There is a very interesting short-talk bit in the brilliant BBC/HBO series Extras where Sir Ian McKellan lays it down about acting. He says " I pretend to be the person I'm portraying." It's that simple. What is difficult, is to consistently do that and have your peers recognize you with State and National recognition for 50 years. Say,a career worth around 28 Best Actor Awards in 50 years of acting in four languages, I believe, would be a good place to start with for any interested movie-buff.The point here is not validation by a third party or an agency on the capabilities of the actor called Kamal Haasan. He doesn't need that, in the first place.Nor is this an effort to eulogize the virtues of a 'Star'. On the contrary, this is an honest attempt to re-emphasize on five decades of method acting of a consummate actor amidst us, that even had Time magazine honoring Nayagan in its All-time 100 Great Movies in World Cinema.
It is not difficult to stay, (be around would be a better term) in this business of Movie Making for five decades and be reasonably well-known and recognized in your trade.Look around,and as a true blue Constant Indian Movie Fan,you would know.What is difficult,is to consistently keep exploring new thresholds in 'pretending',earn accolades for projects which seem as experimental to others,and keep reminding his peers that he stands vindicated in the brilliance of his craft, for 50 years.Now,THAT is what makes Kamal Haasan a treasured part of Indian Cinema. There isn't anything new here than that have been said already about this 'Complete Chameleon' ,nationally and internationally.When Dashavatarm was released in June,2008, there had been a brief note in these columns on the 'makings of this Chameleon.'
And truly,he has never even stopped to look back on his accomplishments,and like a true professional has trudged on,mostly through paths that never were,between rocks and a hard place.There is also something interesting in the way he has approached his movies,down the ages,if you can call it as a broad pattern of sorts.For me,it falls in four broad categories.
1.The 'Business' Ones - Those that are made on a huge canvas,but are sure to be unique and never-been-done before script formats.Mostly produced by him and directed by current commercially solid, technical superstars,where he gives his inputs (read scripts) and his 100 percent.
(Indrudu Chandrudu,Thevar Magan,Michael Madana Kama Rajan,Indian would be a few of my favorites).
2.The Modest Soul Stirrers - The ones made on modest budgets,powerful (and at times slightly skewed )scripts and a small band of characters that shake your foundations with their performances.Most of the times,poor farers at the Box-office,but gems,none the less.(Nayagan,Pushpak,Guna,Mahanadi,Anbe Sivam,Virumaandi..not necessarily in that order).
3.The Bold (and sometimes Bizarre) Epics. These are the ones the Chameleon goes around producing,help producing,or still in the processes of it,known for its 'epic' nature and of course the epic costs associated with it.
( Hey Ram,Aley vandaan,Marudhunayagom,Dashavatharam).
4.The Commercial Ones..Mostly directed by brilliant Directors,these are also driven by the needs and demands of the Industry trends,though he makes sure they stand apart with their script or characterization.Interestingly,he always finds time to release one in this category regularly,without fail.(Sathi Leelavathi,Kuruthipunal,Avvai ShanmugiPanchathanthiram,Vasool Raja MBBS,Mumbai Xpress,Vettiyadu Vilayaadu,Unnaippol Oruvan).
I repeat,this is just an attempt in making sense of an immense body of work,incomparable in Indian cinema,for its variety and technical brilliance.
Well,I am not going to be politically correct in wishing him another 100 years of great movies.All that is wished here,Sir,is that may you keep making movies till the time you can,and possibly amaze us with characters that mentally nudge us with that whisper,"You owe me awe."
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