Kamal Haasan - The 'Casanova' of Tamil Cinema

kamal Haasan - The 'Casanova' of Tamil Cinema

If there ever needs to be decided who the 'Casanova' of Tamil Cinema is, the answer is quite obvious. The one and only - 'Ulaganayagan' Kamal Haasan. Throughout his career was, his films have had bold themes. At a time when intimacy was perceived and frowned upon as vulgarity, Kamal did the unthinkable and went ahead by showing how couples could and should be portrayed on screen.

In this feature, we bring to you a collection of Kamal Haasan's best smooches/kisses.

Kamal Haasan’s next movie finalized

Kamal Haasan’s next movie finalized

Kamal Haasan, the Ulaganayagan in Indian Cinema is known for his innovative mindset and impeccable acting ability. Apart from acting, the versatile performer has also proved his mettle in singing, dancing, scripting and even film making. He has millions of fans in all nooks of the earth, and they are now awaiting the release of his projects, ‘Uttama Villain‘, ‘Papanasam’ and ‘Viswaroopam 2′.

The actor who has completed the shooting of these movies has reportedly decided the next film in which he will be working. Sources close to the actor reveals that the upcoming movie of Ulaganayagan will be directed by himself. The film will be an in and out action thriller, and it will have those rare elements demanded to satisfy the needs of his fans.

Recently, Kamal visited Mauritius for location hunt. This new movie is reportedly inspired from a Tamil novel. As per official sources, an eminent literary figure will also take part in the script work of this film.

The shooting of the film is scheduled to begin on April 14, 2015. More details regarding the cast and crew of the movie will be unleashed in the coming days.

Some other reports claim that Kamal Haasan will work with Prabhu Deva in the remake of ‘P K’.

Uttama Villain’ is very close to my heart : Nassar

‘Uttama Villain‘ stars Pooja Kumar, Andrea Jeremiah, Parvathi Menon, Parvathy Nair, Nassar, Jayaram and Urvashi in important roles. Though Nassar has acted in almost innumerable number of films, looks like ‘Uttama Villain’ is the closest one to his heart. Here’s what he revealed during the audio launch of  the function that was held in Chennai Trade Centre, Chennai recently.

‘My son met with a terrible accident on ECR Road a few months back when we were shooting for the film on the same road at a few kilometers away. I left for the hospital but couldn’t see my son who was in ICU. I told Kamal that I’d come to shoot the next day but Kamal insisted that I stay there for a few days till my son recuperated. I insisted on returning to the shooting spot to which he agreed.Kamal lost some lakhs by disbanding the set erected to shoot on the day the accident took place. When I left to see my son at the hospital, I couldn’t reach the hospital soon due to traffic snarl. It was Kamal Haasan who got in touch with the Hospital staff and kept updating me every few minutes on the tests they were conducting and the mode of treatment they proposed to give.

He told me not to possess negative attidude; I followed it and till this day, I didn’t look at the photograph featuring my son’s accident. Had I not returned to the shooting spot on the day of the accident, I might never have returned to starring in films again. I remain extremely thankful to Kamal for being so cooperative; in my long career, Uttama Villain is no doubt an emotionally significant film,’.

Tamil movie released in a DVD

When Kamal Haasan declared that he would release his movie 'Viswaroopam' directly through DTH prior to a theatrical release, there was a huge outcry from exhibitors and distributors forcing Kamal to drop the idea.

It was an idea that could have spelled the death of the middlemen between filmmakers and audience and hence was not encouraged.

Today, another Tamil filmmaker, Cheran has actually gone ahead and done something similar. He has released his movie directly on ‘DVD’ and is available in the market.

For the record, Cheran is the director of the Tamil blockbuster ‘Autograph’ for which he won a national award as well. The movie was remade in Telugu with Ravi Teja as ‘Naa Autograph’.

If this attempt of Cheran turns out to be successful, it could prove to be a boon as it would present an excellent alternative to many producers who are struggling.

Kamal Haasan has the highest number of Oscar entries

Kamal Haasan has starred in the highest number of films (seven) submitted by India for the Academy Award in the Best Foreign Language Film. 

Kamal Haasan decides on his next

When the audience and fans are eagerly awaiting his next release Uttama Villain, the Ulaganayagan has already started preparing for his next. Sources close to the actor reveal that his next would be an action thriller which would be directed by Kamal himself.

It is also said that Kamal had recently returned from a location hunt in Mauritius for his next film. Sources suggest that the story is inspired from a Tamil novel and an eminent literary personality is involved in script work. While the cast/crew and technical department are yet to be finalized, the film is expected to go on floors around the Tamil New Year’s Day of April 14^th.

Meanwhile certain sections of the media had reported that Kamal would be working under the direction of Prabhu Deva which is yet to be confirmed.

On the other hand, Kamal’s line up of releases in 2015 is Uttama Villain, Papanasam and Vishwaroopam 2.

Decoding Uttama Villain

When the first look poster released for Uttama Villain, there was lot of buzz around the title. With Kamal behind it, the title would not be JUST a title. How far did I go in guessing what the movie is about?

Just like how Viswaroopam had an Arabic font around it, Uttama Villain's "Uttama" had a significance. It immediately reminded me about Villu Paatu which is very famous both in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Moreover, in the movie's second trailer we catch a glimpse of Villu Pattu Icon "Subbu Arumugam". This thought process was conveniently reconciled with excerpts of theTheyyam form of street drama.

Things panned out well at the fundamentals, when I found my next potential breakthrough just after the Audio Launch.

A special mention here about Ghibran who has delivered a high content album that packs so much within the boundaries of every 3-5 minute song.

In the two trailers that released we see pretty obvious references of Father and Son rift, a devilish Theyyam act and on Kamal's personal life as well. Then comes the kicker, a Theyyam play track titled "Iraniyan Nadagam" that starts with the "Kamal" baritone. Now who is Iraniyan? The answer to this question unveils so much possibilities about the movie itself.

Iraniyan was another name for Hiranyakashipu who is a significant mythological character in Indian Mythology. The most famous Vishnu Avatar had its reason to emerge because of this dubious Asura (Villain). So when did this villain become Uttama (top notch/best/pure etc.)?

In his previous birth, Hiranyakashipu was a sentry to Lord Vishnu. After being cursed by the Four Kumaras, he pleaded to Lord Vishnu to lift this curse. The curse was to have him being born on earth never to return to Vaikunta (Vishnu's abode). Here Lord Vishnu gave him two choices, first, to take seven births on earth as his devotee, second, to take three births on earth as his enemy. Unable to bear the thought of his separation from Vishnu for seven births, Hiranyakashipu accepted to take the three births as Vishnu's enemy. So here is your Uttaman. Moreover, once the sentry is born on earth as Hiranyakashipu, he gets a boon from Lord Brahma that he shall master death and no one shall be able to kill him. This is observed in the teaser itself where the famous Mruthyunjaya mantra kicks in. Mruthyunjaya ofcouse meaning "Winner of death/winning death" (Mruthyu = death + Jaya = win).

What more did I get as reconciliation? Iraniyan's death under the hands of Lord Vishnu (as Narasimha Avatar) was a result of Iraniyan trying to vanquish his son who was a Vishnu devotee. Iraniyan and Prahaladan(Iraniyan's son on earth) had clashes of opinions and this mounted to heated emotional arguments. We have a very similar flow in both the Trailers of Uttama Villain where the son questions the dad about his mother. We also see Kamal oozing emotion to his son at the end of the second trailer. What more? We have a dedicated Instrumental track called "Father & Son" that chants the "Mruthyunjaya" mantra!

“Uttama Villain” – USA & Canada Release by Prime Media

PRIME Media in association with Raaj Kamal New Frontiers is very proud to announce that we are distributing Ulaganayagan Padma Bhushan Kamal Hassan’s magnum opus “Uttama Villain” in USA & Canada.
Movie is getting geared to release on April 2nd.

Uttama Villain is a Comedy-Drama film directed by Ramesh Aravind. The film features an ensemble cast that includes Kamal Hassan, Jayaram, Andrea Jeremiah, Pooja Kumar, Nassar, Parvathy Nair and Urvashi. Directors K. Viswanath and K. Balachander plays vital roles in the film.

