kamal Haasan needed a filmmaker to propulsion him retired of his comfortableness portion successful presumption of physicality. He needed to beryllium stripped disconnected his ‘strength’ of being a handsome actor. He needed to deglam earlier this was adjacent a thing. And that is erstwhile a debutant filmmaker called Bharathiraja decided to marque 16 Vayathiniley. The movie had Kamal Haasan play a naïve colony bumpkin called Chappaani… I mean, Gopalakrishnan. The movie opened up the gates for filmmakers, with a consciousness of holistic vision, to attack Kamal with their scripts that would necessitate him to alteration his looks, dialogue, persona, etc… In fact, Bharathiraja besides portrayed Kamal Haasan arsenic a suave municipality serial slayer successful Sigappu Rojakkal to equilibrium the characterisation successful 16 Vayathiniley. A fewer years later, helium was a lensman unearthing a nefarious strategy involving supermodels and diamonds successful Tik Tik Tik. It is ironic that Oru Kaidhiyin Diary, which was their last movie together, was astatine its heart, quintessential wide masala movie that wasn’t precisely the benignant of this combination, but became a occurrence nonetheless.
Kamal Haasan, Sridevi and Bharathiraja from 16 Vayathiniley
Balu Mahendra and Kamal Haasan
If determination was 1 marque of filmmakers that Kamal Haasan genuinely revelled in, it was with the auteurs who had implicit bid implicit the trade and wanted to archer untold stories successful their ain way. Probably wherefore Kamal Haasan and Balu Mahendra got connected similar a location connected cinematic fire. It was wide wherefore Balu Mahendra wanted Kamal Haasan to prima successful the pb successful the Kannada film, Kokila, which was the former’s directorial debut. But watching the gripping communicative unfold, it was wide wherefore Kamal Haasan wanted to beryllium a portion of the movie too. It was an affectional play that was inactive cinematically rich. The visuals were exquisite, and the movie ‘looked’ antithetic contempt inactive being astir 2 men, and a pistillate successful their lives, which was by past a trope successful galore Kamal Haasan films. Then, Balu Mahendra gave Kamal Haasan 1 of his astir seminal roles and the archetypal National Award for Best Actor successful Moondram Pirai. His Srinivas aka Cheenu became the relation that would apical immoderate he’d done truthful acold successful Tamil cinema. He made Kamal reprise the relation successful Sadma, the Hindi mentation of Moondram Pirai, and it was inactive the embodiment of ‘Rose by immoderate different name…’ And it is beauteous however aft each those years, much than a decennary later, this combo reunited for Sathi Leelavathi, a laughter riot that was… hold for it… astir 2 women, a man, and a person caught successful the crosshairs.
Kamal Haasan, Sridevi and Balu Mahendra from Moondram Pirai
K Viswanath and Kamal Haasan
For each intents and purposes, Kamal Haasan was 1 of the pioneers of the pan-Indian question successful Indian cinema. Of course, helium had his basal successful Tamil cinema, but adjacent astatine the heights of his stardom, helium ne'er shied distant from shedding the superstar representation and effort antithetic things successful different languages. Kamal Haasan besides had the luck that helium worked with immoderate of the astir accomplished filmmakers of Indian cinema successful their astir important works. When K Viswanath, the doyen of Telugu cinema, wanted to formed a prima who could creation similar a dream, and enactment similar a beast successful Sagara Sangamam, helium knew whom to cast. When helium wanted to marque a movie astir a naive antheral who was profoundly successful emotion with the pistillate that cared for him successful a satellite that wasn’t accommodating him successful Swathi Muthyam, helium knew whom to cast. And erstwhile KV decided to measurement successful beforehand of the camera for a narration play astir the purity of unadulterated love, respect, and reverence successful Subha Sankalpam, helium knew whom to cast.
To instrumentality a leafage retired of today’s lingo, KV and KH ate and near nary crumbs.
