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| Edited By: Meena Iyer |Source: DNA |Updated: Jul 23, 2018, 06:15 AM IST
Tamil cinema icon and Padma Bhushan recipient Kamal Haasan, who has been making headlines since February when he launched his party (Makkal Needhi Maiam), confesses that his political sojourn is chicken soup for his soul. But the actor, who holds a record 17 Filmfare Awards and three National Awards, also knows that cinema will always remain his first claim to fame. He admits that while he will devote more time to politics from now on, he will come back with a new film each year.
On his recent trip to Mumbai to promote his next action-drama Vishwaroopam 2, After Hrs caught up with the icon, the politician and the parent. Excerpts:
This one is a sequel and a prequel, both. It goes back and forth and to the very beginning of my character, Wisam Ahmad Kashmiri, how and why he was recruited.
I always work on keeping up with the latest. My previous film is my past, my next is my future. I have to move forward and not rest on my past laurels. They’re not even laurels, but only ground covered.
That’s only the miles you cross. Miles are miles, footage is footage, nothing more than that. You have to improvise on it, otherwise someone else will.
Yes, lots of them. I’ve been working with them for various departments. There are two cinematographers and the sound designer Kunal Rajan is from Los Angeles. The stunts have been supervised and choreographed by Stefan Richter from Germany and Parvez and Feroze, who are from here. Besides, a variety of stuntmen were required for the film.
Even before I made a move into politics, I had already started taking up fewer movies.
I like to work only on films where I think I can give it all. I do only one film in a year, sometimes one in two years. This time, there has been a long gap because of politics.
But is politics about calling a hammer a spade? I’m a fan of Mahatma Gandhiji, K Kamarajji, C Rajagopalachariji, and above all, EV Ramasamy Periyar and BR Ambedkar. It looks like I’m picking from across the spectrum. But why not? That is a vantage position that I’m in and being a man of today, it gives me a better angle of our ancestors, to choose politics and not take sides. Shooting straight is something we learnt from Gandhiji and Periyar, both opposite ends of the spectrum. They started together, but ended up on either side.
What can be more touching for me? Fans are a small cluster of people who have a penchant for that kind of work. What I’m receiving after my foray into politics is a traction that is unprecedented in my memory. It’s frightening and encouraging at the same time.
This has nothing to do with cinema. What I’m talking about is something that runs parallel. Many people, who are associated with me, my social work and who are a part of my political journey, haven’t seen my films, some say they don’t like my movies but are with me on this cause. Some of them have seen very few films and say they’re not impressed with them, but they are with me for what I stand for now. Few others say they are fans of another actor, but in this, they are with me. That’s very heartening. I’ve been travelling extensively, three-four days a month to about 20 towns every day, from early morning till late into the night. During the course of my travels, I meet countless people. It is a unique experience. It has nothing to do with the characters that I have played on screen! They don’t call me Venu Nayakan, for example. They connect with me purely for what I am.
I’m also doing reality television entertainment. I’m using it as a platform for talking to people. The reason I’ve taken up this show (Bigg Boss in Tamil) is to communicate with people. The TVP rating of 12.8 is unprecedented and also an encouraging sign. Whether they agree with me or not, they are coming back every Saturday to listen to me talk, not merely about the show, but life, politics and everything that is there. For me, every Saturday is equal to addressing 50-60 public meetings because the reach of the reality show that I am doing is so wide. I’m reaching about 3.7 crore people each weekend. That’s an unheard number even for me.
Yes, Shankar and I are working on it. I don’t know where it will take me, but it seems to be in the correct direction. It looks like it’s going to be my next movie.
The show is only once a week, so that’s four days a month. The rest is all for politics.
As I said, I have reduced my film workload. I am also not taking up direction. It’s a full-time responsibility, like this one (Vishwaroopam 2). I’ve to be there for the mixing and background, etc. Fortunately, I’ve done it all much before I started my party.
It’s not the same from what I hear. Both are on the opposite ends of the spectrum.
I don’t think it will happen now. As it is, both of us are doing few films. Once we’re in politics full-time, it will be even fewer. I don’t think we will do a film together.
My daughters (Shruti and Akshara) are happy. There is no end to my parental duty, it is a lifelong commitment which I have made to my children. However, I am enjoying this new role; not because of the veneration it gets, but because of the satisfaction it gives. I sincerely hope I can give people what they expect from a leader. I will work towards it, I also hope I can get the results they want.
I am. I understand tears, laughter and agony, too. My empathy towards people has increased. Now, there is no cynicism.
Yes, it’s happening. People call it their ‘calling’. I’ve been thinking about it for over 15 years. After the success of a film, I have often said, ‘This is not what I’m meant to do’ and my friends have asked me, what is the meaning of ‘meant to do’? They thought I needed therapy because I was complaining after success. Now I understand what was troubling me. People probably become lawyers, scientists, nuns and evangelists because that is their true calling. My true calling is politics.
But there is no connection with that. A change has been happening within me for some time.
I am the same person. I have the same anger and remorse. But there is also an acceptance of everything around me.
The worst people can say about me is that he’s arrogant and seeking power. That would be the worst insult. But one dare not raise a finger at me because of corruption. No one thinks that I will take away people’s money. They know that I am honest and I have to live by that. I was never avaricious. It was never there in my movies. It was my legitimate money. I could have made a little more or got away with less work, but I’ve never cheated. I’ve broken my back to deliver what I had to.
They were not in the beginning. They asked what happens to the artiste we pride on. We pride on not only knowing the artiste, but having the same DNA. I said nothing happens to the DNA, you carry it on, whether you get into politics, die, change the profession or fail... One can be in the same profession and be obliterated by time. The DNA is still there. I have always wanted to be like people who have waved and walked away from everything in their prime. I’ve spoken to my friends. Many people brag and say that the day they know they are stretching it, they will throw in the towel and walk away. But they don’t do that. They are still hanging on. That is why I have admired someone like Sunil Gavaskar, who quit when he was still at the top of his game.
This is not an alternate at all. This is my dimensional growth. I’m proud of it. And I’m also ashamed that I wasted at least a couple of decades, making this call.
Absolutely, that’s why I keep telling people; for all that life offered me, I gave back very little. I intend to correct that.