Uttama Villain music is orchestrated by M.Ghibran. Audio album is getting rave reviews and singled out to be one of the best albums of the year.

Enriching cinema, Kamal style

Over the years, Kamal Haasan’s cinema has featured not just dance but other arts as well. There was street theatre in ‘Anbe Sivam’, leather puppetry in ‘Dasavatharam’, and now ‘Uthama Villain’ will showcase Theyyam, villu pattu, kalari and koothu.

After Kamal Haasan became a dance assistant, the late dance master Raghuram became an acquaintance. Raghuram was related to Padma Subrahmanyam – whom Kamal had fallen for when he saw her dance on stage. “I fell in love with a lady I didn’t even know” is how he put it – and when Kamal found out about this, he knelt in front of Raghuram and said, with a wink in his eye (or maybe without one), “I want to marry your aunt.” He settled for learning her style of dance instead. Kamal said, “I don’t know if he was bluffing or if he really learnt from her, but he used to teach me. We were from different styles, and so it was sort of an exchange of ideas.”

K. Balachander did not care for dancing in films. He did not care for choreographers. Thangappan Master was hired for ‘Sollathaan Ninaikkiren’, but Balachander did not like what Kamal Haasan called “the traditional cinema dance master.” He wanted someone young, and so Kamal brought in Raghuram. Balachander asked them to partner up for the choreography. They became co-choreographers for films such as Balachander’s ‘Avargal’, whose title cards mention that the mock-cricket match was “staged by Kamalahasan and Raghuraman.”

Kamal Haasan said, “Raghu was really talented. He was working with Chopra Master. His training was superior to mine because he had a great teacher. When we got together, we formed a new style, a bit of Padma Subrahmanyam, a bit of Kolhapuri Kathak, all my influences. So our compositions looked very different.”

They worked together on many films, including Hindi films such as ‘Ek Duuje Ke Liye’. Kamal Haasan said that he had a hand in choreographing most of his dances onscreen, even if he wasn’t credited. After the release of ‘Avargal’, Raghuram got married. Kamal and he were still choreographing dances together, but around the time of (the 1978 Malayalam film) ‘Madanolsavam’, Kamal said he didn’t need this title. “It was more useful for him, as I had already made it. I was a star in Kerala.”

We spoke about his dances in the films of the late 1970s and the early 1980s, when it was practically signed into his contract that a film that featured him would also feature a dance by him. ‘Unakenna mele ninraai’ in ‘Simla Special,’ ‘Kaamanukku Kaaman’ in ‘Uruvangal Maaralaam’. Even the tweaking of ‘Yadhuvamsa Sudhambudhi Chandra’ in ‘Sanam Teri Kasam’. “That’s not classical,” Kamal Haasan said. “That’s a sell-out. That’s what people like my sister didn’t like.” Then came ‘Sagara Sangamam’. Kamal and RC Sakthi wanted to make a film on a similar subject, about a dancer who was an alcoholic. They even had a name for it: ‘Anupallavi’. But when K. Viswanath came calling, Kamal felt he had to do the film, especially as it was from the creator of ‘Sankarabharanam’.

On the sets of ‘Sagara Sangamam’, Kamal’s training restarted. Gopi Krishna was one of the choreographers, and he insisted that Kamal train for at least a month. Kamal was one of the top stars of the time, doing multiple shifts, but he had to find the time. “It was actually a great sacrifice from my side,” Kamal Haasan said, but it was worth it. The dance sequence that resulted for the song ‘Naadha Vinodhamu’ became one of the film’s highlights. The other dances, including the “dance of rage” that predated the ones in Yash Chopra’s films, were composed by Kamal and Raghuram. I asked him if he considered the dances in this film “pure dances.” He said, “But even in the film it is called Bhaarat Natyam. That was my constant defence against the question: ‘What style is your dance’? It’s better than calling it Oriental Dance, which is a very derogatory term coined by the British.”

Over the years, Kamal Haasan’s cinema has featured not just dance but other arts as well. There was street theatre in ‘Anbe Sivam’, shadowpuppetry in ‘Dasavatharam’, and now ‘Uthama Villain’ will showcase Theyyam, villu pattu, kalari and koothu (“Not theru koothu, as it has been brought down to, but the traditional form”) and even Bharatanatyam (“where the teacher used to dance with the disciple; it’s only after Rukmini Devi Arundale that the nattuvangam artist sat down”). Kamal Haasan said the film wasn’t so much dance-based as folk-art based, and added, “A purist will not accept this form, even in folk arts.” He’s done an attakalari performance for the film, and he’s written the lyrics for the piece. “It’s difficult because you have to maintain grace with that huge headgear. It’s like dancing Kathakali with a kavadi.” Kamal took out his phone and showed me picture of him in the Theyyam make-up of Narasimha avatar. I asked him if this was his way of enriching cinema. “Absolutely,” he said. “I am at this opportune position. I am trying to bring a lot of great talented people into this cinema, which is very versatile and accommodating. I want to give everything I have to this medium.”

Now Vishwaroopam 2 in Auro 3D

We are doing Vishwaroopam 2. ... This time the sequel will come in Auro 3D," Kamal told reporters here on Wednesday

he sequel to ‘Vishwaroopam’ will come soon in 3D sound format, also known as Auro 3D, actor-filmmaker Kamal Haasan said.

After the success of Vishwaroopam, which had utilised the Auro 3D sound technology, Kamal’s Vishwaroopam 2 is in the making. The sequel is also likely to be released this year.

“We are doing Vishwaroopam 2. We are working on it.

We are quite charged up for it. This time the sequel will come in Auro 3D,” Kamal told reporters here on Wednesday.

Vishwaroopam was embroiled in a controversy after a section of people demanded a ban on the film’s screening, claiming that it hurt the sentiments of a community.

Following the protests, the movie was banned from screening across Tamil Nadu and in some other states but was released after few days.

The espionage thriller was reportedly made on a budget of Rs. 95 crore and has grossed over Rs. 220 crore.

The sequel will reportedly focus more on mother-son sentiments.

Kamal and the art of screenplay writing

Charu anna would be composing these funny lines and singing them to tunes of the latest Tamil film songs. Much later, RC Sakthi made me write. My friend Puviarasu made me write. Great poets such as Gnanakoothan encouraged me to write”

When I asked Kamal Haasan what kind of music he listened to, outside of work, he said, “Pretty much anything that comes my way – even dubstep, which (Gautami’s daughter) Subbulakshmi introduced me to.” He said he was most fond of neoclassical music, and he named the composer Alex North, who veered away from the traditional orchestral approach prevalent in Hollywood and incorporated other elements – jazz, for instance, in his score for ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’. (North went on to compose for well-regarded films such as ‘Spartacus’ and ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?’).

“You can see those influences in my films,” Kamal Haasan said, “right from ‘Rajapaarvai’.” He then spoke about an “extraordinary neoclassical score,” a Hiranya Vadham kind of piece, which Ghibran has composed for the soon-to-be-released ‘Uthama Villain’.

“I am not a great fan of songs being part of the film, unless it’s a musical,” he said. “I think it’s high time for a bifurcation between music and cinema. It’s such a nuisance when we bring in songs. We have trained the audience like that. It takes a long time to make the audience understand that too much fried food is bad for you. They listen only if the doctor tells them. But now that the portion sizes have become small, they’ve begun to understand.”

***

We then spoke about his writing, and Kamal Haasan went into a flashback to when he must have been around 16. He and his brothers were waiting for their mother to serve them dosais and Charuhasan, on the spot, composed and sang this pastiche based on the tune of ‘Vettri meedhu vettri vandhu ennai saerum’, the popular MGR song from the 1970 film ‘Thedi Vandha Maappillai’.

“Dosai meedhu dosai vandhu ennai saerum,

Adhai vaarthu thandha perumai ellam unnai saerum,

Idli-oda chutney thandha annai allavo,

Idhu oosugindra dosai enbadhu unmai allavo.”

