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

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 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."