All actors have become businessmen: Kamal Haasan
Actor-director feels this business is all about money and fame.
Kamal started as a child actor in 1960. PHOTO: FILE
MUMBAI:
He has a filmography of 150 and enjoys superstar status but actor-film-maker Kamal Haasan says he is a dissatisfied man. He wants to learn and achieve more on the creative front and also wants his movie business to flourish. “If I have the sense of satisfaction, I won’t be working or giving this interview. There is a lot more to learn and I am a dissatisfied man. I am happy, but not content,” Kamal told IANS.
“I came as a technician first and by default I became an actor. But I am happy and not complaining,” he added.
The multi-faceted star, who is a National Award winner as well as a Padma Shri awardee, is afraid of losing his zeal to perform.
“Achievements are decided by people and I think necessity is the mother of invention. I live by the necessity, but somebody will call it as invention or achievement. What scares me most is when I lose the need to perform with the excitement of any creativity. If it happens, I will live with it too. I will find something else,” he said.
He started as a child artist in 1960, and established himself with movies like Moondram Pirai, Saagar, Sadma and Pushpak.
Currently, he is looking forward to the release of his next Tamil film Vishwaroopam, which will release as Vishwaroop in Hindi. Directed by Kamal, the film is coming out January 11 and the cast includes Shekhar Kapur and Rahul Bose.
Kamal, whose daughter Shruthi too is in showbiz, rues how almost all actors across the board have become “businessmen”.
“Most stars are businessmen. The moment you become a star, you are talking about money and fame. It’s not about the content or artists’ skill any more. It’s the collection that always matters. The numbers have now increased to match along with the population,” he said.
He also admits that if Vishwaroopam doesn’t cross INR1.5 billion, then it would be a failure to him.
“If this film doesn’t cross INR1.5 billion, then it is a failure for me. I would call it a weak attempt if it doesn’t. It has to cross INR1.5 billion, and we really hope that we cross in the first week itself,” said Kamal, who has made lavish films like Hey Ram and Dasavatharam.
“It’s the most costly project and ambitious too by virtue of what we have tried to achieve and the ambition was realised because of the technicians. I have the best team working with me,” he said.
At 58, he still feels he is a part of the competition.
“I feel the competition all the time. Well, I have competitors in various ages — from 18 to 65, I have competitors,” he conceded.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 10th, 2013.
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He has a filmography of 150 and enjoys superstar status but actor-film-maker Kamal Haasan says he is a dissatisfied man. He wants to learn and achieve more on the creative front and also wants his movie business to flourish. “If I have the sense of satisfaction, I won’t be working or giving this interview. There is a lot more to learn and I am a dissatisfied man. I am happy, but not content,” Kamal told IANS.
“I came as a technician first and by default I became an actor. But I am happy and not complaining,” he added.
The multi-faceted star, who is a National Award winner as well as a Padma Shri awardee, is afraid of losing his zeal to perform.
“Achievements are decided by people and I think necessity is the mother of invention. I live by the necessity, but somebody will call it as invention or achievement. What scares me most is when I lose the need to perform with the excitement of any creativity. If it happens, I will live with it too. I will find something else,” he said.
He started as a child artist in 1960, and established himself with movies like Moondram Pirai, Saagar, Sadma and Pushpak.
Currently, he is looking forward to the release of his next Tamil film Vishwaroopam, which will release as Vishwaroop in Hindi. Directed by Kamal, the film is coming out January 11 and the cast includes Shekhar Kapur and Rahul Bose.
Kamal, whose daughter Shruthi too is in showbiz, rues how almost all actors across the board have become “businessmen”.
“Most stars are businessmen. The moment you become a star, you are talking about money and fame. It’s not about the content or artists’ skill any more. It’s the collection that always matters. The numbers have now increased to match along with the population,” he said.
He also admits that if Vishwaroopam doesn’t cross INR1.5 billion, then it would be a failure to him.
“If this film doesn’t cross INR1.5 billion, then it is a failure for me. I would call it a weak attempt if it doesn’t. It has to cross INR1.5 billion, and we really hope that we cross in the first week itself,” said Kamal, who has made lavish films like Hey Ram and Dasavatharam.
“It’s the most costly project and ambitious too by virtue of what we have tried to achieve and the ambition was realised because of the technicians. I have the best team working with me,” he said.
At 58, he still feels he is a part of the competition.
“I feel the competition all the time. Well, I have competitors in various ages — from 18 to 65, I have competitors,” he conceded.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 10th, 2013.
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