This is impossible to translate with its flavour intact, but the point Kamal Haasan was making was that, as with music, writing too was all around him in that household. “Charu anna would be composing these funny lines and singing them to the tunes of the latest Tamil film songs. Much later, RC Sakthi made me write. My friend Puviarasu made me write. Great poets such as Gnanakoothan encouraged me to write.” Even Raghu Rai could be added to that list, for Kamal Haasan said that poetry and photography are very important hobbies that a screenwriter should have, because they make you think of succinct ways of saying what you have to say. “I’m a great fan of Raghu Rai. Each photograph of his tells you a whole story. A little higher up, a different angle, and it’s a whole new story.”

RC Sakthi, who would go on to direct films such as ‘Dharma Yudhdham’ and ‘Sirai’, told Kamal very early in their association, “You are a screenwriter.” He thrust a 40-page notebook in Kamal’s hand and told his friend to start writing his screenplay. This was around 1970-71. Kamal started writing something called ‘Ninaivugal’ for a short film. Sakthi liked it and asked Kamal to join him as co-writer on ‘Unarchigal’, a film he was planning about the sexual misadventures of a teenager. Kamal, who would play this protagonist, came up with the title. The film was supposed to be a quickie, released in 1972.

But it got embroiled with the Censor Board over its content, which was fairly explicit for the time. The 1972 roster of the Tamil film industry included ‘Agathiyar’, ‘Dheivam’, ‘Annai Abirami’ and ‘Sakthi Leelai’. The story of a teenager who contracts a sexually transmitted disease must have been a bit of a stretch. ‘Unarchigal’, finally, made it to the screens in 1976.

Captain's son to take on Kamal Haasan

Sagaptham is an upcoming film that marks the debut vehicle of Captain Vijaykanth's son Shanmuga Pandian. This film is directed by Surendran and produced by L K Sudheesh. The makers of the film have made a formal announcement that the film, will make it to theatres across the world on April 2.

The audio of 'Sagaptham', composed by Karthik Raja, was launched in Chennai recently. Interestingly Kamal Haasan's much awaited 'Uttama Villain' will also most likely hit the screens on April 2, along with Udhayanidhi's 'Nanbenda'.

Kamal Haasan has left me baffled many times'

'Working with Kamal Haasan was a different experience because of his knowledge and the experience he brings to the table.

'Everybody says he is an encyclopedia and he is one, indeed.'

Sound designer Kunal Rajan discusses Kamal Haasan, and their latest film together Uttama Villain.

Kunal Rajan is the most sought-after sound designer in Tamil cinema.

Born and raised in Pondicherry, Kunal graduated in sound design from Singapore, then moved to Los Angeles for a career in Hollywood.

Kunal has collaborated with A R Rahman and Resul Pookutty in Shankar’s Endhiren, Murugadoss’s Hindi remake of Ghajini and Akshay Kumar’s Blue.

He collaborated with Kamal Haasan for Vishwaroopamand most recently, for Haasan’s forthcoming film,Uttama Villain, directed by Ramesh Arvind.

He spoke to Rediff.com contributor Praveen Sundaramfrom Los Angeles via Skype about his career in Hollywood, Uttama Villain and collaborating with Craig Mann, who recently won an Oscar for Whiplash.

How did you start your career in Hollywood?

After I moved to the United States, I started doing on-location sound. After a year of that, I realised that my passion lies in post-production, in sound design and mixing.

I did a course in the US specialising in post-production sound and slowly I started my career as a sound designer.

Was it difficult to find work in the US?

It is very scary to think about it now.

Before I came here, I thought there were Warner Brothers, Universal Studios, Sony and so many companies and I would go to the US and send them my resume with my Bachelor’s degree in sound from Singapore.

I thought it would all be very easy.

Not even one company got back to me.

So, I started with students who were doing their thesis films. Slowly I got into very low budget, independent films. Slowly I began getting good work.

How did you get into mainstream Hollywood?

I worked on short films and small budget films. One person would recommend me to another and my network grew.

I began working on independent films. Some of them were recognised at film festivals and one went to Sundance.

My resume started getting better, with better films and better filmmakers. People started approaching me.

Now I find myself working in films like Jem and TheHolograms, which should be out in October this year, directed by Jon M Chu. It’s his next film after GI Joe. It is a very big movie for me. I am very excited.

What about your work with Tamil filmmakers?

Arun Vaidyanathan’s Achchamundu Achchamundu was my first Tamil film. Sometime in 2007-2008, I read an article online that a Tamil filmmaker was making a Tamil film to be shot entirely in the US.

At the time, I was getting better work and had a good team. I contacted Arun through his website and expressed my interest in working with him. That’s howAchchamundu Achchamundu happened.

Technically, I have done only four Tamil films:Achchamundu Achchamundu, Vishwaroopam, R S Prasanna’s Kalyana Samayal Saadham and Saivam.Uttama Villain will be my fifth release.

You were also a part of Ghajini and Endhiran…

I’ve known Resul Pookutty for a while now, even before he won the Oscar. He was doing the foley work (foley is the reproduction of everyday sound effects that are added to film, video, and other media in post-production to enhance audio quality) for Murugadoss’s Hindi remake of Ghajini.

He wanted to do some part of the work in the US. I helped him with that and also collaborated with him forEndhiren and Blue as a sound editor.

I also did a little work in Shah Rukh Khan’s Ra One.

What was it like working with Kamal Haasan?

I was initially concerned about working with such a senior artist and technician. He comes with a lot of experience and has terrific knowledge on every aspect of filmmaking.

I was aware that it was a big budget film and he has high expectations from people he works with.

He made me feel very comfortable and was open to ideas. If you know your job, Kamal will trust you and leave it to you. He collaborated very well, not just with me but my entire crew; they all enjoyed working with him.

Some of them have worked in very big budget Hollywood films like Inception. But they felt that working with Kamal was a different experience because of his knowledge and the experience he brings to the table.

In a particular situation if you don’t know how to go ahead, he would be there. In his mind he knows the solution, but he will let you play around and come up with different possible solutions. Finally, he will tell us to try a particular way, just for the sake of trying and check if that works.

He has left me baffled many times.

Everybody says he is an encyclopedia and he is one, indeed.

Tell us more about your experience of working inUttama Villain.

Kamal Haasan had narrated Uttama Villain to me while we were working on Vishwaroopam.

I thought it would be a cakewalk. It was only when I watched the first rough cut that I realised what I was getting into. He has done a fantastic job.

One of the biggest challenges was working in two different time zones in two different counties -- India and Los Angeles. Coordinating, getting all the sound files back and forth was very tough. The movie has contemporary portions and also period portions.

All the period portions were challenging because it was not something I had done before.

I had to work carefully without using any modern sounds. We wanted to keep it subtle and enhance the story and keep it as realistic as possible.

Did you visit the shooting spot?

No, but Kamal Haasan used to update me almost every two or three days over the phone. He would tell me about the scenes that he had shot.

I was aware of what was happening and I was always curious to see the final output.

I always watch the first cut like an audience and only from the second viewing I make my notes as a sound engineer.

Was the film shot in live-sound?

No, some of the actors don’t speak the language and most scenes were shot in challenging locations.

The thing with live-sound is when you work partly live and partly dub, it affects the quality of the film.

Kamal Haasan thanked you for putting him in touch with Craig Mann, the sound mixer who worked inUttama Villain and won an Oscar for Whiplash. How did you guys collaborate? What did Craig Mann think of working in a Tamil film and Kamal Haasan?

I told Craig I was working in an Indian film and looking for a sound mixer to collaborate with.

He replied that he had just finished a small budget musical called Whiplash and if I was inviting him to collaborate for a Bollywood musical, he would love to do it.

I had to tell him that Indian films are not Bollywood films alone; there are multiple regional industries making fantastic films. He was fascinated by how many film industries we have in India.

I then told him about Kamal Haasan. They collaborated really well.

Will you be working in more Indian films?

I am open to working in any language as long as I find the work challenging and the team is good, and it is for people who understand the importance of sound, directors who understand what sound can do to their film.

