Actor Kamal Haasan met the press on Tuesday, at his office on Eldams Road. Over the course of the event, Kamal Haasan revealed, among other things, a dialogue from his upcoming film – Uttama Villain.
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Director K Balachander wasn’t quite sure about accepting the offer to act in Uttama Villain. The director told Kamal that owing to his ill health, they might have to halt production midway. “I understood what he was insinuating. I told him that I’d rewrite the story if anything happened to him.”
That said, Balachander plays Margadarsi, Kamal’s mentor in the film. “His character connects the two different storylines in UV. “‘
“Enakku therinja oldest young man neenga dhaan, sir.” – Kamal narrated the story behind this dialogue with great relish. “KB and I were speaking about his role in the movie. He still had some doubts about taking it on and frequently said that he was an old man. That’s when I told him that he was the oldest young man I knew. As with everything else, this personal moment too came into my films.”
Kamal Haasan handed over cheques to KB sir and Savithri amma on behalf of Raaj Kamal International. But, the project did not materialise at all.
The villain in Uttama Villain doesn’t have anything to do with the English ‘Villain’. “Idhu Tamizh villan..as in a person who’s adept at playing string instruments. Like Villadhi Villan. Not a guy who’s a baddie.”
Controversies always surround Kamal’s films. “They always find me. With Sandiyar, Thenali, Mumbai Talkies…the list is endless. Even Papanasam has been in some trouble in the past. But I’ve weathered them all.”
Kamal doesn’t know why Viswaroopam 2 hasn’t released yet. “I do not have any problems with the producer Aascar Ravichandran. I also know that he’s not in any kind of financial trouble. The reasons he gives me are also not something I understand.”
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Plagiarism in the industry has reduced a lot, Kamal observed. “There’s greater awareness of world cinema than before. Now that there are so many more people who point out when a film has been copied from another, blatant copying has reduced.”
Going on a fast to curb piracy is not going to solve things. “Some concrete decisions need to be made by the Producers’ Council. I’m also not in agreement with their decision to stop filming for three months to stop piracy.”
Repaying losses to distributors is not good. “I believe that this is a dangerous precedent. lloAlso not good is claiming compensation from the makers of the film. This is business. One cannot simply ask for their money back.”
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