Akshara Haasan finds comparisons with her parents 'unfair'

Mumbai: Actress Akshara Haasan, ready to make inroads in Bollywood with ‘Shamitabh’, finds comparisons with the talent of her parents - Kamal Haasan and Sarika - unfair.

Akshara, who is sharing screen space with actors like Amitabh Bachchan and Dhanush in the R. Balakrishnan-directed ‘Shamitabh’ said, "It's unfair to compare me with my parents because their experience is too much...so we can't compare.

"My parents have done lots of films and to reach that level is not possible. I don't think I can reach the level that my parents have achieved. Wherever I can reach, I will focus on that."

Akshara, whose sister Shruti too is an actress, says she's thankful to get a "guru and friend" in her director.

Parvathy Nair in demand in south films

When it rains, it pours. Not even in her wildest dreams did former Miss Karnataka Parvathy Nair thought she'd get to work with two superstars - Kamal Haasan and Ajith Kumar. Talking about working in highly anticipated Tamil films Yennai Arindhaal and Uttama Villain, a beaming Parvathy told us, "I never expected to be part of these projects. I did expect some small films to come my way because that's how a newcomer starts in the industry. You need to prove in the smaller films to get noticed. But both these films came to me quite unexpectedly."

She still wonders how her photo graphs ended up with the makers of these films. "It was surprising because all this didn't even happen through a manager or a casting agent. I just got calls from their offices," she said.

Just a week away from the release of Yennai Arindhaal, Parvathy admits she's nervous, but looking back at the experience of working with Ajith and filmmaker Gautham Vasudev Menon makes her smile. "It was the most comfortable team I've worked with. Everybody made me feel like family and I was so excited to go and shoot every day. On the last day of the shoot, I felt so bad to leave the place. The shooting environment was so much serene and fun."

When she was approached for the project, Parvathy had no clue about her role or its length but she placed her faith in Gautham. "He's known to portray women in films in strong roles and make them stand out. That's precisely why I didn't have any second thoughts about being part of the project,"says the Bengaluru-based actress.

On the last day on the sets of the film, Ajith floored her with a life-size photograph, which she hung it on her home wall. "He's a great photographer and he likes to click pictures between shoots.He captured me in a very candid pose and I didn't even realise it. He got the black-and-white picture printed, framed and gifted me. I think the picture is a gesture of appreciation for my work. It definitely means a lot coming from him," she confessed.

"I WAS VERY NERVOUS'

Parvathy's role in Uttama t Villain was penned by Kamal Haasan, who plays dual role in the film. But that doesn't make it any more exciting than work ing alongside the legend.

"Before joining the sets of Uttama Villain, I was really nervous and wondered how I am going to face him. I've seen him on screen as a star, so to act alongside him was not easy. As a youngster, I had once met him in AVM studios and I ran up to him to click a picture. I've never run to click pictures with any celebrities. It has only happened with Kamal sir because I see nobody else as a bigger star than him. So it was a big deal to act with him," she said.

Says Parvathy, "Ajith and Kamal took efforts to make me feel comfortable since I'm a newcomer.What I realised is that the star status is something they're known for on screen but they're the exact opposite off-screen."

In both the films, Parvathy plays different roles of different age groups. "I also have completely different looks and you'd wonder if it's the same person who has worked in them. I'm fortunate enough to be essaying versatile roles so early on in my career in such huge films."

Akshara Haasan rejects Pawan Kalyan?

Akshara Haasan, daughter of Kamal Haasan-Sarika and younger sister of Shruti Haasan, reportedly turned down Golden chance to pair up with Pawan Kalyan. According to grapevine, the makers of Gabbar Singh-2 have approached Akshara for the Gabbar Singh sequel to which Akshara gently declined citing that it'd raise expectations bar for her next films and so responsibilities.

Since Shruti was the female lead in blockbuster Gabbar Singh, Pawan evinced interest to rope in Akshara for the sequel which would also add more buzz to the project. But Akshara could not agree as she wants to take some more time before making her debut down the south and wants to prove herself with her maiden film Shamitabh opposite Dhanush and Amitabh. Whatever be the reasons, Akshara has missed the golden opportunity and now the lucky chance bagged by Anisha Ambrose.

Uttama Villain’s audio release on march 1st !! .

2015 is going to be Ulaganayagan’s year for he has three releases lined up- ‘Uttama Villain’, ‘Papanasam’ and the much awaited ‘Viswaroopam 2′. Now we have received news that, the audio of ‘Uttama Villain’ is all gearing up to release by march 1st and Kamal has also hinted that the movie in itself will hit the screens by April as a summer treat.

‘Uttama Villain‘ is directed by Ramesh Aravind has a stellar cast of Kamal Haasan, the late K. Balanchander, Pooja Kumar, Andrea, Nassar, Jayaram , K. Viswanath and many others.

KH updates on uthama villain

KH updates on "UTTAMAVILLAIN": http://youtu.be/hXK4dBcXcgY

Marudhanayagam trailer official

Maruthanayagam Official Trailer: http://youtu.be/Fd6H0qEYTR4

Rare video of kamal

|Rare Video| Kamal Haasan's Short Interview about Hey Ram & Marudhanayagam: http://youtu.be/9zhaeaQFtzk

Marudhanayagam title track

Marudhanayagam Title Track (Life Story Song): http://youtu.be/wUEHuQixfGg

KH answers rohini

KH answers Rohini (actor): http://youtu.be/ZQJvMjRwgDk

kamal answers shruthi

KH answers Shruti Haasan: http://youtu.be/zCUypF_PBQ8

Making. Of viswaroopam 2

Making Of Viswaroopam 2 -- Kamal Hassan: http://youtu.be/5WPfLbIO6wI

Viswaroopam 2 secret

Viswaroopam 2 secret-Jaideep vs Kamal Haasan on latest release & upcomin...: http://youtu.be/akb1rtU3GRc

In Uttama Villain Trailer, Kamal Haasan Plays an Ageing Superstar

The highly intriguing trailer of actor-filmmaker Kamal Haasan's Uttama Villain was unveiled online on Tuesday by the film's producer Linguswamy.

Mr Haasan plays an ageing superstar as well as an eighth century theatre artist in the film which is directed by his friend and actor Ramesh Aravind.

Late legendary filmmaker K Balachander has essayed an important role in the film, which also features ace Telugu director K Vishwanath.

When silence is the song

Shruti Haasan made her playback debut at the age of five, singing an Ilayaraja composition in her father Kamal Haasan's film, Thevar Magan. The maestro also scored her first Hindi song, a duet with her father for Chachi 420. She went on to record Hindi and Tamil versions of Rama Rama with Kamal for his bi lingual period drama, Hey Ram and the Ilayaraja score won her lots of praise.
"Raja sir was very encouraging, telling my parents, `The girl can sing'," reminisces Shruti, who turned 29 yesterday and once again collaborated with the legendary composer for Shamitabh's Sannata. 

"This time my father was not involved but Rajini sir was. The tune is a remixed version of a'80s track, Asaiya kathula composed by Raja sir for Johnny which starred Rajini sir in a double role opposite Sridevi. The song was a huge hit back then and it felt special recreating such an iconic song from Tamil cinema 35 years later, for a Hindi film. The tune has been restructured for today by making it more robust and layered," says Shruti. 

The song has been picturised on her sister Akshara who is making her debut opposite Dhanush in the film directed by R Balki. 

"I wasn't thinking of Dhanush or her or even Mr Bachchan (Amitabh) during the recording. I have yet to see the film. Like everybody else, I've only seen the trailer.Akshara looks amazing and since Balki sir is a phenomenal director, I'm sure it'll be a superb debut," she says confidently. 

Meanwhile, lyricist, Swanand Kirkire who's a friend of her mother, Sarika, and has seen Shruti grow up, is all praise for her. "Shruti is a fantastic singer and it's just a coincidence that she's Akshara's sister. She has the throw and the range and the way she pronounces Sannata is fabulous. No other singer could have pulled off this song, Raja sir was categorical that this was the voice he wanted," he says. 

The recording was just half a day's work at Ilayaraja's sprawling studio in Chennai which has a series of booths but also a huge hall where you can record with a string quartet. "After recording in matchbox size cubicles, it was wonderful to go back to this old school studio in Chennai and record a song under the baton of my first composer," Shruti smiles. 

And unlike her earlier song for Tevar, Joganiyan, Sannata was a song right up her alley. "They wanted me to sound like myself. The pitch was high, but within my range. I just had to ensure that I was able to translate Raja sir's vision musically," she says. 