I have worked in French, Italian and Ethiopian films too

Latest Updates on Kamalhassan Prabhu Deva film !!

The last couple of days the Tamil industry as well as fans of Ulaganayagan has been super excited about the veteran actor doing a film directed by our very own Prabhu Deva who is the top Bollywood director now.  The two of them have combined before as the lead stars in the laugh riot Kadhala Kadhala and this gave an impression that the new film would be a comedy.

But the latest breaking news hint that the film is an international thriller based on the story Velvet Kuttrangal by Rajesh Kumar which is inspired by the mysterious disappearance of the Malaysian Airlines flight last year. This Vasan Visual Venture's production is going to be a huge treat for both Kamal and Prabhu Deva fans. 

Kamal upset!!!

Kamal vishwaroopam 2 is not getting saled for release in theatres because of the controversies and problem created for viswaroopam 1. And kamal hassan new idea of DTH also not encouraged.  So kamal is upset regarding the release of film.

Kamal Fans on a High after UV Audio Launch

Asummer treat is in the offing for Kamal Haasan’s fans as one of the most anticipated movies of this year, Uttama Villain (UV), directed by Ramesh Aravind, is all set to release during the first week of April.

“A buzz was unleashed after the team recently released the film’s audio in Chennai in a grand way. The whole experience was cinematic. A lot of thought had gone into the online audio release and more than 2000 fans of the star added to the grandeur of the launch. Many industry bigwigs were also present,” says Ramesh.

The director also reveals that it was the first time that he had lavished about two years on one film. “Apart from my TV show, Weekends with Ramesh which has been running for 23 weeks, I did not take on any work other than UV. A lot of effort has gone into its making, so there is a lot of curiosity. In a lighter vein, I keep telling people that we have put in nearly 80,000 hours of work to make a 150-minute film,” he says. 

UV will have a worldwide release with Eros International taking up the distribution. “The film will have English subtitles and wherever it gets released, it will have subtitles of the local language,” says Ramesh.

Paul Walker's 'Furious 7' Dubbed in Tamil; Kamal Haasan's 'Uthama Villain' to Clash with Vin Diesel Starrer in TN

Kollywood audience will get to see late Paul Walker one last time, as his "Furious 7" is being dubbed in Tamil. The news was formally announced by Universal Pictures India. 

The movie will hit screens in India on 2 April. Apart from Tamil, the makers of the film are releasing it in English, Hindi and Telugu languages. We have to note the previous instalments of "Fast and Furious" franchise were also dubbed in Tamil and they got good response from Tamil movie buffs. 

However, we have to wait and see how many screens "Furious 7" gets for its release in Tamil Nadu. That's because many Tamil movies are releasing during the same time.

Filmmakers are targeting Good Friday weekend to pull audiences into theatres. As of now, Kamal Haasan's "Uthama Villain" and Udhyanidhi Stalin's "Nanbenda" have been confirmed for being released on 2 April. Karthi's "Kombam" would also be in theatres on 27 March.

Coming back to "Furious 7", it is a special movie for the simple reason that it is the last movie of Paul Walker, who died in a car crash in 2013. The makers have re-written the story following his death and made changes in the storyline.

"Furious 7" has been written by Chris Morhan and directed by James Wan. Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, Lucas Black and Jason Statham play important roles in the movie.

Kamal Hassan's Hindi film AMAR HAIN Re-launched

Kamal Hassan, unarguably country's most versatile actor-directors is once again making his tryst with Bollywood reviving his Hindi film AMAR HAIN that he was scheduled to make in 2012 but the movie was put on backburner due to his hectic schedules down South.

 

Confirming the media Kamal Hassan in an interview to a leading national daily said, "Yes, it is true I am re-launching my Hindi film AMAR HAIN. I am in talks with film producers Virendar Arora and Arjun K Kapoor and we plan to launch the film in November this year and complete it within five months of its inception. 

Speaking about the film Kamal informed, "Corruption and black money are plaguing the nation like cancer. Politics, which is regarded as the noblest profession, has unfortunately become the source of minting money. Hence through my film AMAR HAIN, I have tried to explore these bitter truths."

 

"I had completed the script some four years ago but could not focus on it as the film is mounted on a large scale. It needed huge finance assistance hence I had shelved it. However recently when producers Virendar Arora and Arjun K Kapoor read the script they were bowled over by its hard hitting content and extended the financial aid."

 

Producers Virendar Arora and Arjun K Kapoor, who are recently in the news for their upcoming film ABHI NAHI TO KABHI NAHI, starring Pankaj Kapoor-Lara Dutta confirming the exorbitant budget of the film said, "Our collaboration with Mr Haasan will be mounted on a broad scale as the film delves into forbidden political corridors and the nexus with the underworld."

Craig and I had a blast mixing 'Uttama Villain': Kunal Rajan

 HANDOUT

 HANDOUT

 Reuters Craig Mann, who is currently mixing sound for Kamal Haasan's "Uttama Villain", with his Best Sound Mixing oscar for "Whiplash".

Sound designer Kunal Rajan found working with Oscar-winning sound mixer Craig Mann fabulous.

According to Rajan, the two had a blast mixing Kamal Haasan’s Tamil musical drama Uttama Villain. “Craig and I have worked together on a few Hollywood projects. When I was starting Uttama Villain, I asked him if he would be interested to mix an Indian film. He was so excited. He was telling me how he had just doneWhiplash, and was very excited to do another musical,” said Rajan.

Craig, who pocketed an Oscar for his sound mix in the musical Whiplash, was extremely collaborative and gave it his very best to make the movie sound the way it does, said Rajan. Rajan has also worked with Haasan inVishwaroopam.

The sound in Uttama Villain would be much more realistic, unlike Vishwaroopam, where everything was larger than life, according to Rajan. “Everything that’s shown on screen has to convey emotions. It’s a film with strong emotional content,” he said.

Rajan also added that as portions of Uttama Villainwould take audiences back to the eighth century, it was challenging to reproduce the right sounds of a bygone era. “There are a lot of period instruments such as swords and trumpets. It was challenging to capture these sounds. But thanks to a very good team, we pulled it off,” he said.

Kamal Haasan to return to Bollywood

Currently, he's busy with Ramesh Aravind's Uttama Villain which revolves around the life of a mega star and his mentor. But we have learnt that Kamal Haasan has also finished scripting his next, a Bollywood production which examines the nexus between politics and money launderers.

Kamal will direct and star in the film with a B'town A-lister with whom talks are on.

The film was originally planned in 2012 but he got busy with Vishvaroopam and this film was put on the back-burner. But recently, Kamal had a meeting with Virender Arora and Arjun K Kapoor, (producers of Pankaj Kapur-Lara Dutta starrer Abhi Nahi To Kabhi Nahi), and the project was revived. It will go on floors in November with an international crew.

Confirming this, Arjun said, "Our collaboration with Mr Haasan will be mounted on a sweeping scale as it delves into forbidden political corridors and the nexus with the underworld."

Kamal, who was at a music launch, added, "I expect to complete the principal shooting within five months of the film's commencement. People who have read my script might think I am bragging, but my team's readiness and preparation has emboldened me to make this claim."

Nawazuddin has coached Kamal Haasan

Nawazuddin Siddiqui may have been on his first trip to Bengaluru with this promotion, but the actor says that he loves south Indian cinema. My favourite actor is Kamal Haasan. I watch all his films. I have worked with him when I did a small role in Hey Ram. In fact, I was his dialogue coach during Abhay. He is a complete perfectionist. He would ensure he got every bit of his dialogues right while shooting. I would stand below the camera on a stool and prompt him, so that he would never miss a single cue," recalls Nawaz.

Kamal Haasan's next a thriller

Actor-filmmaker Kamal Haasan, who is awaiting the release of Tamil period-drama "Uttama Villain", will soon start working on a yet-untitled thriller in the language. He also plans to direct the film.

"Kamal sir recently returned from locating scouting in Mauritius for his next film, which will be a thriller with high-octane action. He has plans to direct it as well," a source close to the actor told.

