Kamal Haasan seems to have come to terms with his age in his latest film Uttama Villain

The best news I’ve heard recently is that Rajnikanth will be working with a relatively new director, Ranjith who’s made two immensely watchable films, ‘Attakatthi’ and ‘Madras’. I also like the fact that it was probably not written with him in mind. Ranjith had sent the script to Rajni’s daughter Soundarya for perusal because she works for Eros International. She was impressed enough to feel that the role of the protagonist suited her father and requested him to listen to a narration. Did Ranjith secretly wish this would happen? Well, why not? Rajni listened to the script, nodded in agreement and hugged Ranjith. Now this is the worrisome part because he did the same to Pon Kumaran after listening to the ‘Lingaa’ story.

‘Kalaipuli’ Dhanu, the present president of the Tamilnadu film producer’s council is tipped to be producing the prized project. Dhanu has been awaiting the superstar’s call sheets for more than three decades. He was apparently peeved when ‘Rockline’ Venkatesh was chosen to produce ‘Lingaa’. He must have thanked his stars later! Known to spend lavishly on publicity, Dhanu had told me he’d drop leaflets from helicopters if the superstar agreed to work in his film. This was a long time ago. In the meantime he produced ‘Aalavandhan’ with Kamal, praised him to the skies till the film’s release after which he spewed venom when the film came a cropper. He termed the present project a rumour when I called for confirmation. He probably wants Rajni to announce the film first. Rajni is rumoured to be playing an aging goon without the usual frills. You can only hope that the film is rooted, a tad realistic, is made within a reasonable budget and sold for a rational rate.

I wish Kamal would likewise surrender his inexhaustible talent to a young director with fresh ideas. The main grouse some directors have is that when they approach him with a script he suggests they direct what he’s written. During a meeting, I happened to tell him that he intimidates youngsters. “Tell me who they are. They do come but have nothing striking to offer. It’s not just Kamal to be fed. We have to feel the spirit that’s kindled when we hear something. Success and failure don’t matter. Nobody knows anyway,” he said slightly agitated.

His latest, ‘Uttama Villain’ has evoked extreme reactions. I will not review the film not because the net is overflowing with platitudes but because I feel the film has to be experienced and savoured. There’s nothing complicated. The best thing about Kamal is that he treats you like an intellectual equal not spoon feeding you with overt explanations. He’s confident. The film is like a flower floating in the Cooum river, yet retaining it’s fragrance. Yes, it’s a tad tedious and the CG work could have been better, but the screenplay is mostly seamless oscillating between a character who’s staring at death and another deftly dodging it. Nobody can wring your tear ducts dry like he does, be it in an emotional scene or clutching your gut in a funny one. Kamal has confessed that he’ll never pen his memoirs because the truth will hurt many. He plays an aging superstar here and people are busy speculating how much of it is based on his own life. Well, the character the talented Bhasker plays definitely resembles Kamal’s long time manager DNS who knew the star intimately. I was intrigued by Kamal naming his manipulative father-in-law Porrnachandra Rao. I was reminded of a little-known episode from the 80s when Kamal was ‘sending shivers down the spines of Hindi stars’ like Jeetendra put it. Poornachandra Rao, a big time Telugu producer, started a film starring Kamal, and the tallest superstar (that one’s not difficult) for a Hindi film based on the Richard Dreyfuss starrer ‘Whose Life Is It Anyway’. Kamal played the role of an artiste paralysed neck downwards after an accident who wants to die. The tall superstar played a doctor. 75 per cent of the film was canned when the superstar watched the ‘rush’ print and was overwhelmed by Kamal’s performance. He asked for more footage for him to perform but ultimately offered to work free in Poornachandra Rao’s next film if he shelved this one. The request was acceded to but things were never the same between Kamal and the tall superstar. He has forgiven but definitely not forgotten.

In the 80s Kamal and Rajni played aging characters camouflaging their youthful faces with grey beards in films where they played double roles. This was at a time when fading superstars like Sivaji, MGR, ANR and NTR struggled in vain to look youngFor the last few years Rajni and Kamal were straining to look young. Kamal seems to have come to terms with his age in ‘Uttama Villain’ and ‘Papanasam’. I hope Rajni does with his next film.

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