Kamal Haasan and K Vishwanath from Swathi Muthyam
SP Muthuraman and Kamal Haasan
Even arsenic the films with K Balachander, K Viswanath, Balu Mahendra and Bharathiraja were satiating the performer successful Kamal Haasan, and of course, gave him box-office success, the histrion knew the value of churning retired the ‘mass household entertainers’. And determination was conscionable 1 sanction helium trusted successful the 70s and 80s; the 1 manager who was instrumental successful him becoming an histrion erstwhile helium was conscionable a 5-year-old. As the ‘act’ successful histrion was satiated by the aforementioned filmmakers, SP Muthuraman took attraction of floating the commercialized vessel of the ‘star’ successful Superstar. Even if years later, Kamal wasn’t comfy with the benignant of films helium was doing successful this period, determination is nary uncertainty that these films gave him the wings to experiment, fail, experimentation more, succeed, experimentation a batch more, neglect and triumph alternatively, and yet find a mode to bash what helium wanted. Of course, they did their stock of aggravated dramas similar Oru Oodhapoo Kan Simittugiradhu oregon the enactment play Aadu Puli Aattam, but this operation volition ever beryllium known for its Sakalakala Vallavan, Thoongathey Thambi Thoongathey, Enakkul Oruvan, Japanil Kalyanaraman, and their last collaboration, Per Sollum Pillai. These were the ‘easy’ films but if you look adjacent enough, they were thing but. There was a furniture of ‘enhanced performance’ successful each these roles, but the bosom of it was masala, and it ushered successful the epoch of Kamal Haasan balancing some his wishes and the marketplace forces similar a boss.
Kamal Haasan successful Sp Muthuraman’s Sakalakala Vallavan
Suresh Krishna and Kamal Haasan
What genuinely defines Kamal Haasan’s narration with his filmmakers is the respect helium gives for their imaginativeness erstwhile helium brings them onboard to fulfill his. Sometimes, it is each astir the vibe. That is why, his films with manager Suresh Krishna were precise angst-driven and yet rather upbeat. It was besides astir apt due to the fact that they were of the akin age. After moving with filmmakers who were atleast a decennary older than him, helium was yet capable to explicit himself without explaining much. That is why, erstwhile helium decided to remake the 1985 film, Arjun, Kamal believed his guru K Balachander’s adjunct Suresh Krishna was the close choice. Here was a filmmaker who learnt the trade from the aforesaid school, imbibed the sensibilities of Hindi cinema, and understood Kamal. That is why, erstwhile again, astir a decennary aft Sathyaa and the comic caper with a acheronian twist, Indrudu Chandrudu, Kamal Haasan trusted Suresh Krishna with his ambitious Aalavandhan. Now, with the films of Kamal Haasan, determination is nary constituent successful bringing successful box-office results. It is each astir legacy, and what was 1 of the highlights of this combination? Quentin Tarantino revealed that helium was inspired by the movie to tin a fewer scenes successful his iconic Kill Bill series. Now, that’s legacy.
Kamal Haasan, Ilaiyaraaja and Suresh Krishna from Sathya
IV Sasi and Kamal Haasan
There is nary uncertainty that it was Malayalam cinema that made him a ‘hero’ first. Even today, Kamal Haasan talks astir Malayalam manufacture fondly, and is considered arsenic an elder statesman of the Kerala cinema. As an histrion who enjoyed grandeur, vision, and pace, Kamal Haasan recovered manager IV Sasi to beryllium that cleanable foil. Just similar KB, Sasi besides directed Kamal Haasan successful 3 antithetic languages — Tamil, Malayalam and Hindi — and each their collaborations were ambitious. Who’d person thought to marque an Aladdin movie successful Tamil and Malayalam, and formed Kamal successful the titular role? IV Sasi did. Who’d person thought to marque a Batmanesque vigilante movie with Kamal successful the titular role? IV Sasi did. And who gave Kamal his astir iconic relation successful Malayalam cinema done the hard-hitting Eeta? IV Sasi did. Oh, and helium besides remade Tik Tik Tik successful Hindi arsenic Karishma with Kamal Haasan reprising his role.
More than anything, IV Sasi, 1 of the astir prolific Indian filmmakers, gave a immense canvas to Kamal Haasan to ply his wares. It was astir similar Kamal ticking the boxes of his puerility — playing Aladdin and conjuring up the magical genie, playing Batman and vanquishing villains.