"He is waiting for the release of 'Uttama Villain'. And once it's out, he'll start working on this project. The pre-production work is already underway," he said. Also, Haasan is likely to work in a full-length Hindi film soon.

"He is expected to collaborate with producers Virender Arora and Arjun K. Kapoor for a Hindi film. It will be a political subject," the source added. Kamal is also awaiting releases of Tamil films "Papanasam" and "Vishwaroopam 2".

When Kamal Haasan and Balachander clashed

Actor-filmmaker Ramesh Aravind said the team of Uthama Villain condensed over 80,000 hours of sweat into the film, slated for worldwide release on April 2. "As a team, we worked really hard on this film. We condensed 80,000 hours of sweat into a two-and-a-half-hour film. The two stories, set in 8th century and 20th century, are linked together with a great screenplay," Ramesh said during the audio release of the film in Chennai.

"The stories have a great mix of comedy and drama. It's a film that we can all be proud of. I really need to thank Kamal (Haasan) sir for giving me the opportunity to direct this project," he said.

Uthama Villain is the last film of late legendary filmmaker K Balachander, aka KB, who launched the careers of Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan. Balachander plays Kamal's mentor in the film. "The first scene between Kamal sir and KB sir will be terrific. It will be the clash of two legends," Ramesh said.

Talking about his guru, Kamal said, "Had he not spotted me, my life would've been different. He shaped my career and I will continue his work and carry his legacy forward. I would've remained a fan of cinema without KB sir's support. He's amahaguru for many of us. It was an honour to act with him," Kamal said.

After 'Uttama Villain' Kamal Haasan's next to be a thriller

Actor-filmmaker Kamal Haasan, who is awaiting the release of Tamil period-drama Uttama Villain, will soon start working on a yet-untitled thriller in the language. He also plans to direct the film.

"Kamal sir recently returned from locating scouting in Mauritius for his next film, which will be a thriller with high-octane action. He has plans to direct it as well," a source close to the actor told IANS.

"He is waiting for the release of Uttama Villain. And once it's out, he'll start working on this project. The pre-production work is already underway," he said.

Also, Haasan is likely to work in a full-length Hindi film soon.

"He is expected to collaborate with producers Virender Arora and Arjun K. Kapoor for a Hindi film. It will be a political subject," the source added.

Kamal is also awaiting releases of Tamil filmsPapanasam and Vishwaroopam 2.

Shruti Haasan is too busy to take up scriptwriting

It's known that papa Kamal Haasan had gifted Shruti Haasan a scriptwriting software and a writing course for her birthday recently. His motive was to inspire Shruti, an actress and musician, to write as well.

The pretty actress had said, "My dad thinks I'm a talented writer and must hone my writing skills. I have been writing short stories, lyrics, and poems ever since I was fifteen. However, very few people have read my work so far. It's only now that I've decided to reveal portions of my writing. I want to get into writing for short films."

Kamal's revolution!!

http://www.tamilstar.com/video/revolution/kamals-digital-video_0205e33ba.html

Kamal Haasan's 'Uttama Villain' audio released

Kamal Haasan's Uttama Villain trailer and audio were released late on Sunday at Chennai Trade Centre in Nandambakkam.

Intrestingly, Kamal Haasan launched the audio of the film on an app, instead of conventional CDs.

The star-studded event was attended by a host of celebrities including Pooja Kumar, Vikram Prabhu, Andrea, Ramesh Arvind, Nassar, Lingusamy, Subash Chandra Bose, Luthfudeen Baasha, Urvashi, Vijay Sethupathi, MS Bhaskar, Parvathi Nair, Poorna and many others were spotted at the event. The lead actress Pooja Kumar had earlier posted on social media about her performance at the event.

Kamal Haasan to produce Bollywood film Amar Hain

Kamal Haasan, who is busy producing and acting in films down South, has decided to shift his attention back to Bollywood. The superstar who has acted in popular films like Appu Raja, Chachi 420, Hey Ramamong others, will now produce a film titled Amar Hain.

From what we hear, Haasan had planned the film in 2012, but it never materialized since he got busy with the controversial film Vishvaroopam. And now, not only will he be producing the film but he will also star in it along with a popular A-list actor. For Amar Hain, he will be joining hands with Virendra Arora and Arjun K. Kapoor who are also producing the Lara Dutta, Kay Kay Menon starrer Abhi Nahi Toh Kabhi Nahi. While Kapoor expressed his happiness over collaborating with Kamal Haasan, Haasan is equally excited about the progress happening on this long pending film. Moreover, the actor also assured that they will be wrapping up the film in five months, after the film goes on floor.

Amar Hain talks about the deep rooted web of politics and money laundering and it is slated to go on floor in November along with an international crew coming on board. As far as the details of the star cast are concerned, it is yet to be finalized.

'Uthama Villain' Music Review Roundup: Kamal Haasan and Ghibran Bring Out Magnificent Album

The much awaited music of Kamal Haasan's "Uthama Villain" was released on 1 March and the album has received some overwhelming response from the audience and critics alike.

With 17 tracks, the album is seen by critics as one of the best in Tamil industry till date. Composed by Ghibran, the album has seven songs, seven original sound tracks and three karaoke.

Kamal Haasan has contributed to the album singing six songs and writing lyrics for five songs. The other singers include Padmalatha, Sharanya Gopinath, Anitha, Nivas, Subbu Arumugam and Rukmini Ashok Kumar.

Besides Kamal Haasan, lyrics are penned by Viveka and Subbu Arumugam.

The music of "Uthama Villain" is brought out by Eros International. Directed by Ramesh Arvind, the film is scheduled to hit theatres on 2 April.

Here are the reviews of "Uthama Villain" album by various critics.

"Love'aa Love'aa", Singers: Kamal Haasan,Sharanya Gopinath,Anitha, Nivas; Lyrics: Viveka

"Psychedelic chants, electronic pop, trance like EDM and quirky voices along with purposefully programmed jarring beats are this song's strong elements. Kamal's range and Sharanya's Usha Uthup like rendition add juxtaposing flavors to this uniquely sounding track. The Loveeaa Loveaa portion is addictive and will very soon develop repeated listens. The acoustic guitarist sets the pace and establishes the soul of the song. The rhythm breakdown in the second BGM is surprising and enterprising. Ghibran is exploring beyond the horizons. "- Behindwoods

"The album opens up with a song for the contemporary age. Ghibran makes use of heavy western elements to deliver a blazing song. A good listener might identify a jarring effect throughout the song, but that's done on purpose. The composer usually dishes, many flavors in the interludes and he doesn't disappoint here as well. The second interlude is one of the highlights in the song where the drums take the center stage to delight our ears. Kamalhassan as usual played with his words, ex – 'Perithaana Velaikku.. Pillayar Suzhi Thaan Muththam'."- Indiaglitz

"Aadhalaam Kadavul Mun", Singers: Padmalatha, Lyrics: Kamal Haasan

"Beginning with the hang drums and dwelling into a scintillating voice with brilliant gamakas, a carnatic number that is sure to be used for Bharathanatyam ballets. Haunting chorus, rim shots on the hand drum, nuances like setting a ghost note on the chord progression by tingling the harp, minute detailing with accentuating effects with the Kanjira, Mridangam and chimes are all pure ingenuity."- Behindwoods

After the humdinger opening, Ghibran shifts down the gears to provide a Hindustan classical. The track boasts a serene prelude and this could well be the song for the 18th century episode. Padmalatha has rendered some gems for Ghibran in the past (Aruvakkaran, Edhedho Ennam Vandhu, Dhaagam Theera) and this one will be the ultimate turning point in her career. Like a swing, she shuttles between the highs and lows of the track beautifully with minimal effort. 'Mogathai Sollida Mozhiyum Oru Thadai Aagumo'."- Indiaglitz

Utthaman Arimugam; Singers: Kamal Haasan, Subbu Arumugam; Lyrics: Subbu Arumugam

"The Morsing gives the ideal start to a Villupaatu that's busy telling a story. The group singing, manually created lively rhythms by bhols, Kamal's soulful voice especially in the thisra nadai, is inspiring. The track effortlessly changes from Mayamalagowla scale to Shankarabharanam base. The lyrics going along with the fast paced tune is foot tapping. The rhythm change towards the end with an octave higher is the goosebumps giving moment. An authentic ballad." - Behindwoods