She's equally gung-ho about Swanand's quirky lyrics. "It's not your usual pyaar kiya hai kind of a song. I like the way he has incorporated different kinds of sounds and different genres and a sprinkling of singers and lyricists whom we cannot do without, and that includes him too," she laughs. 

Swanand points out that you don't need singers and song writer when the hero is mute and his song is silence... Sannata. 

"It was great fun jamming with Balki and Raja sir who I have worked with earlier in Paa. He's an institution in himself who pays minute attention to words, nuances and tonality. I came up with Piddly because of him. I had started out with the word Alam Ara but he insisted he wanted something small and threw me some Tamil words, one of which was idli from which Piddly came about," informs Swanand. "Fortunatelym in this case we already had Sannata. The word has different connotations, from terror to danger, but in this case we've brought in an element of humour." 

Quiz Shruti on what sannata means to her and she quips, "It's a necessity at a time when thanks to all the over-thinking, our head is buzzing with noise and chaos. It's essential to enjoy the silence too."

Rajinikanth & Kamal Haasan:Who is going to finish it on a high note?

Yes, we are talking about the legendary Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan who are celebrated by the entire nation and remain to be the pride of Tamil cinema…

If we look at Rajinikanth and Kamal’s career, it’s like watching a see-saw game. At one point of time Rajinikanth would have been at the top and sooner or later Kamal would have broken the record and vice-versa, except for the last five years it is Rajinikanth’sEndhiran (2010) that remains at the top.

Both Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan were commercial actors till the early 1980s. Thanks to Nayagan (1987), Kamal slowly shifted to the less travelled path and it equally helped and tested his ambitious super-stardom. Some of his experiment blended with commercial films like Apoorva Sagothargal , Kuruthipunal, Thevarmagan and Indianstood as a tough competition for Rajini.

Though Rajini acted in experimental films likeMullum Malarum, Sri Raghavendra and Netrikann and proved his acting prowess, post 90s he projected himself as larger-than-life hero which made him as darling of masses and people gave him the majestic Superstar throne.

Back then, any layman/ intellectual would have said that the path chose by Rajini is the best and Kamal’s experiments are unnecessary but now it looks like Kamal chose a safer path and not Rajini.

Today, Rajini is not in a mood to play roles that suit his age, he doesn't want to give a family dramas likeMullum Malarum anymore and all he wants to do is a big budget commercial extravaganza that requires mammoth investment. If there is a worthy director like Shankar is on board then there is no problem but look at Rajinikanth’s last two films,

Kochadaiiyaan and Lingaa that brought losses to its buyers and raised a lot of questions on his super-stardom. Also Rajinikanth can’t afford to choose a promising upcoming director or music director for his films, he definitely needs an AR Rahman, and his films definitely need a top shot cinematographer and expensive technicians.

Kamal could direct his own films even when in his late 60's and 70's just like Clint Eastwood. Major advantage is that today Kamal Haasan is having a massive respect and fan following among young audience who are raving about his Anbe Sivam andHey Ram, they want more such films from him and he can do it till the end of his life but Rajini’s case is different.

Ilaiyaraaja saved Kamal Haasan from re-shooting many portions of Hey Ram

Kamal Haasan revealed about a certain incident during the making of his film Hey Ram that not many know of.

The actor, who had also produced and directed the crime drama film, simultaneously made in Tamil and Hindi and released in 2000, had first approached another music composer and recorded the songs for the film. He further shot the songs but wasn't too happy with the results. He sheepishly went back to the legend Ilaiyaraaja and asked him to change the music.

Ilaiyaraaja looked at the edited version of the songs and while looking at the lip sync composed fresh music and synced with already shot portion. So there was no need to re-shoot. "It was an incredible feat..that on lip sync lyrics were fixed," said Amitabh Bachchan while clapping.

READ: Kamal Haasan: Lesser known facts

When Amitabh asked Rajinikanth whether he ever disagreed with Ilaiyaraaja, the latter replied, "I never interfere because music is not my field, I leave everything to him."

Added Kamal Haasan, "I feel I am interfering but actually I am learning. Whenever I argue, he hears me out and explains to me that why I am not right."
And Big B narrated his own experience during the making of Paa few years back when he sang in front of the legend. "I never dared to sing in front of him because it could be embarrassing but during the song recording of Paa, I had to sing in front of him. But yes, I got the opportunity to stand with him in the same room," said Amitabh.

Kamal Haasan: I finally managed to hug Ilaiyaraaja

The three legends of Indian cinema - Amitabh Bachchan , Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth recently shared the dias together at the music and trailer launch of Big B's upcoming film Shamitabh.

The occasion was also to felicitate the music genius Ilaiyaraaja for the completion of 1000 films. It may be recalled that three decades ago the trio shared the screen space in a film called Geraftaar.

READ: Kamal Haasan: Lesser known facts
Amitabh moderated a chat with all three of them on their experiences with the music legend, Ilaiyaraaja. "I am here to talk to these two legends about another great legend who we are paying tribute to," said the icon in a deep baritone. "So Rajini, what is it that you find special in Mr Ilaiyaraaja, what about his music, his nature?" asked Amitabh. "I know him from early 70's. He used to be very naughty and mischievous, we used to gossip a lot. And suddenly one day transformation took place. I realised everything, including his dressing changed. And I felt like calling him a saint and not Raajasaheb," replied Rajinikanth.

Kamal Haasan, on Ilaiyaraaja, said, "Raaja has become a part of me. I used to call him Raaja but after transformation he became my brother. I have been wanting to hug him for the longest time but he is a shy man. And today, after 35 years, I took the opportunity to hug him. It's long overdue and I finally managed to hug him."

Suriya follows Kamal & Rajini

Suriya has joined the organ donation bandwagon recently, and encouraged the people to take part in the noble cause. A marathon named Dusk to Dawn was organized to create awareness for organ donation and the ‘Masss’ actor took time out of his schedule to flag off the event. Amidst glorious cheering, Suriya said, “I have pledged my organs, have you? Love your liver and live your life.“

In the past, Kamalhassan has pledged  his body to medical science and stated that his organs can be used for transplant. Rajini & Sneha have agreed to donate their eyes. Will you join with your favorite icons by donating your organs?

Balachandar will 'live on'through films to come of his students:Kamal

Ace Actor Kamal Hassan, whom Dadasaheb Phalke Award Winning Tamil Director Late K balachandar had launched along with Superstar Rajinikant decades ago, has paid tributes to his mentor in a video message from United States. Kamal Hassan could not rush back to condole Mr Balachandar's family when the latter passed away here on the evening of December 23 following a heart ailment.
In his vedio message acknowledging Mr Balachandar's 'unrivalled contribution' to Tamil cinema, Kamal said the work he was doing for the new film 'Uttama Villain' in which Mr Balachandar also plays a key role, would be the most cherished in his lifetime.
Kamal said although he did not believe in rituals like last rites, the 'last rites' he was performing for his 'Guruji' was completing the work for 'Uttama Villain' for which Mr Balachandar had sent him to USA. He had done this even missing his Guru's last rites, this was the best tribute he could have aid to him, Kamal added.
'Not only has Mr Balachandar directed more then 100 films, he has introduced 100s of artistes, I am one of them', he said.
'Mr Balachandar's work has not ended with him. He would be heard through the films that his 'students' like me make', Kamal said.

The Genius Called 'Kamal Hassan'

Kamal Hassan is unarguably the epitome of versatility. His authority over the medium can be judged from the fact that he kick started his career with a President’s Gold Medal for his debut role in KALATHUR KANNAMMA, when he was just five years old. Over the others he has cemented his reputation not just as an actor par excellence winning numerous awards but has proved his excellence in film production and multiple departments of filmmaking.

The multitalented actor turns 60 today; Raaga.Com wishes him birthday greetings and takes a look at his additional talents other than acting.

Rims and rims have been written about the historic genius of Kamal Hassan as an actor. To cut short I would only say that Kamal Hassan is a perfect blend of Indian cinema’s dynamic actors like Dilip Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, Shivaji Ganeshan and M.G.R. Like these legends Kamal Hassan proved that he is not just an exceptional actor loaded with histrionics but has star power too.

Kamal describes how he looked at K.B even after 40 years

Almost everyone from the Kollywood has paid a visit to K.B’s house since last night and it is quite unfortunate for Kamalhassan to miss his mentor’s funeral. Kamal is currently on the way to Chennai from the U.S.A, but he will be reaching the city late in the evening and said to visit K.B’s family in the wee hours of tomorrow.

