Tamil film ‘Vikram’, which is attracting better attention on social media than the film ‘Samrat Prithviraj’, is also in the news in Hindi-speaking regions due to its stars Kamal Haasan, Vijay Sethupathi and Fahad Faasil. Talking to reporters in Mumbai about this film being released in Hindi along with the film ‘Samrat Prithviraj’ and the film ‘Major’, Kamal Haasan spoke big on the ongoing controversy regarding Hindi cinema and South Indian cinema. He said that if our cinema is successful, everyone should be happy in it. Like our national anthem is the same. We have the same respect for it. Similarly, our cinema is also one. Whatever the language is we should all celebrate the success of Indian cinema as compared to Hollywood films.
Kamal Haasan
Kamal Haasan is on a stormy tour of the country to promote director Lokesh Kanagaraj’s film “Vikram”. He reached Mumbai via Delhi from Chennai. The trailer of the film is making a lot of noise on social media. Here in Mumbai, he was questioned on the language controversy that started with the tweets of Sudip Kichha and Ajay Devgn during the release of the film ‘Runway 34’. Kamal Haasan revealed during this time that he was very much inspired by Gulzar’s film ‘Achanak’, which released in the year 1973. And, then once he had made up his mind to give up acting and concentrate on directing.
Kamal Haasan
Kamal Haasan, who gained fame in Hindi cinema with his original films ‘Ek Duje Ke Liye’, ‘Sadma’ and ‘Girftaar’, also found great success in Hindi dubbed films such as ‘Hindustani’ and ‘Chachi 420’. Kamal Haasan linked his love for Hindi cinema with films like ‘Mughal-e-Azam’ and ‘Sholay’. Kamal Haasan says, ‘People say that South films are succeeding. But I think it is an Indian film being successful as compared to Hollywood cinema. We learned from films like ‘Mughal-e-Azam’ and ‘Sholay’, how grand and huge films are made. Earlier, we did not even think of making such films. We used to think how can we make such films!’
Kamal Haasan
On the language controversy, Kamal Haasan said, ‘Cinema has its own language. Our country is a country of diversities and yet there is a wonderful unity amongst us. The people of Tamil Nadu do not know Bengali, but they also sing the national anthem and sing it with pride. Overall, they know Bengali too, that’s all. So like our national anthem is one. Similarly, our cinema is one.’
Kamal Haasan says, ‘He used to consider the directors of all the classic Hindi films as revered. Even in his dreams, he never used to come that he would ever be able to meet the makers of these films. He worked with the makers of ‘Sholay’ (Kamal Haasan worked with director Ramesh Sippy in ‘Sagar’). We should understand this and respect each other. If you like a film, don’t go for the language. Praise it. Cinema has its own language, the rest has no language.’