"The album goes on to offer the traditional Viilluppattu here, with a track which we have heard already with regards to the art. Kamal throws some sarcastic punch lines (Arasiyalvaadhi Unmai Sonnadhuppol Adhisayam Kanden). Ghibran deviates from the base genre and raises the tempo for a while and takes a mild break to let us guess what will be the rest of the song. The chorus deserves a special mention for elevating the mood of the song/story."- Indiaglitz

"Saagaavaram" Singers: Kamal Haasan; Lyrics: Kamal Haasan

"This composition is an outrageous cry. Ektara to kindle and Kamal's range of of being a soprano is jaw-dropping. Begins in Harikambhoji and deviates to alien notes in between. A light-classical composition treated with unusual elements like using electronic beats and playing accents with the grand piano. Sounds of the sword, an allegro for the group singers and the magnanimous chenda melam are ambitious. "- Behindwoods

"By this time, we get to understand that the album is not the regular run-of-the-mill kind and the protagonist is trying to convey a story in every track. This one starts off with the swords clashing and Kamal starts to plead to a king and explain him why there is nothing worse than being immortal. He aptly conveys the same to us as well (Sagavaram Pol Sogam Undo). The Sofia Symphony offers a never heard experience. The 'Chenda Melam', Drum Beats, 'Kombu' (Kerala Instrument) treats us big time."- Indiaglitz

"Iraniyan Naadagam" ; Singers: Kamal Haasan, Rukmini Ashok Kumar; Lyrics: Kamal Haasan

"A monologue driven by a sing-song pattern. A potpourri of genres, involving ball room music to carnatic to opera to hard-rock to what not? Possibly a visually driven piece, establishing a journey. An experimental, progressive track that has to grow into you. The lead vocals follow the wonderful carnatic touch which has flavours of Shakarabharanam with slight deviated notes.There is so much to notice every time you listen to it. A highly orchestrated track with brass sections, syncopated rhythms and deadly bass lines. The usage of Theyyam-exclusive instruments like chenda, kuzhal, perumabara and utuku are top class. A listening experience than to be termed as a song."-Behindwoods

"You might have heard this story during your school days, but when it gets transported with Kamal's vocals the magnitude of the story gets multiplied. The trailer of this movie too carries the glimpses of this track. A truly majestic prelude sets the tone for the track. The instruments let Kamal take the foreground, but it stays in synch with the song. The song does send out invigorating vibes, especially the 'Mruthyunjaya Ho' part is terrifically done. The symphony part, which includes the violins, piano, and drums are kept, making their way one by one to deliver an international substance."- Indiaglitz

"Mutharasan Kadhai"; Singers: Kamal Haasan; Lyrics: Kamal Haasan

"Mridangam and English horn in a single song? An animation of emotions ranging from cartoon like funny portions to intriguing arrangements creating fear. With Sofia symphonic orchestra chipping in, this song has all the elements to be called purely international. The condescending arpeggios in the preludes become a strain, but the song situation might justify it. Timpani, string sessions, use of Celtic instruments and a wide variety of instruments make it a power-packed track. Absence of a set rhythm makes the song a little hard to follow. Every element in the song has a purpose and reason. The folkish ending is a relief."- Behindwoods

"Version 3.0 of Viilluppattu – Kamal renders this one with the help of a glorious chorus team. Though we just hear the audio, the composer's effort might create various illusions in front you. This story got all the elements to be a perfect stage play and it will be a treat to watch on the big screen. The WOW factor in this track to see the western instruments played along with the traditional Indian instruments to create a magical fusion."- Indiaglitz

Uttama Villain new trailer: Kamal Haasan traps you in an intriguing web of storytelling and emotions – watch trailer!

Directed by Ramesh Arvind, the films is slated to release on April 2

2015 is expected to be an year of Kamal Haasan. With three back to back Tamil films lined up for release, the actor recently launched the music of his film Uttama Villain, which is touted to release on April 2. The film starring Kamal Haasan, Urvashi, Pooja Kumar, Andrea Jermiah, Jayaram, MS Bhaskar, also marks the last on screen appearance of late veteran filmmaker, K Balachander. Along with the 17 track audio album, the makers of Uttama Villain also released the second trailer of the much anticipated film. So, unlike the first trailer, does this one spill some beans about the plot? Lets see.

After watching the trailer, I was left with the overwhelming feeling of respect for Kamal Haasan, known for his cerebral cinema, as he has yet again brought us a complex web of emotions with multiple layers of story telling. While it is next to impossible to guess the entire plot, here is what I understood about the story from the trailer:

Kamal Haasan seems to be playing a dual avatar of an ageing superstar in present times and a tribal villager from a bygone era. Kamal plays a superstar named Manorajan, who is adored by his fans and is known to churn out blockbusters. Urvashi plays his naive wife, while their son suspects that Manorajan is having an affair with someone. Meanwhile, it looks like Manorajan loses all his popularity and stardom overnight, and is left with no films in hand. So he goes to his mentor who launched him, K Balachander, requesting him to cast in a movie, where he would be playing a Theyyam artist. The story seems to be kept under wraps and one cannot guess what role MS Bhaskar and Jayaram have to play.

Uttama Villain has created all the urge !!!

Kamal's take on cinema, belief on the craft of film making, his guru bakthi, expectations from himself and his immeasurable love for cinema can never ever be matched. Uttama Villain's illustrious audio launch is all done and thanks to the event, we got another version of Uttama Villain's trailer. When the earlier version gave a little about the story, this time, more about the film has been told.

From the way the technicians are mentioned in the heightened way of the Tamil language to teasing us about the possible storyline of the film, the second trailer of Uttama Villain is a lot more clear and direct. With the majestic tiger's growl, the trailer proceeds with Ghibran's high paced music of the 'Haiko' beats. Vijay Shankar's blink effect with the editing sets a pace and grabs our attention.

With dialogue portions and montage shots placed on an alternate pattern, the trailer is filled with lots of highs and lows. The period setting and the present period of the film’s story are equally laced, creating suspense.

Kamal's travel as an actor, his fight to be righteous, tiffs with his son and wife, he getting back his lost stardom are all the predictable elements in the trailer and with a tad of the graphics portion Uttama Villain has created all the urge to watch it.

Kamal Haasan join hands with Prabhu Deva

Kamal Haasan join hands with Prabhu Deva

Kamal Haasan and Prabhu Deva are two multi talented personalities in Indian Cinema who have proved their expertise in different areas of film making. Kamal Haasan renowned as the ‘Ulaganayagan’ is a versatile actor, singer, dancer and moreover a filmmaker. The same thing is applicable to Prabhu Deva as well. The Indian Michael Jackson is now a renowned director, and he has proclaimed his hit making ability in Bollywood as well.

The recent news about the duo is regarding a possible film in which they join hands. As per reports, Kamal Haasan and Prabhu Deva will be soon seen working in a new movie. Prabhu Deva will direct this flick, while Kamal Haasan will enact the lead role.

Many credible sources claim that this untitled project will be produced by Vasan Visual Ventures which made some noted films in the past like, ‘Naan Kadavul’, ‘Boss Engira Bhaskaran’ and ‘Nimirndhu Nil’.

Some industry experts claim that this new film will be the remake of ‘P K’, while some others have a very different opinion. They states that this movie will be based on a fresh script, and it will feature Kamal Haasan in a very different avatar.

Harish Shankar about Kamal Haasan

http://telugustop.com/harish-shankar-about-kamal-haasan-tv5-news-telugu-full-hd-wap-video-photo/

Uthama Villain' Trailer-Audio Launch: Kamal Haasan, Andrea Jeremiah, Pooja Kumar and Other Celebs Attend

The trailer and audio of Kamal Haasan's much-anticipated film, "Uthama Villain", were released on Sunday, 1 March, 2015, at Chennai Trade Centre in Nandambakkam.