Just a couple of days ago, Kamal answered Jayaram through his official video handle and described his love towards Balachander and how he still look at him like he did during ‘Arangetram’ days. At times, life isn’t fair at all for few souls, isn’t it?

Narrating a Travelling Tale

CHENNAI: Frenzied crowds greeted Ulaganayagan Kamal Haasan as he launched Mumbai-based author-journalist Ashok K Banker’s historical fiction Ten Kings amid much fanfare at My Fortune Chennai (formerly referred to Hotel Chola Sheraton) on Saturday.
Speaking on the occasion, Banker said that the book was based on a portion of the Rig Veda, besides dealing with the life of Sudasa and his clan. He said, “The Indian mythology has an amazing collection of stories that have inspired people over the centuries worldwide. What I am doing may be a drop in the ocean, but still it will go a long way in presenting mythology related stories with more relevance to the youth.”  Kamal Haasan congratulated Banker for having chosen a subject that entailed in-depth research and hardwork. Soaking in all the attention, he said holy epics like Mahabharata and Ramayana are being remembered even today not because of religious factors, but since many people re-narrate them. “Any story has to be re-narrated. But whether to mythologise or not — that depends on an individual,” he added.
Banker firmly believes that honest emotions are necessary to pen a book. His much-awaited Ten Kings, based on the historical battle of Dasarajna who faced 10 foes in battle, in Rig Veda, has just been released. The mythology man tells CE what gets him up, and what keeps him going.
Epic Experiment
Writing is more of experimentation. I neither change the original story, characters nor sequence of events/details. I dramatise in a way that these tales are made more appealing and credible to the present-day readers. Certain epics would be detailed in some parts and not so detailed in others. So I had to bring in balance to the narrative. Especially, the way of writing for that matter. It’s neither academic nor commentary.
Mythology Fixation
Epics and mythology have fascinated me since my childhood. I think both hold a special place in every culture’s folklore. As a kid, I was reading Amar Chitra Katha and Chandamama. I realised I wanted to read and know more. That was the spark. Before you ask me if I am spiritual or religious, I can say I am neither this nor that. I don’t espouse anyone’s religion or faith. I chose to write about epics out of my own interest.
More on Ten Kings
I am allergic to commercial motivation unlike other authors and I am genuinely interested in bringing out untold stories without compromising on authenticity.
I have had breaking front-page news stories, including the Kargil War in 1999, to my credit. And I know what it takes to be being objective and fair. What lures me is the story, not the commercial element. I don’t believe in churning out ‘trash or awful stories’. So, I had to put in a lot of effort before my book got published. The kind of research work that has gone into it is vast. I had to refer to the possible versions and translations available. I began to write Ten Kings in 2007 and completed it in 2009. But these four years, I have been revising it. I even spotted a couple of errors before publishing. You see, it’s no joke to write a novel of 340 pages based on Rig Veda.
Fiction to historical fiction...
Ah, not easy. It’s tough to get publishers in the first place. That too, when you come up with mythology-related stuff. In general, the problem is mostly multinational publishers are busy reprinting foreign titles, so the focus is less on the Indian authors.
Next in Line
Doing another historical novel based on King Ashoka. I am hoping that it should be out in 2015.
The Hindi version of Ten Kings is already out. The book is being planned to be translated in Tamil, Telugu and Marathi soon.

How I met Kamal Haasan

The actor turns 60 on Friday and his friends from the film industry recall the day they first met the ‘Ulaganayagan’
Crazy Mohan

Actor, Dialogue writer

While in college, I was part of the drama troupe. One of my skits, titled Great Bank Robbery, won me the best director and best writer awards and I received it from none other than Kamal Haasan. He was a big star then and I was just a student. However, my first professional meeting with him was much later and more interesting.

One evening in 1986-87, I was getting ready to go to Trivandrum to stage my play. There was a commotion behind my house in Mandaveli and I was curious to check it out. It turned out that a film crew was shooting in the cemetery there. I heard a voice from inside calling me. Usually, people are scared when they hear voices from inside a cemetery but I went in, courageously. It was Kamal Haasan who’d called me and he asked if I could write the dialogues for a project. And that was how, Apoorva Sagodharagal was born.

***

Ramesh Aravind

Director, Actor

I was asked to compere an event — to celebrate the successful run of Sagara Sangamam in Bangalore — and I saw Kamal Haasan there. That was the first time I saw him. But my actual meeting with him was much later.

I was playing Kamal’s role in the Kannada remake of Sollathan Ninaikiren. Director K. Balachander, who was working on Punnagai Mannan at that time, took me to the sets and introduced me to him. He just said, ‘Kannada padathula pichu odarran pa ivan’ and went away. I recall Kamal sir in the Charlie Chaplin costume that day — he was shooting for the ‘Maamaavukku Kudumaa’ number. And there, below a reflector, was the first time we exchanged words. I was also fortunate to see the shoot of the song, and the unique technique with which Kamal moves around with a cane chair stuck to his back.

***

Andrea

Actress, Singer

The first time I met Kamal sir was as a singer. I had sung the ‘Who’s the Hero’ song for his film Manmadhan Ambu, and I was part of the audio launch at Malaysia and Singapore. At that point, I never imagined that I’d do three films with him later. As an actor, I first met him on the sets of Vishwaroopam. He wanted to meet me once before finalising me for the role. He just asked me one question — Do you trust me? I blindly said yes. And that was it! I was on board, and with every film, my respect and admiration for him both as an artist and a human being has increased. He is truly one of the jewels of Indian cinema.

***

Kiran

Actress

I was just one film old (Gemini) and had got a call from Kamal sir’s office for Anbe Sivam. I didn’t know how to react. In fact, I’d given an interview just before the release of Gemini in which I’d said that it was my dream to act with Kamal Haasan….but I’d never thought it would happen so fast. When I entered his office, I didn’t even utter a word. He was discussing the project with his associates and I just watched him quietly. I didn’t even know if I would be part of it. At the end of the meeting, he looked at me and said, ‘OK, I’ll see you on the sets.’ And that was it!

A Brilliant Tribute To The Wonderful Kamal Haasan

Kamal Haasan, one of the finest actors of his time, embarked on his celluloid journey at the tender age of five. And since then this powerhouse of talent has delivered innumerable hits, won several awards including four National Film Awards and 19 Filmfare Awards, produced and directed many hit films and has also been honoured with Padma Bhushan in 2014. As he turned 60 on November 7, Minimal Kollywood Posters decided to pay a tribute to this wonderful actor by releasing these posters aptly titled #Kamal60.

1) Avvai Shanmughi (1996)

This Tamil hit was made in Hindi and was titled Chachi 420. While the Tamil version was directed by K.S.Ravikumar, the Hindi version was directed by Kamal Haasan himself. Very few male actors can do the role of a female actor with such perfection, and Kamal Haasan won hearts as Pandai as well as Avvai Shanmughi. ​The film won two Tamil Nadu State Film Awards with K. M. Sarathkumar winning Best Make-up Artist and Ann Anra winning Best Child actor.
2) ​Dasavathaaram (2008)

Dasavathaaram is a Tamil science fiction film, directed by K. S. Ravikumar. It stars Kamal Haasan, who wrote the screenplay and story of the film, in ten distinct roles. ​While the film received the Best Film Award, Kamal Haasan received the Best Actor Award at the Tamil Nadu State Film Awards.
3) ​Apoorva Sagodharargal (1989)

Apoorva Sagodharargal is a Tamil film directed by Singeetam Srinivasa Rao. It starred Kamal Hassan in three roles, as a mechanic, a circus clown who is a dwarf and a police officer. The film went on to be premiered at the International Film Festival of India and was dubbed a blockbuster as it completed 600-day run at the box office. About 20 million tickets were reportedly sold. It was the first Tamil film to beat the record of Thirisoolam set a decade earlier. This new record remained unbeaten for six years until the release of Baashha. It was dubbed into Telugu as Vichithra Sodarulu and into Hindi as Appu Raja in 1990.

4) Vishwaroopam (2013)

Vishwaroopam is an Indian Tamil spy thriller film written, directed and co-produced by Kamal Haasan who also enacts the lead role. ​The film was titled Vishwaroop in Hindi. ​The blockbuster film was coveted with awards for Best Art Direction and Best Choreography at the 60th National Film Awards. A sequel to the film, Vishwaroopam II, is set for release in early 2015.

