Your critics feel there is a smugness about your performance. A tendency to show off.
That must have been during Ek Duje Ke Liye (EDKL). I cannot be accused of showing off in Nayakan and definitely not in Mahanadi. Maybe this has to do with the phase an actor goes through. I had a lot at stake during EDKL and I didn’t want to go unnoticed. I think the effort showed. Once the actor is assured of the applause, he settles down. So critics who say that Kamal Haasan is narcissistic are those who’re not updated on Kamal Haasan. I take my critics seriously. And if I’ve to take my cues from them, they had better be constructive and intelligent. If they’re going to be subjective, it means they are misguiding me.
Then why were you upset when they wrote about your failure in Hindi films? Do you accept that your earlier shirking of Hindi cinema was a defence mechanism?
It was... Even now I want to do Hindi films, no matter how late it seems. I’ve made mistakes, but they can be rectified. I didn’t want more money than I had, for I believed that corruption lies in the touch of money. Ideally, one should never give up anything without trying. I gave up Hindi films too easily. I compared it to South cinema and became disillusioned. Today, I watch the Bombay scene far more dispassionately than I did in the past. Bombay creates icons like pop singers that don’t exist for the rest of the nation. The city has a way of functioning where everything outside it is out of focus. They believe they are the fashion makers. And in doing so, they’ve completely lost touch with the rest of India and its roots. If Hum Aapke Hain Kaun....! clicked universally, it’s because it’s a rural film.
If you had to do a Hindi film what kind of a role would it be?
One thing is for certain that I’ll not play a collegian who comes home with four books in hand to scream, ‘Maa mein pass ho gaya’. It will not be like any of my old films. It will have to be a fast-paced subject. And I’d prefer if it is under my own production. We already have two subjects lined up. One is almost complete. Let’s see.
How would you describe the current phase in your career?
There are no major complaints. I’d have preferred it if there was more output. Somehow, a lot of time gets lost in floundering. Even then, my company ‘Raj Kamal Productions’ has given three major hits this year. Magaliar Mattu, Sati Lilavati and Kurudhipunal. The ideal situation would be to have at least four releases a year. Down South this is possible. No film is a problem as long as the script is ready. In my entire career, I’ve never required to shoot more than 70 days per film.
Tell us a little more about ‘Raj Kamal Productions’?
It was started sometime in ‘85. Our first project was an extravagant one - Vikram - but contrary to what was made out, the film wasn’t a flop. Vikram recovered 90 per cent of its expenses. The film released around the same time as my daughter Shruti’s birth. In our second film Kaadal, we signed an outside hero which a lot of them thought was a big mistake. After that came Satya, then Apoorva Sahodarargal, then Thevar Magan, Magaliar Mattu, Sati Lilavati and finally, Kurudhipunal.
Weren’t you supposed to dub Kurudhipunal in Hindi?
The film is inspired from Govind Nihalani’s Drohkaal. The initial agreement was that we’d dub the film in Hindi after it was released down South. The director however had second thoughts. He said that the distributors were asking for refund from territories where Drohkaal hadn’t fared wll. I was willing to consider the proposition as long as the compromise was mutually supportive. It wasn’t. I had to give up the idea because I have my own limitations as a producer.
Why do you think Kurudhipunal succeeded?
I think what worked about the film is the pace. Kurudhipunal is not a film for a common audience like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge or Hum Aapke Hain Kaun...! It belongs to a different genre in comparison. Still, I was very inspired when I saw Drohkaal. I saw a minimum guarantee in the film and that’s why even when Drohkaal bombed, I continued shooting. The remake has chopped off half an hour of the original. The South version is less verbose and more emotional.
| Sarika and I are too independent in our thinking and therefore often tend to disagree. She’s an excellent worker, she’s highly dedicated and disciplined and once on the sets does not indulge in playing Kamal Haasan’s wife. The unit was shocked when she addressed me as ‘Sir’ | |
You’ve written the screenplay of your last three films. How different is the experience of writing from acting?
Ever since I’ve gotten into screenplay writing, I only do one rehearsal. Mugging the lines would take away the spontaneity. It’s something my director cannot come to terms with. How can you disagree with the lines when you’ve written them yourself, they argue. I tell them I can. Earlier, I was the writer. Once on the sets, I’m the actor and I’m entitled to improvisations. During Kurudhipunal, there was a scene on the terrace. On paper, the scene seemed fine. During shooting, I felt doubtful. So I turned to Sarika (who was assisting the director) and asked what she thought? She murmured a weak ‘okay’. That’s not the kind of reaction I wanted. We took another take! Unless I have an alternative suggestion, I don’t insist on a retake.
Does this happen to you often?
Sometimes. See, in practical terms, one extra shot is nothing but an extra 200 feet of raw stock. I do a retake only when I can convince the director that what I have in the offing is better than the original. Mind you, I’m not always right. During the shooting of the clinic scene in Guna, I had to go round the chair in circles... The very first take was fine. But I did two more takes because the actor in me was restless. Eventually, what was retained was the first take. So there are no set rules. Acting is all about flexibility.
What about writing? How and where do you write your scripts?
People often ask me that question. I don’t know. I write anywhere. Most of Thevar Magan was written in Bombay even though the subject has nothing to do with the city. Mahanadi was written in a room without windows and Magaliar Mattu was conceived and written while on my jogging machine. When the scene came to me, I would rush to the computer and punch my notes. Comic but true. My wife understood this and never disturbed me in the exercise room.
Does it make you self-conscious when your wife is working as a technician in the same film?
I’m never self-conscious about anybody. My problem with Sarika working behind the scenes was of a different kind. Sarika and I are too independent in our thinking and therefore often tend to disagree. She’s an excellent worker, she’s highly dedicated and disciplined and once on the sets does not indulge in playing Kamal Haasan’s wife. The unit was shocked when she addressed me as ‘Sir’. A lot of them felt that it was very pretentious of a wife to address her husband thus. But I don’t think so. The ground rules should be the same for everybody.
How do you work on your roles? All your films reflect a character study. Is this conscious?
There are certain films that don’t deserve in-depth study. There have been so many roles where I’ve just walked into the studio, delivered the lines and walked out. Actors, by instinct preserve energies. I can switch on and off a role in a jiffy. You’ll be surprised but I’ve used a lot of my shooting time to write scripts.
Are you trying to say that you’ve given all those performances without any preparation?
The preparation exists but it’s not always at a conscious level. Here, there, inside, outside the home, influences gather... It’s like a buffet laid on the table. Everyone picks and chooses. So do I. Sometimes the combinations work, sometimes it doesn’t. For certain films, it’s a waste of time to go into an indeph character study. These are roles that don’t demand energy. In Sati Lilavati for instance, I’ve only worked on my dubbing. I’ve spoken my lines in a peculiar accent. And it happened naturally. My co-star in the film who can be best described as a young Aruna Irani has a strong Coimbatore accent. All I’ve done is to copy her dialect but it has worked wonders.
How important is a co-star for the success of a scene?
Helluva lot. I call it the ‘caroming’ of reactions. Without the right strike, the coins go into the wrong holes.
Would you say you have struck all the right chords or are there roles you look forward to playing as an actor?
If I were only an actor I wouldn’t even mind considering retiring - or at least taking a long vacation - but because I started my career as a technician and acting happens to be a by-product of it, my decision becomes complex. I call myself a reluctant actor because I just happend to stumble into films. In fact, at the time I made my foray into films, the rules were completely different. I wasn’t considered star material because I was too well-rounded and fair-complexioned to play the hero.
(to be continued)