The event was graced by many south Indian stars, including Pooja Kumar, Vijay Sethupathi, Vikram Prabhu, Andrea Jeremiah, Parvathi Nair, Gautami, Lissy Priyadarshan, Poorna, Subash Chandra Bose, Nassar, Lingusamy, Ramesh Arvind, Urvashi, Luthfudeen Baasha, MS Bhaskar, and others.

The film has 17 tracks, composed by Mohamaad Ghibran.

Helmed by Kannada actor and director Ramesh Aravind, the upcoming comedy drama is produced by Haasan and N Lingusamy.

The film, which has Pooja Kumar and Andrea Jeremiah in the female lead roles, will hit the screens on 2 April.

After the film's first trailer, which released last month, received an overwhelming response, the makers have released its second trailer that received more than one lakh views within one day of its release.

Highlights of Uttama Villain audio launch

The audio launch of Uttama Villain was grand, provoking, poignant, slick and innovative, just like watching Kamal Haasan on the big screen. A lot of interesting vignettes were shared by crew members and we have a compiled a list of highlights that would make for an interesting read for our viewers.

The most appealing part of the evening was Parthiepan hosting the event. He was at his witty best and left the audience in splits occasionally with his extraordinary wordplay (pun intended).

KAMAL: Ka – Kalaigalil Ma – Maraname Il – Illaadhavan, started Parthiepan in his trademark style. Before the crowd began to soak in the fun, a moving tribute of sorts, a poignant letter penned by K Balachander to Kamal Haasan was shown on screen. “Kamal Haasan is beyond competition, he is beyond rivals,” said a part of the letter. We hope the full letter is revealed soon to cherish the words of KB. 

Hey Kamal, I’m proud of you my son was the letter’s finishing note. A few seconds of silence and in walked Ulaga Nayagan Kamal Haasan to the stage. He was moist-eyed. Humbled. Overwhelmed with love pouring from all quarters. He took sometime for himself on the dais till the thundering applause and ear-splattering wolf-whistles ceased.

“May be, Rajinikanth would have survived without a mentor called KB. He might have done films like Muruattu Kaalai and found his foothold in the industry. But, I would have been nowhere if it’s not for KB,” said Kamal Haasan who also promised to be his disciple forever and carry forward his rich legacy.

“KB sir ezhuthunathu ‘uyil’, Kamal sir ezhuthunathu ‘uyir’ avaroda uyir,” said Parthiepan after a letter penned by Kamal Haasan to KB was shown on screen. 

“Raaj Kamal Films la naanum nadichirukanu oru record ipo enaku iruku. My character name is Margadharsi. Yaar intha Margadharsi? K Balachander. My role is almost my real-life personality,” said KB in a brief AV.

Nassar broke down on stage while recalling his tumultuous phase when his son was admitted in the hospital during the shooting of the film. And, he went on explain how Kamal took so much care of him and never battled an eyelid to get regular updates from the hospital. “I may forget the 500 plus I have acted thus far. But, I’ll never forget Uttama Villain. It’s carved inside my heart,” said Nassar on a moving note. 

Director Ramesh Aravind took long time to thank his crew members than the time he took for the rest of his speech. “The biggest tribute that we can give to the great man (KB) is to love cinema like he did. Thanks to the pride of Indian cinema, Kamal Haasan for giving me this opportunity. He is a true master of cinematic craft,” said an exuberant Ramesh Aravind.

“April la Puli (Tiger, not the Vijay film) varuthu. Puli mela gambeerama ukanthu Ulaga Nayagan Kamal Haasan varuvar,” said Ramesh.

“One part of the film is set in the 20th century and the other in 8th century. While the 20th century part is a social drama, the other is a musical comedy. You will see emotions, comedy, action and whatever you have seen in a Kamal Haasan film will be present here too,” said Ramesh.

“Kamal sir and KB sir’s clash in the film will be one of the best scenes in Tamil screen. Uttama Villain will be a film our entire crew will be proud of in the future,” concluded Ramesh.

Other important quotes

Company peru Thirupathi Brothers padam release ku apparam Thirupathi undiyal- Parthiepan Only because of Kamal sir, I could compose diverse genres like neo-classical, impressionism at the early stage of my career – GhibranVaathiyar ke paadam solli kudukra ore aal avar thaan – Gnana SammandhamMarabu kalaigalukku mariyathai seiyyum oru manasaatchi kalaignan – Subbu Arumugan, a veteran Villupaattu specialistVaazhkai saagavum katrukudukkum. I believe in humans – Kamal Haasan

Then, the audio was launched finally with Kamal Haasan connecting Shruti Haasan, who is in Mumbai, via FaceTime and sending her the audio file. But, what Kamal Haasan missed to note is the Skype logo on screen which made it obvious that it was a recorded video. Nevertheless, it was a well-organized, enjoyable audio launch event.

Kamal Haasan’s next about politics and money launderers

Even as we are waiting for Kamal Haasan’s Uttama Villain to hit the marquee on April 2nd, details about his next film is already eagerly anticipated by fans. According to reports from the north, Kamal Haasan recently met Bollywood producers Virender Arora and Arjun K. Kapoor for a new project, which is likely to go on floors in November with an international crew. Sources say this project was planned before Vishwaroopam two years back and the team is reviving it now.

Kamal Haasan is planning to make it as a bi-lingual in Tamil and Hindi simultaneously. The film deals about the nexus between politics and money launderers. Kamal Haasan will wield the megaphone and star in the film. Top Bollywood actresses are in talks for the female lead. “Our collaboration with Mr Haasan will be mounted on a sweeping scale as it delves into forbidden political corridors and the nexus with the underworld,” says producer Arjun K. Kapoor.

Kamal Haasan has confirmed that he will complete the principal shooting in five months from the time of commencement of the project.

Uthama villian audio launch images!!

http://www.tamilstar.com/photo-galleries/tamil-movies-uttama-villain-audio-launch/tamil-movies-uttama-villain-audio-launch-uttama-villain-audio-launch-stills-kamal-haasan-07.html

Kamal Haasan To Do A Telugu Film Soon

Kamal hassan has graced the show,Meelo everu koteeswarudu for the last episode of its 2nd season. This Telugu Version of KBC is hosted by Nagarjuna and he was so particular about the legend closing the show with his beautiful words. While talking to Nag, Kamal Haasan revealed that he is going to do a straight Telugu film soon.

The news has indeed come as a surprise to his Telugu fans, who are waiting for a Telugu film of Kamal since so long. He also added that, shruthi hassan has been acting like an ambassador for Telugu Industry of late. She said to be stressing on Kamal Haasan to do a Telugu film and called it a very friendly place to work. 

Kamal Haasan went on to share many beautiful lessons he has learned in life with his fans through the show. His words and simplicity has again made his fans fall for him head over heels. Nagarjuna was also so thrilled to hear such enlightening words from Kamal Haasan.

On the lighter note, He also shared his fan boy moments with the legend, Late Akkineni Nageshwara Rao, when Kamal was a small-time dance choreographer. 

When Kamal Haasan was 16, he has first choreographed a song to ANR in the film Srimanthudu and that was the first time he met him. Kamal shared that, ANR was simple to be nice to a small technician like me being a star hero.

Kamal Haasan has also crooned a song from the film, with the perfect Telugu lyrics and mesmerized the audience, along with Nagarjuna. Well! This truly proves legends have become legends for a reason.

Uttama Villain' Trailer 2 !!

The second trailer of 'Uttama Villain' directed by Ramesh Aravind was revealed at the audio launch function held yesterday. The movie is jointly produced by Thirupathi Brothers and Raj Kamal Films International. Uttama Villain features Kamal Haasan, Pooja Kumar, Andrea, Jayaram among others and the late K Balachander has played an important role in the film where Ghibran scores music. Kamal Haasan who has completed three of his films, Vishwaroopam 2, Papanasam and Uttama Villain is busy in the post production works of these films. 

Kamal launches Uthama Villain audio on Facetime !!