Kamal Haasan asked to postpone ‘Uttama Villain’ release

Millions of film lovers all over India are currently awaiting the release of Kamal Haasan’s new movie, ‘Uttama Villain’. The film features Kamal Haasan in various get ups, and this has raised the expectations about the movie sky high. The film was expected to hit the theaters on February 2015, but now, Kamal Haasan has asked the producer of the film to extend the release.
As per latest updates, Kamal Haasan has asked Lingusamy not to release the movie in February and March. As per Kamal, these months are exam seasons, and this may drastically affect the collection of the movie.
The music of the film is composed by M Ghibran. Sony Music India has acquired the audio rights of the movie.
‘Uttama Villain’ is directed by Ramesh Aravind. Apart from Kamal Haasan, the film also stars Jayaram, K Vishwanath, K Balachander, Andreah, Pooja Kumar and Nasser in the lead roles.
The script of the film is written by Kamal Haasan himself. Eros International will distribute the movies in Indian theaters.
In the meantime, Kamal Haasan has also completed the shooting of other two films, ‘Vishwaroopam 2’ and ‘Papanasam’. Vishwaroopam 2 is directed by Kamal himself, and ‘Papanasam’ is crafted by Malayalam filmmaker Jeethu Joseph.

‘Uttama Villain’ to hit the screens on April 2nd?

Kamal Haasan is not a mere actor. He is considered as the man with Midas touch in all areas of filmmaking, and this has fetched him the name ‘Ulaganaayakan’. The actor has now completed the shooting of his three films, ‘Uttama Villain’, ‘Papanasam’ and ‘Vishwaroopam 2’. As per reports, ‘Uttama Villain’ will hit the screens before ‘Papanasam’ and ‘Vishwaroopam 2’.

Recent reports claim that the release of the movie has been fixed on April 2^nd. The grand audio release will take place on the first week of February. If reports are true, then the venue of this audio release will be Nehru Indoor Stadium, Chennai.

‘Uttama Villain’ is directed by Ramesh Aravind. Apart from Kamal Haasan, the film also stars Jayaram, K Viswanath, K Balachander, Pooja Kumar, Andreah Jeremiah and Nasser in the lead roles. The music of this movie is composed by M Ghibran.

‘Uttama Villain’ is produced by N Lingusamy in the banner of Thirupathi Brothers. Kamal Haasan is also co producing this film in the name of Raaj Kamal Films International.

Earlier, Kamal Haasan has asked Lingusamy not to release the film on March, as it is the season of examinations. Official confirmation regaridng the release of ‘Uttama Villain’ is expected to be made soon by the makers.

‘Ulaganayagan’ to embark an entry soon.

It’s been official revealed that Ulaganayagan’s Uttama Villain will release on April 2, 2015 as a summer treat for fans. It’s a well-known fact that this flick is much awaited midst peers and it’s trailer has already opened up to positive reviews everywhere. It’s been official confirmed that UV is a summer treat for Kamal fans and that the post-production is going on at a light-year speed.

Uttama Villain stars Kamal Haasan, Andrea, Pooja Kumar, K Balachander, Dr K Vishwanath and is directed by Ramesh Arvind.The music is done by Ghibran

Kamal Haasan says Gouthami is a Real Hero

Kamal hassan  hailed Gouthami as a ‘hero’ for overcoming cancer at an event in Hyderabad. The actor was in the city with Gouthami to launch a specialist cancer centre at which he made the remarks. According to The Hindu, Kamal urged people to quit smoking and stressed on the need for more awareness about cancer and the harmful effects of tobacco. He also said that despite his having acted in over 200 movies, his partner Gouthami was the ‘real-life hero’. “As an actor, I’ve acted in over two hundred films. But I am still not one in real life. By conquering cancer, Gouthami has become a real hero in life.”

The duo will be seen onscreen together in the Tamil adaptation of Drishyam. The film is currently in post-production.

Kamal Hassan , Mammootty , Suresh Gopi and Kerala politics !!

Kamal Hassan has been invited to attend the CPM state convention to be held in Alappuzha. Mammootty has been tipped to be a Rajya Sabha MP on CPM ticket and Suresh Gopi has decided to join BJP.

Kamal Hassan who has shared the venue with CPM in Kerala before has been invited to attend the State conference. CPM State conference is a culmination of district level elections that took place in the State. The State conference is being held in Alappuzha which is the home town of the veteran CPM leader and Opposition leader VS. Ex-cultural affairs minister M A Baby who is close to Kamal Hassan , has been given the job to convince the actor to attend the conference.

Kamal Hassan got his first break as a hero in Malayalam. There are several hit films in Malayalam of Kamal Hassan. Even today his box office is intact and any movie in Tamil he acts, he keeps the distribution rights of Kerala with him. Kamal Hassan has ‘Uttama Villain’ due for release and has almost completed the remake of Malayalam film `Drishyam’ in Tamil. Sources say that Baby has been asked to get Kamal Hassan for the CPM Congress to be held in Vijayawada later, in case he is not free in February.

Suresh Gopi has decided to join BJP. He was seen in a cameo role in Shankar’s ‘I’. Gopi had met Narendra Modi before the elections. Gopi claimed that he was asked by Modi’s messengers to contest the Lok Sabha poll  several times but he declined since he did not want to hurt the veteran O Rajagopal who was tipped to be the candidate. Gopi is now waiting for a call from Modi.

In the Lok Sabha election, CPM fielded Innocent, a comedian in a seat and pitted against veteran Congress leader P C Chacko. Innocent won. Now there are reports that CPM is planning to field Mammootty for the next upcoming seat for Rajya Sabha. Mamooyty is already chairman of a channel funded by CPM.

Let’s do our bit to fight cancer: Kamal

As a hero, I acted in 200 movies. But I am still not one. By conquering cancer, Gautami has become a real hero in life: Kamal
Cancer meant death earlier, but not any more. It can be won over by patients if every person in the society does his/ her bit, say film actors Kamal Haasan and Gautami.

Creating awareness on cancer and campaigning against smoking or chewing tobacco would surely control cancer, feels Kamal Hasan. Speaking at the inaugural of the Yashoda International Cancer Centre here at HICC on Saturday, he said he quit smoking long ago to dissuade others from doing so to keep cancer at bay.

“One of my friends, who is a great cartoonist, chewed tobacco for 30 years of his life and he got cancer. But luckily he survived,” he said, appealing to people to not encourage habits that contribute to cancer.

With modern technology, diagnostic methods and medicine, cancer was no longer a life-threatening disease, he said.

“As a hero, I acted in 200 movies. But I am still not one. By conquering cancer, Gautami has become a real hero in life,” he remarked. Recalling the experience of being diagnosed with cancer and how she won it over with the help of doctors, actor Gautami said that she could know a lot about cancer.

“But not everyone has the access to such information… I request the doctors to make efforts to explain to patients what cancer really is,” she said. Mr. Haasan, Ms. Gautami, Minister for Health T. Rajaiah, IT Minister K.T. Rama Rao and Yashoda Hospital authorities felicitated noted oncologist Mammen Chandy for his services.

Dr. Chandy inaugurated the Bone Morrow and Stem Cell Transplantation Centre at the Yashoda Hospital.

Kamal hassan to attend "KJ Yesudas 50′ Program by Lakshman Sruthi

On behalf of M/S Tharangini, Lakshman Sruthi, V Records & Raj events we wish to extend our heartfelt greetings and welcoming you all for this wonderful event.

Theivam thandha veedu, athisaya raagam, vizhiye kathai ezhuthu, senthazham poovil, en iniya pon nilavae, kannae kalaimanae, amma endrazhaikkaatha uyirillaiye .… this is just a sample list of countless hits from the evergreen singing legend ‘Padma Bhushan’ Dr.K.J.Yesudas , whose singing served as lullabies for the past five decades and will remain the same for us forever.

Music came as divine grace and paternal inheritance to K.J. Yesudas, one of India’s foremost exponents of classical carnatic vocal music and leading playback singer in all Indian languages. His classical concerts, Divine devotional concerts and film music concerts continue to captivate millions of listeners at home and abroad.

we are very happy and proud to inform you all that a grand gala musical star night has been planned by M/S Tharangini, V Records & Raj events to felicitate ‘Padma Bhushan’ Dr.K.J.Yesudas, who has completed 50 plus years of successful singing career with more than 50,000 songs to his credit.

This much awaited program is going to enthrall you all on 25th January 2015, Sunday by 4.05 pm at Nehru Indoor Stadium and scores of leading Indian film fraternity, actors, actress, prominent music directors, singers, directors, producers, technicians and distinguished personalities from various fields will decorate the show and honor Shri.K.J.Yesudas.