Kamal Haasan with IV Sasi
Singeetham Srinivasa Rao and Kamal Haasan
If IV Sasi helped Kamal Haasan tick the boxes that helium mightiness person had arsenic a child, determination was 1 filmmaker who helped him tick the boxes connected his wishlist arsenic an adult. When helium wanted to play a unsighted violinist successful a romanticist play for his 100th film, Raajapaarvai, Kamal wanted Singeetham Srinivasa Rao to nonstop it. When helium wanted to play an unemployed younker for the umpteenth clip but wanted it to beryllium a soundless movie successful Pushpaka Vimana, SSR directed it. When helium wanted to play a dwarf for the full magnitude of a movie successful Aboorva Sagodharargal, SSR was his partner. When helium wanted to play 4 characters successful a drama of errors successful Michael Madana Kamarajan, well… you cognize what would person happened. During the trying times of the industry, erstwhile helium wanted to bash a ‘simple’ and yet timeless drama successful Kadhala Kadhala, Singeetham stepped in. And of course, erstwhile helium wanted to experimentation with utilizing the integer camera for the archetypal time, and wrote a heist movie with oddball characters that were decidedly a risky matter successful Mumbai Xpress, Singeetham was already there.
Kamal dreamed; Singeetham executed. And they became a operation that would not conscionable basal the trial of time, but would beryllium the golden standard.
Kamal Haasan and Amala with Singeetham Srinivasa Rao
KS Ravikumar and Kamal Haasan
If the skipper of the vessel of Kamal Haasan’s dreams was Singeetham Srinivasa Rao, the Chief Mate was KS Ravikumar. Not each imagination had SSR steering the ship, astatine times, it was KSR. And those voyages weren’t casual sailings either. Their archetypal collaboration was the comedy, Avvai Shanmughi, which featured Kamal Haasan arsenic a wizened aged pistillate who has to triumph backmost the emotion of his estranged woman and daughter, and crook down the romanticist aspirations of 2 chiseled gentlemen. Then, they did the drama caper Thenali, which saw Kamal Haasan play an Eelam Tamil idiosyncratic who battles interior fears, and finds emotion successful the times of treatment. Interestingly, astir of their films were fundamentally comedies, written by Crazy Mohan oregon Kamal Haasan, and each collaboration was box-office golden and top-tier additions to Indian cinema’s finest comic films. Panchathanthiram was their crown jewel, and Manmadhan Ambu fell nether the ‘so close… if only’ category.
Oh, and betwixt each of this, they did Dasavatharam, which featured Kamal Haasan successful 10 roles.
Kamal Haasan with KS Ravikumar
Kamal Haasan and Kamal Haasan
It is beauteous however Kamal Haasan was champion directed by the antheral who knew him best… Kamal Haasan. Of course, helium made his directorial debut with the Hindi remake of his precise ain Avvai Shanmughi, but his archetypal Tamil movie established that Kamal Haasan was a superior filmmaker.
Hey Ram is an important section successful the pages of Indian cinema. He wasn’t conscionable different filmmaker trying to present hits. He was doing thing overmuch bigger. It is inactive 1 of the top films made by an histrion successful Indian cinema. It was going to beryllium precise very pugnacious for anyone, including him to lucifer the standard oregon the imaginativeness of Hey Ram.
Four years later, Kamal Haasan made Virumaandi. Now, it is, of course, up for statement if Virumaandi is greater than Hey Ram, oregon the second inactive holds the apical position. But marque nary mistake, it is an statement worthy having. The craft, the content, the performances, the music, the making, everything came unneurotic similar a fantastic symphony successful some Virumaandi and Hey Ram. Two contrasting films, 2 contrasting styles, and 1 antheral stood connected apical of it some proclaiming to the satellite that determination is nary similar him.
Eight years later, helium made Vishwaroopam, which was a planetary spy thriller. A play film. A agrarian enactment drama. A slick municipality film. It is absorbing however his 3 films with himself were arsenic antithetic arsenic chalk from cheese, and yet, highly intimate and reflective of his principles.
Kamal Haasan connected the sets of Hey Ram
As Aamir Khan erstwhile said, “There are immoderate things helium tin bash that others tin but determination are galore things Kamal tin bash that nary different histrion can.”
Basically… What adjacent for the man, who is presently successful the USA learning Artificial Intelligence, and however to usage it successful films?
As always… everything.
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