Kamal Haasan is known for his innovative and novel ideas. He has proved this once again at the Uthama Villain audio launch held yesterday in Chennai. The Ulaga Nayagan called his eldest daughter, Shruti Haasan on Facetime and asked her download the Uthama Villain audio app, which marked it release.

This is indeed an unique way of releasing the audio of a film and has happened for the first time ever in the Indian cinema.

Uthama Villain, starring Kamal, Andrea and Pooja Kumar, has music by Ghibran. Ramesh Aravind has composed the music for this film. Speaking about Ghibran, Kamal said that having worked with the maestro, Ilayaraja in over 100 films, he has proved his mettle by coming out with some excellent stuff for Uthama Villain.

KAMAL HAASAN PLANS HIS RETURN TO B’WOOD

Currently, he's busy with his Tamil drama, Uttama Villain, revolving around the life of a mega star and his mentor. But Mirror has learnt that Kamal Haasan has also finished scripting his next, a Bollywood production which examines the nexus between politics and money launderers. Haasan will direct and star in the film with a B'town A-lister with whom talks are on. The film was originally planned in 2012 but he got busy with Vishvaroopam and this film was put on the back-burner.

But recently, Haasan had a meeting with Virender Arora and Arjun K. Kapoor, (producers of Pankaj Kapur-Lara Dutta starrer Abhi Nahi To Kabhi Nahi), and the project was revived. It will go on floors in November with an international crew.

Confirming this, Kapoor told Mirror, "Our collaboration with Mr Haasan will be mounted on a sweeping scale as it delves into forbidden political corridors and the nexus with the underworld." Kamal Haasan who was at a music launch, added, "I expect to complete the principal shooting within five months of the film's commencement. People who have read my script might think I am bragging, but my team's readiness and preparation has emboldened me to make this claim."

Music that takes you far, far away from Tamil cinema

Baradwaj Rangan spends an afternoon listening to composer Ghibran’s work in Uttama Villain , and comes away soaking in the element of fantasy in the sound
A little after 12 p.m., last Saturday, I stepped into a recording studio in R.A. Puram.

The television set in the reception area said UAE were 36/3 in their World Cup match against India. There were a couple of couches there, a few people propped on them.

They didn’t seem particularly invested in the outcome of the match. India would win. It was just a matter of time. Still, it was there, like the two-year-old issues of TIME magazine you find at your local general physician’s office.

I hung around a bit. At 41/4, I was led into a room with a Mac, and P. Ragavendran — film composer Ghibran’s music producer and manager, who also handles the public relations; it was on his invitation I was there — began to play a song from the new Kamal Haasan-starrer Uttama Villain.

Kaadhalaam kadavul mun , it went. It’s sung by Padmalatha, and it’s what the industry calls a ‘melody song’, a strange term, considering that all songs traverse some kind of melodic arc. But what they mean is that it isn’t, say, a kuthu number.

This isn’t the kind of song you’d immediately hand over to the choreographer. It’s the kind of song you’d try to fill on screen with a Balu Mahendra-style montage of mood shots.

All pop music — and film songs are our pop music — has an element of repetition. The songs open with the pallavi (our version of the Western pop song’s chorus) and keep returning to it. And pairs of lines in the charanam (verse) are often set to the same tune.

Ghibran has an interesting way of adhering to this structure, yet breaking away from it. There’s always a tweak the second time the melodic line is repeated. Sometimes, the closing stretch grazes a lower note. Or only the first line of the chorus is sung in a lower octave.

You know that thing where you hear a song and a phrase suddenly yanks you out of the present and deposits you in front of a radio set, circa 1980? That happened to me.

Suddenly, I was thinking about the Gangai Amaran song, Nyaabagam illaiyo kanne . Maybe it’s the raga . Ghibran, who joined us later, told me he’d tuned this song in Maru Bihag .

Next, Iraniyan naadagam . The lines, written by Kamal (who voices Hiranyakashipu), are blazingly theatrical: en udhirathin vidhai/en uyir udhirtha sadhai .

There’s great variety in the percussion, not just in the different instruments used but also in the rhythm patterns. Sometimes, the drums just come to a halt. The base is the traditional koothu , so all lines are sung — and given the Western-classical wrapping, the lines also sound like the recitative of a Broadway musical. The number keeps soaring and climaxes in anthemic swells.

After this, Love-aa love-aa was almost an anti-climax. It’s the most mainstream thing I’d heard that far — an insanely catchy tune, with hard-driving beats that sound as if they’re ripping the song to shreds, and a vast dynamic range, comprising the audio equivalent of the close-up as well as the wide shot.

Kamal hasn’t sounded this young and peppy in a while, and his borderline-falsetto here is effectively contrasted with a female voice that sounds like Usha Uthup trapped inside a boom box. It’s the kind of song that’s an instant hit. This film probably needs this song.

A youngish chap popped in, dressed casually in a T-shirt and cut-offs, and it took me a minute to realise this was Ghibran. He was taking a break from the recording session in another room.

We spoke about the modernised koothu in Iraniyan naadagam . He said it didn’t start from a musical point of view, the way a composer thinks of this raga or that scale when a song situation or a scene is narrated to him.

It began, instead, from the point of view of the scene. Imagine that Hiranyakashipu and Prahlada are having a fight. Imagine the raised voices, the back-and-forth exchanges.

When Ghibran studied music at the Lasalle College of the Arts, Singapore, he was exposed to Austrian composer Arnold Schoenberg’s atonal music and Sprechstimme (recitation that’s declaimed melodramatically, hovering between the spoken and the sung). He realised that Sprechstimme was just like our koothu . Only, the latter did not have that kind of orchestral accompaniment.

So koothu , with a dash of atonality, became the base for Iraniyan naadagam . Kamal had the whole narrative ready. He and Ghibran talked and rehearsed and decided how much time each exchange would take. And then the Western classical elements came in.

Ghibran said it was challenging because some parts had already been shot with actors speaking the lines and then Kamal felt it would be better if they sang those same lines. Ghibran worked for a year-and-a-half on the score.

When he left, we turned to the other songs. Uttaman arimugam is what you’d call a rocking villupaattu . The baton-passing between Kamal, villupaattu exponent Subbu Arumugam and the all-male chorus is terrific. Next, the soulful Saagaavaram (I wonder if that word was used anywhere before Kamal used it in Virumaandi ’s Onna vida ).

Peel back the orchestration, and the song sounds like one of those philosophical numbers M.S. Viswanathan used to sing in 1970s’ films — say, Kandathai sollugiren . I’m not talking about the tune. I’m talking about the feel.

There’s another story in Mutharasan kadhai , all eight minutes and 13 seconds of it. Then, Uttaman kadhai . I kept thinking about how the album was filled with words and names that point towards immortality — saagaavaram , mrityunjay , and even Iraniyan , who sought everlasting life. Maybe that is the film’s theme.

The instrumental pieces really made the album for me. The theme music opens with sounds that seem to be erupting from the bowels of the earth, and then the title is repeated in an ominous monotone, as if by the members of the cult in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom — the song then becomes more modern.

Guru and sishya is more romantic — rather, Romantic. It takes you back to Debussy, Chopin. More instrumentals — Uttaman and Karpagavalli , Father and son , Letter from and to Yamini , Dr. Aparna , and possibly my favourite after two listens, the exquisite Father and daughter .

This is probably the ‘analog’ part of the score. The sound is softer and the music sweeps you to a place far, far away from Tamil cinema. Throughout the album, the strings work is wonderful, and the violins sound so soft in the instrumental pieces that you may be reminded of John Barry’s score for Out of Africa . Again, I’m not talking about the tune. I’m talking about the feel.

The team that won the Oscar for Best Sound Mixing this year (for Whiplash ) has worked on this album. Maybe the softness is their doing.

Ghibran said they decided to do away with all instruments traditionally used in period films — tabla, ghatam, dholak.

Uttaman’s story unfolds in a fantasy land, so there’s an element of fantasy in the sound too. There’s a lot of music in the movie, but only 67 minutes of it made it to the album. I don’t remember how much time I spent inside the studio, but when I left, M.S. Dhoni was smiling into a mike. India had won.