Brief about ‘Padma Bhushan’ Dr. K.J.Yesudas

Kattassery Joseph Yesudas was born on January 10th 1940 in Fort Kochi, the ancient port city of Kerala. His father Augustine Joseph was himself a well-known singer and stage actor who rode the Kerala stage like a colossus for over a quarter of a century. Eldest of the four sons and one daughter of the Joseph couple, Yesudas took to music at a very early age. His first Guru was his beloved father himself, who lovingly and painstakingly led little Yesudas through the basic precepts of Carnatic Music while he was hardly five years old.

From there, the budding singer took lessons under several musical wizards in and around Cochin and Chennai namely Kunjan Velu Aasan, P.X.Joseph, Sivaraman Nair, Ramankutty Bhagavathar, K.R.Kumaraswamy, Chemmangudi Srinivasaiyer, Chembai Vaidyanahtha Bhagavathar, and Pallavi Narasimha Achariya. He nurtured his native talents with discipline, dedication and determination.

At the St. Sebastian’s High School, Pallurthi, Kochi, Yesudas was the top singer for several consecutive years in 1957; he stood first in the school state level youth festival in Carnatic vocal. In 1958, he was the recipient of gold medal in vocal singing at the all Kerala Catholic Youth Festival held at Ernakulam. After School, Yesudas joined R.L.V. Music Academy, Tripunithura near Cochin for the Ganabhooshanam course, which he completed with a double promotion and distinction in 1960. Meanwhile, the young singer joined the Sree Swathithirunal Music Academy, Trivandrum, for higher studies. But he could not complete the course due to financial problems at home.

On 14th November 1961 Yesudas recorded his voice for a film for the first time. It was a verse written by Sri Narayana Guru, the sage of the backward classes of Kerala. ” Jaathi Betham Mathadwesham Ethumillatha Sarvarum Sotharathwena Vazhunna Mathruka Sthaanamaanithu.” The lyrics of the simple song conveyed a great meaning. It read: This is a model place where all the people live like brothers and sisters unaffected by the difference of caste and the enmities of religion”. Truly a message in national integration . For Yesudas, for Kerala and for India, it was an auspicious day and an auspicious beginning.

Offers started pouring in after the release of a few more film songs and K.J. Yesudas never looked back after that. He became the favorites of the elders, darling of the middle aged, craze among the youth and an idol for the teenage generation.He was invited to give concerts in every town and village of Kerala and also toured every part of India and the world since. He has performed in almost every major city in the world and has sung in many Indian and Foreign Languages.

In 1968, he was invited by the Soviet Government to perform as a cultural delegate in various parts of U.S.S.R. While in Russia, he sang a Russian song over Radio Kazakhstan, which was widely appreciated by local fans.

He’s one of the few Indian Artists to have performed at the Royal Albert Hall, London; and the Sydney Opera House, Sydney, respectively in 2001 and 2006.Yesudas is the recipient of The Kerala State Award for Playback Singing, 23 times since 1970. In 1987, he requested the State Government not to consider him for future awards in order to provide opportunities for the new generation of singers.

In 1965 when China attacked India and a war broke out he sung in various centers to raise funds for the war efforts. Again in 1971, when the war over Bangladesh broke out, he took to the streets in an open truck and traveled the entire length and breath of Kerala collecting funds to help the nation, to tide over the crises. A large sum of money was thus collected. Yesudas later presented the money to Mrs.Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister at a special function in New Delhi. Mrs. Indira Gandhi congratulated and thanked the singer for taking the message of India’s integrity and national pride to the people on the street through the medium of his singing and for bringing the sentiments of the people of Kerala to the capital in the form of their collective contribution towards war-chest, and at a time when the media such as television and radio were not as big as it is now.

In 2004 after the Tsunami attack Yesudas invited people of all religions and organized a YAGA in Chennai for the good cause of everyone.

The grateful Nation remembered to honor Yesudas when the time for the Presidential awards came in 1975. The President conferred on him the title of Padmashree on Republic Day that year, on the request of the Prime Minister.National recognition also came in the form of the National Award for the best playback singer in India, SEVEN TIMES .The first time he won the award, in Malayalam for the film,extolling the importance of Hindu- Muslim Friendship. The lyrics of the song read thus read: Man created religions. Religions created God. Between man, religions and Gods the earth was divided, the hearts were divided.” Among the seven awards, he received one in Hindi and Telugu respectively.

National integration through the medium of music became the hallmark of his career quite early in his life when he broke the confines of the Malayalam film world to sing for Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, and Kannada films. Thousands of songs sung by him became instant hits bringing people together despite the barriers of region and language. Many of his songs carried worthy messages of love and brotherhood among people of different religions.

He has sung more than 50,000 songs till date, in various languages (In films and albums).

Dr. K.J. Yesudas has sung for all the legends in the film industry such as M.G.Ramachandran, Shivaji Ganesan, N.T.Ramarao, Amitabh Bachan, Sanjeev kumar, Sathyan, Prem Nazir, Mammooty, Mohanlal, Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan till date, and even singing for many of the current stars in many of the languages.At the international level Yesudas has contributed his share to bring people of various lands together on many of his tours in Europe, America and the Middle East and Far East. Music lovers in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Bangladesh throng along with his country men to listen to his voice.

At home, Yesudas was nominated to head the Sangeetha Nataka Academy of the State in 1970 as the youngest ever person to occupy the office. Dr.Yesudas strived to help suffering artists through exchange of music and drama between Kerala and other states in yet another effort to bring people together through art and culture.His efforts to spot and promote fresh talent took concrete shape when he established the “THARANGNISARI” School of Music, Thiruvananthapuram. Boys and Girls from all walks of life converge on this centre for music and learn vocal and instrumental music in Hindustani ,Carnatic and Western styles.

He even started a Voice Bank System, where young talents were allowed to record and send their tapes to a bank system, which would filter and select the best. In some ways what we call today’s Reality Show Talent hunt, was done without the help of Television and Radio during the early 1990’s.

The audio cassette revolution of the 70’s found its echo in southern India mainly through the foresight and planning of Yesudas. Towards the end of that decade he finalized plans for the establishment of a recording studio in the capital city of Kerala. THARANGNI STUDIO and THARANIGNI Records thus became the first recording centre in the state and Malayalam film songs and albums came out on music cassettes for the first time through THARANGNI with added attraction of Stereo Mixing and Stereo Music.

Yesudas has taken the message of “One Religion, One Caste for all Human “expounded by Shri Narayana Guru seriously to his heart. His symbolic pilgrimages to the Ayyappan Temple at Sabarimalai and his efforts to storm through the narrow consideration at the Sree Krishna Temple at Guruvayoor are all aimed at this noble cause. He performs classical concerts in Temple, Church , courtyards regularly and strives to bring people of all religions together through the mesmerizing medium of his melodious renderings.

The list of awards and titles he received were just amazing and he was awarded the PadmaSri in 1975 and the Padma Bhushan in 2002 by the Central Govt. for his priceless musical contributions.

Yesudas is happily married to Prabha his better half for 38 years and has been blessed with 3 sons Vinod, Vijay, and Vishal. All three are excelling in their own professions, with only the second among them, Vijay Yesudas following his father’s footsteps into the singing field by singing in all major film industries as well.

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Hollywood Edified Actor To Do Kamal Haasan's Role!

We had earlier informed that veteran director Bharathiraja's son Manoj will be donning the director's hat for the first time with a sequel to his father's 1978 classic thriller Sigappu Rojakkal  which had Kamal Haasan and Sridevi in the lead.

Manoj, who gave up on his acting career to concentrate on direction, worked as an assistant director under his father in films like Bommalattam and then went on to work under Shankar in his magnum opus Enthiran. Now, Sigappu Rojakkal  2 has already gone on floors with a Hollywood trained actor reprising the role of Kamal Haasan in the prequel.
Visakan is an actor who is been trained under the influence of famous Hollywood personalities and is expected to do justice to the character originally portrayed by Ulaganayagan Kamal Haasan. It is still not clear if the movie is a sequel to the original or a remake with capturing the authentic essence from the Kamal Haasan's movie.
It is also said that Bharathiraja will be seen in an important role in the movie and GV Prakash has been signed to take care of the musical part of this alleged psycho-thriller. Other casting including the female lead have not yet been finalized.
Meanwhile, Bharathiraja has begun work on his next film titled Om in which he will be seen playing the lead protagonist. The film will reportedly have Yuvan Shankar Raja as its music composer. The movie is about a retired person who decides to spend rest of his life with his children in America where he falls in love with his neighbor.

