Nobody should meeT my fate.

There is no need for another Kamal Hassan. The next generation should go beyond me.

Do you aspire for an Oscar award?

I am not disappointed that I haven’t won an Oscar, but Rahman has. Unless I work in Hollywood I cannot get an Oscar. But I would be very happy if I bagged an Oscar for lifetime achievement like Satyajit Ray.

Who is your role model?

Sivaji Ganesan. He was the first step in my evolutionary growth.

What is more difficult – direction or acting?

Direction is a multidisciplinary job. A director has to concentrate on various things. But an actor just does his/her role. Direction is much more difficult.

Why have you never tried to convert your fan following into a political force?

People have used various ways to capture power. Cinema has also become an instrument to capture power here. Now TV channels have become an important tool. Every political party starts its own TV channel. One can do politics or social service without going through elections. EVR Periyar achieved much without plunging into electoral politics.

Who are the Hollywood and Bollywood stars you would like to work with?

Some things don’t happen even if we wish. I wanted to do one more film with Sivaji Ganesan but it didn’t happen. I wanted to act with Dilip Kumar. I wanted to act with Naseeruddin Shah and he acted in Hey Ram as Mahatma Gandhi. I would like to act with Woody Allen, William Hurt, Robert De Nero, and Clint Eastwood.

Throughout the world, Hollywood movies are copied…

If you see British TV serials of the 1970s and 80s, you’ll understand where the inspiration for today's US TV serials came from. Hollywood has copied so much from French cinema. True Lies, a Hollywood blockbuster, was lifted from a French film. We are making Unnaipol Oruvan. But we have acknowledged the source: A Wednesday. But America is different. They’ve been aggressors; they conquered the land by force and now treat it as their own. The same attitude prevails in Hollywood.


When did you become an atheist?

I don’t remember. You cannot remember when you started speaking. I did not become an atheist one fine morning. Periyar was not an avatar like Kali. He was a great man like Bertrand Russell. He played an instrumental role in my life. He initiated a process in my life that hasn’t ended yet.

Who is the most important woman in your life?

My mother. A mother’s love is unconditional. All others put conditions. I lost my mother when I was 24. I would like to experience that unconditional love through other women. But with sex there is a little confusion here. Every male faces this dilemma. There is a story about Lord Ganesha. He was worrying about not getting married. He placed his hand on his head with grief. The head had a bulge that reminded him of breasts. That reminded him of his mother. If we have a child with a protuberance in the head, we will admit him/her in a hospital. But we worship Lord Ganesha as a god.

Who is the next Kamal Hassan?

Nobody should meet my fate. I am a great fan of Sivaji Ganesan but I wouldn’t want to be regarded as the next Sivaji Ganesan. There is no need for another Kamal Hassan; the next generation should go beyond me.

How do you participate in the growth of your daughters?

I can allow them to access my experience. That's all. Their journey and vehicle are different. I can't give my wooden stick to someone who has a cell phone. The world has changed.

What kind of bonding did you have with Sridevi, your co-star in 27 films?

Many thought we were in love and would marry. But she was like a close relative. She still calls me Sir.

Nayakan was a milestone in your career. Tell us about Mani Ratnam.

Ours was an open house. Many artists would come and discuss many things. One of them was Subbu, alias Subramani. He used to come along with another person called Kitti. Both were good storytellers and I took them to director Bharathi Raja. I thought he was from a humble family and I didn’t know that he was the son of Rathnam Ayyar, proprietor of Venus Pictures. Later he became Mani Ratnam and started directing movies. When producer Muktha Srinivasan wanted to produce a film, I suggested Mani Ratnam's name. Two stories were suggested to me and I selected the Nayakan story.

On whom did you model the character of 'Nayakkar' in Nayakan?

I knew Vardaraja Mudaliyar personally and the character ‘Nayakkar’ was modelled on him.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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