Vivaan Shah mum over relationship with Kamal Haasan's daughter Akshara

Actor Vivaan Shah, who is reportedly in a relationship with Kamal Haasan's younger daughter Akshara, refused to talk about his relationship status.

When asked about the rumours that he is dating Akshara, he said: "Sorry, I would not like to comment on that." According to the grapevine, the two were reportedly seen together at various spots.

He may not talk about his link-up, but he loves to talk about his film Happy New Year, which he got without any recommendation. Directed by Farah Khan, the potboiler with an ensemble cast, headlined by Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, has rocked the box office.

"Farah (Khan, the director) had called me to audition for Happy New Year. At that point, I didn't even know it was a Shah Rukh starrer and I didn't know what the film was about either, but I went ahead and did my best," said Vivaan.

"At 24 years, I've had the privilege of sharing screen space with Priyanka Chopra in 7 Khoon Maaf and Deepika Padukone in Happy New Year. How many actors my age can boast of that!" said the son of Naseeruddin Shah and Ratna Pathak.

The actor is currently enjoying the success of Happy New Year.

Kamal says no to face covering purdah

Following the likes of Fazal Gafoor who has come out with an open stand against purdah,director Kamal says that it is not necessary for women to wear purdah that cover their face. This will create problems for women folk, also limiting their chances in excelling in creative and artistic fields. Kamal was speaking in a function organised by MES.

Also citing the criticisms against  the Hindi movie 'PK as unwanted, kamal maintains that any attacks against art forms can be cited as actions of fascism which works against freedom of expression.He also noted that Kamalhassan also faced similar criticisms when he was trying to release his 'Viswaroopam, last year.

Kamal Haasan Predicts Another Disaster And It Comes Alive!

Another disaster which he predicted in Vishwaroopam has taken its shape in the materialistic world. Kamal had narrated a scene in the 2013 spy thriller in which al-Qaida terrorists use pigeons to spell destruction in America by turning the birds into flying bombs.
In the film, terrorists would tie small sized caesium bombs to pigeons feet and would let the birds go free with an intention of diverting American intelligence to ultimately bombard New York city with a bigger bomb, now some Afghanistan terrorists have pulled a leaf straight out of the movie and have used the same method with an intention of wrecking havoc in Kabul.
This method has been reportedly used to take revenge against the NATO forces for a couple of attacks imposed by them. Turkmenistan army men were intrigued as a bird kept flying above their army camp. As a precautionary measure, when they shot the bird, they were amazed to find out that the bird was carrying a detonator. They diffused the bomb immediately but were left in deep state of shock after learning that terrorists are coming up with newer methods to cause harm to mankind.
A few other disasters Kamal Haasan has predicted well in advance includes, the need to worry about unemployment in Sathya, communal riots in Thevar Magan, Tsunami warning in Anbe Sivam and Ebola outbreak in Dasavathaaram.

Statue For K Balachander: Will It Take Shape?

After a huge loss to the Indian Film Industry in the form of director K Balachander's demise, the Tamil Film Directors' Council decided to organize a meeting to bemoan the death of an important personality of Tamil cinema in recent past.

During the Film Festival, Balachander's films will be screened for a week as a mark of respect. Also, the Directors' Council have decided to request the Tamil Nadu government to originate an award and name it after the illustrious filmmaker.
Will the government agree to erect the statue and name an award after K Balachander? We just need time to carry on its endless job to know the answer. Even with Balachander's soul departed, his followers and admirers continue to keep him alive through various measures.
Recently Kamal Haasan too said a new drama troupe would be started in the name of two legendary theatre personalities, Avvai Shanmugam and K Balachander. We wouldn't be surprised if many such tributes flow in towards the Duet  director for his 100 films are like a library for all aspiring filmmakers.

Kamal Haasan Bags The Remake Rights Of Ithihasa

According to the latest reports, Tamil superstar Kamal Haasan has bagged the remake rights of recently released super hit movie Ithihasa. Kamal Haasan, who recently watched Ithihasa, is highly impressed with the movie. It is also reported that Kamal’s eldest daughter, actress Shruthi Haasan will be reprising the lead role played by Anusree in the original.
Kamal Haasan has always shown deep interest in the changing trends of Malayalam cinema and has been in all praise for the young film makers and talented actors. The actor has acted in many Malayalam movies in the initial days of his career. Kamal Haasan last appeared in Malayalam in a cameo appearance in the movie Four Friends, directed by Saji Surendran.

The veteran actor is very close with many of his Malayali co-actors and directors, including actor Jayaram, director Hariharan, and veteran writer M T Vasudevan Nair. Kamal Haasan still mesmerizes the Malayali audience with his amazing fluency in Malayalam language.
Sources states that the actor will be remaking Ithihasa under his home production banner Raaj Kamal Films International. It is also reported that one of the leading young actors of Tamil cinema is approached to play the male lead in the movie, which was essayed by Shine Tom Chacko in the original. The project is expected to have an official announcement soon.

Innovations in Indian Film Industry

Silent movie: Pushpak is a silent comedy released in 1987. This film was directed by Singeetham Srinivasa Rao and written by Kamal Haasan. Set in a large unnamed Indian city (shot in Bangalore), the film is based on the king-for-a-day story. The film is notable for its inventive re-casting of the silent film form.

Innovation is everything in the modern world. ‘Innovate or die’.  Every industry or sector tries to innovate and bring in freshness and new excitement. Movies are no exception. The maker of the epic documentary ‘Corporation’ let viewers watch the documentary free on the internet. At the end was an appeal for a donation and it worked. Many did contribute. The latest ‘in thing’ is crowd funding for a movie. The producer puts out an appeal in the digital media and the interested public can fund the movie in return for future profit (if the movie makes profit!).

Apoorva Sahodharargal is a 1989 Tamil feature film directed by Singeetham Srinivasa Rao. The film had Kamal Hassan in triple roles, as a mechanic, a dwarf circus clown and a police officer.  The film was dubbed into Hindi as Appu Raja. The make-up used on the dwarf in ‘Apoorva Sahodarulu’ floored the audience and they had no clue as to how he could manage it.

But, the film’s director Singeetam Srinivasa Rao not only revealed the secret but also felt that an interactive session with members of a film society and others was the right venue and best occasion to do so. At the session organized by the Vizag Film Society, Mr. Srinivasa Rao revealed the secret and said that the credit goes to Mr. Kamal Hassan, who worked very hard for the role, the photography director P.C. Sriram and a set boy called ‘Japan’.

Aamir's 'PK', Kamal's 'Vishwaroopam' and Other Films that Faced Threats from Religious Fanatics

Vishwaroopam probably is the one of the most controversial film of Kamala Haasan. The trouble started when the Tamil Nadu-based Hindu Makkal Katchi asked the makers to change the Sanskrit title - "Viswaroopam" - to a pure Tamil tiltle and accused Kamal for ignoring the Tamil language.

The movie also faced threat of ban and faced issues in screening the movie when a Muslim organisation Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazagham claimed the movie for representing the Muslim community as a group of terrorists.

Later the issue was settled down after continuous discussion and legal battles.

'Dasavatharam'
Kamal Haasan's another movie "Dasavatharam" also had similar issues. The problems started when Hindu Makkal Katchi lodged police complaint against actress Mallika for wearing improper attire at the audio launch function of the movie and thereby "hurting the sentiments of Hindus".

Later Viswa Hindu Parishad claimed that the movie wrongly portrayed the clash between Saivism and Vaishnavism, which prevailed in 12th century. Later, the makers confirmed that the movie did not have any controversial scenes. The charges against the movie were later cleared on the grounds that it did not portray Hindu culture in bad light.

Kamal @ the inaugural function of yashoda international cancer conference !

Dhanush feels acting is in Akshara Hassan’s blood !!

Actor DHAUSH says debutant Akshara hassan has the most challenging role in their forthcoming film “Shamitabh”, but she has pulled it off convincingly because acting is in her blood. “Of all the roles, Akshara has the most challenging part in the film. I don’t think she ever struggled to pull it off as acting runs in her blood,” Dhanush told IANS.

Akshara is the daughter of veteran actors Kamal Haasan and Sarika. ”Shamitabh”, slated for release Feb 6, also stars megastar Ambitabh, and it is directed by R. Balakrishnan. On working with Big B, Dhanush said: “I never expected I’d get an opportunity to work with him. There’s nothing more to add when you’re working with a legend because everything is so special.”

Dhanush along with Balki and Akshara were in the city Friday to promote their film. They interacted with the students of Sathyabama University. In the film, Big B has given voice to Dhanush’s character.

Akshara Hassan , The young rising star !!!

The second daughter of Kamal Haasan, I used seen the little girl around back home in Chennai and also sometimes in Mumbai in her casual baggy pants and mostly black t-shirts.

Sometimes she was the cynosure of attention at an event her father Kamal Hassan was at and sometimes Akhshara would just go unnoticed at an eatery but that little girl was always comfortable doing her own thing and far from the monotony of being prim and proper.

Did you know: Akshara participated in the London Olympics in 2012 in Latin Ballroom dancing and has also been an assistant director in a few films.

But now somehow stepping into the shoes of an actor has somehow trimmed edges off her. She seemed to have retained some of her style and imbibed a lot of cookie-cutter political correctness from the film industry too soon.

For someone who is known to be quite spunky, I was quite disappointed with Akshara's guarded answers.

However no doubt that this unconventional looking actor is a stunner. And though I'm too careful with my money to place bets on Shamitabh's success, I'll place some chips on this young gun that seems to be a chip off the good old Kamal and Sarika block.

Kamal @ trisha engagement !!

Kamal and gauthami attended Trisha engagement today !

When is 'Uthama Villan' release?

It seems Kamal Haasan's 'Uthama Villan' would hit the screens only during the first week of April, due to various reasons.

"The film's producers are concerned about slew of releases in Kollywood, Cricket World Cup and Plus Two exams," sources say.

In all likelihood, the movie would be released during the first week of April, or for Tamil New Year weekend. It is directed by Ramesh Aravind and jointly produced by Thirupathi Brothers in association with Rajkamal.

Another teaser for Marudhanayagam !!

It is the one film that needs no publicity of any kind and is probably the most-awaited Tamil film of all times.

Kamal Hassan’s Marudhanayagam — which almost every Tamil film fan wants to see made — manages to stay in the news 18 years after it was launched by the actor in a grand ceremony, and was later dropped citing budget constraints.

The actor had mentioned in an interview last year that the project could be revived at any moment if resources were available. Earlier this week, in a video on his official YouTube channel, ‘Ulaganayagan Tube’, Kamal talked about the project and its possible revival with an unnamed producer who has shown interest in it. The actor also spoke about another story of his,Vaamamargam , which could be his next big project.

Marudhanayagam was designed as a historical movie inspired by the life of an 18th-century warrior Yusuf Khan, who, according to the book Yusuf Khan – The Rebel Commandant by British author S.C. Hill , was once a soldier of the East India Company but later on led a rebellion against the then Nawab of Arcot and was hanged.

Kamal hassan @ the 58th all India congress of obstetrics and gynecology conference !!

Kamal had a speech at the conference held today at 58th all India congress obstetrics & gynecology   at the chennai trade center !!

Papanaasam and Drishyam are different: Kamal Hassan

Jeethu Joseph's Drishyam is making its avatar as Paapanaasam in Tamil but recently, Kamal Hassan said that both should be seen as two different films.

The actor said in a recent interview that he is different from Mohanlal as an actor and similarly, Papanaasam would be a different film. The movie also has Gauthami, Nivetha Thomas, Esther Anil and Kalabhavan Mani in prominent roles.

Indian film industry pays tribute to Ilaiyaraaja

Several eminent personalities from the Indian film industry, including Superstar Rajinikanth, Ulaganayagan Kamal Haasan, Amitabh Bachchan, Dhanush and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, came together in Mumbai on Wednesday to pay glorious tribute to one of the world's most deserving music directors Ilaiyaraaja.
At the event, organised by director Balki to felicitate Ilaiyaraaja, who has composed music for a 1,000 films, actor Amitabh Bachchan said, "It's an honour to be present here with the wonderful talent around us. Thank you for giving us this opportunity, Raja sir." Speaking on the occasion, Ulaganayagan Kamal Haasan said, Out of his 1,000 films, 10 per cent are mine. Today, after 40 years, for the first time I hugged him. I knew that he would reach the 1,000 mark one day."
Another legend, who spoke on the occasion, was Superstar Rajinikanth, who said, "I know Raaja sir from the early '70s. He was very naughty and mischievous then. We used to gossip then. And suddenly, I saw a transformation in Raaja sir which extended to his dressing style. And then, I started calling him Raaja swami. He is a saint now and mata Saraswati lives in him."

Akshara is in Good Hands, Knows Her Way: Kamal Haasan on her Bollywood Debut With Shamitabh

Veteran actor Kamal Haasan feels his daughter Akshara, who is making her debut in Bollywood with R Balki's Shamitabh, is in good hands and does not need his advice. "I think she should not take any advice from old time actors. I think she knows her way. And she will ask me when she is in doubt but she hasn't asked me yet which means she is confident. I think she is in good hands," Mr Haasan said at an event here last evening. The film also stars Amitabh Bachchan and Dhanush. Mr Haasan is all praise for Dhanush. "He is good actor and he is also a filmmaker." Apart from Kamal Haasan and South megastar Rajinikanth no other south Indian actor has been able to make it big in Bollywood. On this, Mr Haasan says, "There has never been a vacuum. It is about opportunity. I don't think like south of India actors or an actor from Bihar or any other place. I think the actor has to be good in his craft." On work front, Mr Haasan is excited about his two projects -Vishwaroopam 2, a spy thriller film written and directed by Haasan. The film, which is a sequel to Vishwaroopam (2013) is in its post-production stages. Another is Uttama Villain a Tamil comedy directed by Ramesh Aravind which is likely to releaseon Diwali.
Mumbai: Veteran actor Kamal Haasan feels his daughter Akshara, who is making her debut in Bollywood with R Balki's Shamitabh, is in good hands and does not need his advice.

"I think she should not take any advice from old time actors. I think she knows her way. And she will ask me when she is in doubt but she hasn't asked me yet which means she is confident.

Sarika Haasan & Akshara Haasan couldn't have had a better debut !!!

My first meeting with Sarika at the Taj Lands End turned out to be quite a revelation! From whatever I have heard about her, I expected the veteran actress to duck a few questions. Instead, I was greeted by a down-to-earth, charming and a cheerful lady! She answered all my questions (even the tricky ones). Here the veteran actress talks about why she doesn't work in films and also about her younger daughter Akshara Haasan's upcoming debut. Read on...

Akshara is making her big debut this year with R Balki's Shamitabh. What are you expecting from this film as her mother?
I think it's bad to have expectations. I believe expectations come with a lot of pressure and that's not cool. On the other hand, with R Balki at the top of this project, I am assured that everything in this film will be good, and great quality cinema-wise. People may or may not like the film, that will be their personal choice, but I am assured that Akshara couldn't have had a better debut.

Go on...
You have seen Balki. He is not one of those run-of-the-mill filmmakers who will make just about anything. He makes quality cinema and that's why stalwarts agree to be a part of his projects. That's also why all his films have been superhit in the past and been loved by critics as well.

So you believe that he is the best launch pad for your daughter....
Not just for Akshara. For any actor, Balki is the director for any actor. Period! Also when it's your launch pad, it doubly increases your security as an actor. You know that you are in safe hands.

The films stars Amitabh Bachchan and Dhanush in the lead roles. Don't you think Akshara would have to stand very tall in order to match their acting talent? Won't it be something too big to aim for in her debut film?
Balki, Bachchan, Dhanush, Ilayaraja and many such stalwarts are in this project. It was like Akshara going to a college. I can't put it in any other way. They are all teachers and you can't ask for better teachers. Now that the courses have finished, the results will be out soon and everyone will get to know how well she has fared in the exam.

You have worked with Amitabh Bachchan in the past and also recently in Yudh. How was your experience with him?
To be very honest, Mr Bachchan is very rocky. The reason I say this is because of his filmography. Look at his work. He has done practically everything in a lifetime. I don't know which other actor would have done roles as varied as Mr Bachchan has done. I would really like to do the kind of work that he is doing, when I am his age.

You have shifted to being a character artist these days. As an actor does that change happen naturally?
My last release was Club 60, and I had a perfectly leading lady angle in that film. I had a romantic angle with Farooque Sheikh. So you can't say that was a character role. What basically has to be understood is that the role should be good. Else, I wouldn't want to waste my time working in projects that I know may not see the light of the day.

So you are saying you have not become choosy in picking up roles?
I believe filmmakers need to start writing more and more roles for actors and less for characters. In a general scenario we have roles written for hero, heroine, villain, item girl, etc. But ideally it should be written for the actors. If you have seen Rajat Kapoor's last filmAnkhon Dekhi, that was a film written for actors. Even Club 60 was written for actors and that's why I chose to be a part of it. When this happens in our film industry, the actors start flourishing and that helps them better the quality of acting that they do.

Do you think your daughters are also getting victimised by this? Because most of the roles that they pick up are character-driven and not actor-driven?
Let's not jump the gun with Akshara right now. You will have to see Shamitabh to know what has been written for her as an actor. I can't say that in future she wouldn't give in to the craze of character driven roles, but we can't say that now.

And what about Shruti Haasan?
Shruti has taken her decisions and those seem to have worked for her brilliantly. As long as it works for her there is no harm. She has already proved her mettle as she is an established actor. Let's get all our focus towards Akshara now.

You have been part of TV. Do you think it's not as good a medium as films? Would you suggest TV to your daughters?
See as an actor my basic need is to perform. If the role that I have been offered, I feel that the actor in me can do well, then I would definitely do it. Now whether that is shown on TV or on the big screen doesn't really matter. However it is imperative to check fully before you sign any project as many a time a project starts with great intentions but doesn't see the light of the day. That hurts an actor. That's why it is very important to see if the producers are good and if the director is capable enough of steering the film in the right direction. At the end, more than the money, it's the recognition that an actor gets is what matters to him/her. The medium is just secondary.

You reportedly hold Akshara back from going out and having boyfriends and make sure that she spends most of her time shooting and working for her film. How true is that?
No. Never have I done anything of that sort.

What other future projects are you working on?
I am reading a lot of scripts these days. Whenever there is something I find interesting to do, I will sign it then and there.

Will Fox Star revive Kamal's Marudhanayagam ??

Producer and Head of Producer's Council, Keyar speaking at the Cuckoo audio launch, has requested Fox Star India to produce Kamal Haasan's dream project, Marudhanayagam, which was put in cold storage several years ago owing to financial crises. Keyar was in full praise for the Ulaga Nayagan and Padma Bhushan winner.

He also said that Kamal would have ruled the Hollywood if he was born in a Western country. The fans are also eagerly hoping that Kamal's dream project would kick start again. Will Fox Star take up the mega budget period flick? The period film, which revolves around the life of the 18th century warrior Mohammad Yusuf Khan, was expected to release in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and English. Though the film kick-started in 1997, it was shelved due to various reasons. 

Kamal opens up on Vaamamargam !!

Kamal Haasan, in an interview about his next project, opened up on Vaamamargam. The star had trashed the rumours that both Vaamamargam and Marudhanayagam are the same by making it clear that they are distinct projects.

On some people raising doubts over the title Vaamamargam, stating that it is not a Tamil word, Kamal gave them a fitting reply in the interview mentioning that if a film is made on Shakespeare, it needs to be named accordingly.

Looks like Kamal will go ahead with the title Vaamamargam no matter what!

Kamal clarifies on Marudhanayagam !!

• Marudhanayagam is Kamal Haasan's dream project which he began in 1997 but is not able to proceed further due to paucity of funds. Recently in his official YouTube link, he had also mentioned about another project called Vaamaargam.
  
  There was confusion among public that whether Marudhanayagam is Vaamaargam. Clarifying this Kamal says both are different. Marudhanayagam is somebody real and it is his story that will be made into a film. But Vaamaargam is a story from his imagination.
  
  Kamal also divulged information that one of his friends will be funding Marudhanayagam but he would not inform the name for now. The ambitious historical project will be made in three languages Tamil, French and English. On the other hand, three of his films will see the light this year. They are Uttama Villain, Papanasam and Vishwaroopam 2. 

PK ban Twitter battle: Fans compare Aamir Khan’s film with Kamal Haasan’s Vishwaroopam !!!

The latest Aamir Khan film, which questioned religious beliefs, has infuriated a section of the society, who are demanding for a ban on the film. While there are protests against PK, fans are strongly supporting the film and are fighting it out on Twitter against the ban. Here’s what Twitteratti has to say

Aamir Khan-Anushka Sharma starrer PK has set the cash registers ringing, breaking all box office records. But, it has also managed to irk few religious outfits across the nation. While a section of the society are raving about the film ,the other is protesting for a ban on the flick for it’s alleged blasphemous remarks. This has ensued a huge battle on Twitter, as people are fighting for and against Pk ban ..

Ulaganayagan Kamal Haasan Meets His Ex-Wife ...

As you know Kamal Haasan and his wife Sarika has been parted away a few years back and has never had any occasion or situation to meet each other. It is now, after a long time he met his wife!! It seems, Sarika is the second wife of Kamal, while thefirst wife is Vana Ganapathy, and Sarika started living separately since 2002 and they had got divorced legally in 2004. 

They have given birth to two beautiful daughters, Shruti Haasan and Akshara Haasan who has stepped into the film career and doing well in cinemas. Shruti is already a known celebrity, who has done quite a few movies in Tamil, and Hindi, while Akshara is new to the film world and is just starting her career with the Hindi movie Shamitabh!!

Yeah, Shamitabh is Dhanush's upcoming movie in which Akshara Haasan is playing the female lead. The audio launch of this movie Shamitabh has been held recently where Kamal Haasan met his Ex-wife Sarika and given a hand-shake. Everyone at the place where surprised to this and it would have been a great moment! 

Uttama Villain to release in April ???

Now that the trailer of Kamal Haasan's next offering Uttama Villain is out, there is a lot of buzz around the film. The latest we hear is that the film that was supposed to hit screens in February is likely to release in April as a summer special. This will give the team enough time to promote the movie in a good manner. 

Uttama Villain has an ensemble cast that comprises Kamal Haasan, Jayaram, Nasser, Pooja Kumar, Andrea Jeramiah, Parvathy Nair, Parvathi and Urvashi. Veteran actor and director K Vishwanath and the legendary director K Balachander have done cameos in it. Ghibran has scored the music and Ramesh Aravind has directed the movie. 

The candid moment: Rajinikanth, Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan honour music maestro Ilaiyaraaja

His contribution to the showbiz industry is huge. And the impact of his works remains unmatched. That's why 'Shamitabh' which is the 1000th film of which music maestro Ilaiyaraaja remains special for him. And to ensure his feat didn't go unnoticed, filmmaker R. Balki organised an event to felicitate him. He brought legends Kamal Haasan, Rajinikanth and Amitabh Bachchan to come together to honour him

Kamal's first hug and Rajinikanth's gossip

Several eminent personalities from the Indian film industry, including Superstar Rajinikanth, Ulaganayagan Kamal Haasan, Amitabh Bachchan, Dhanush and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, came together in Mumbai on Wednesday to pay glorious tribute to one of the world's most deserving music directors Ilaiyaraaja.

At the event, organized by director Balki to felicitate Ilaiyaraaja, who has composed music for a 1,000 films, actor Amitabh Bachchan said, "It's an honour to be present here with the wonderful talent around us. Thank you for giving us this opportunity, Raja sir." Speaking on the occasion, Ulaganayagan Kamal Haasan said, Out of his 1,000 films, 10 per cent are mine. Today, after 40 years, for the first time I hugged him. I knew that he would reach the 1,000 mark one day."

Another legend, who spoke on the occasion, was Superstar Rajinikanth, who said, "I know Raaja sir from the early '70s. He was very naughty and mischievous then. We used to gossip then. And suddenly, I saw a transformation in Raaja sir which extended to his dressing style. And then, I started calling him Raaja swami. He is a saint now and mata Saraswati lives in him."

Kamal-fest to hit us soon!

THIS JUST IN: The upcoming Kamal Haasan films 'Uttama Villain' and ‘Papanasam’ have finished shoot. The first of the Kamal films hitting this year will be ‘Uttama Villain’. As of now, the dubbing for ‘Uttama Villain’ was completed 4 days back.

With the 'Uttama Villain' trailer already generating a good response among the people, the news couldn’t have come at a better time. Now, it needs to be seen when the movie will get released.

Kamal Haasan will be one busy man this year with 'Uttama Villain' 'Papanasam' and 'Viswaroopam 2'. Added to this, he took to his personal YouTube account yesterday to make clarifications on what could be two different films – ‘Marudhanayagam’ and ‘Vaamamargam’. Only time will let us know what more goodies Kamal Haasan has to offer us more. We’ll keep you posted.

Meanwhile, let us know which Kamal Haasan movie are you most excited for? Sound off in the comments below!