Nov 07, 2006 08:36 PM
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On Nov 7, 1954 in the remote town of Paramkuddi in theRamnathapuram district of Tamil Nadu, a child was born to Srinivasan and Rajyalakshmi. The youngest of 4 children, this child would be well known to all Indian movie lovers asKamalhassan, one of the greatest Indian actors of all times. An actor who has won the National Award thrice for Best Actor, plus a host of other awards. An actor who is India’s answer to Robert De Niro and Al Pacino. An actor who has played all types of roles-comic, tragic, romantic, swashbuckling, action, that it has become impossible to stereotype him. He is an actor who can play a village idiot ( 16 Vaiyathanille) as well as a suave urban killer( Sigappu Rojakkal). Some one who is as comfortable being a don( Nayagan) as well as a cop( Kuruthipunal). Some one who can make you laugh, as well as weep. And on his birthday, this is my humble tribute to a great actor, by listing some of his most memorable movies.
I have a humble request for all my non South Indian friends out here. If you really want to enjoy his movies, take an original DVD with sub titles. Don’t ever rent out the dubbed versions, they just kill the essence of the original movie. One question most of my friends asked is why Kamal was never popular in Bollywood. I guess he made his debut at a wrong time, during a period, when Bollywood was totally mired in formula escapist fantasy, and he never fit in there. Also many South actors, are treated like emperors back home, and they would rather prefer to be there, rather than slug it out in Bollywood. So here goes my list of Kamal’s favorite movies in Telugu and Tamil.Again this is a list of my favorite movies, and I have not seen some of them like 16 Vayathanille and Raja Parvai, so if they are not in list, please understand. Also I have not seen most of Kamal’s movies in the 70’s, so my list would be mostly of his 80’s movies onwards.
Moonram Pirai( Tamil, Dir: Balu Mahendra): Many would have seen this in Hindi asSadma. This was a Sridevi movie all the way, who plays a girl, suffering from memory loss, and behaves like a kid. Kamal is a school teacher in Ooty, who helps her during the traumatic period. The climax scene, where he rushes to the station, and then finds that Sridevi by now totally normal, doesn’t recognize him. He tries everything to make her recognize him, but all in vain. A climax which just hits you with full force. In a heroine oriented movie, Kamal makes sure you notice him with that sledgehammer impact in the climax.
Akali Rajyam( Telugu, Dir: K.Balachander): I am not very sure what’s the Tamil version called. Another tour de performance by Kamal here as an unemployed youth. The movie was a biting satire on the unemployment problem in India during that time. As a youngster with Marxist ideals, battling his conservative Brahmin father, Kamal again excelled. Giving him good support was Sridevi, as a girl, who had to put up with a wastrel father. Kamal’s performance excels in two scenes- one where he bursts out at Sridevi when she thinks he is a good for nothing guy, and another when he expresses his frustration in an interview scene.
Sagara Sangamam( Telugu, Dir: K. Viswanath): Kamal and K.Viswanath made 3 movies in Telugu, Sagara Sangamam was the first of them. As a talented dancer, struggling in obscurity, Kamal is marvelous again. His role has two shades, as a young dancer with bright dreams, and later as a cynical old guy, who has turned into a drunkard. As Balasubramaniam Bhagavatar,Kamal provides a master class in acting. Watch the scene where Jayaprada gives him hope that his talent would be recognized at last, and look at the expressions that run across his face, and Ilayaraja’s magical background score, only elevates the scene further. And again as the frustrated, cynical, ageing drunkard he is just brilliant.
Swathi Muthyam( Telugu, Dir: K.Viswanath): India’s very ownForrest Gump here, Kamal plays the role of Sivayya, a person whose mind is still at level of a child, but one with a heart so pure. Only Kamal could have pulled off such a complex role, without going over the top. Right from the way he walks, to his speech, his expressions, its an award winning performance. And the best part is he makes you involved with him. In a sort of Chaplinesque act, he brings out the tragedy and comedy wonderfully. Just one scene is enough to show his talent. His grandmother on whom he dotes, has died of shock, and while every around is weeping, he sits down and asks “ I am feeling hungry, can I have some food?”. Tragic, but so ironic, he is a child like person, who really doesn’t know the difference between life and death. Also lending good support is Radhika,as a widow whom he later marries.
Nayagan( Tamil, Telugu, Dir : Maniratnam): As the desi version of Don Corleone, in Mani’s tribute to Godfather, in one of the greatest Indian movies, Kamal blows every one away, as the Don. Nayagan was a movie that bought together 3 great talents,Mani Ratnam, Kamal Hasan and Ilayaraja. And backed up by spending camerawork of P.C.Sriram and art direction by Thota Tharani, Nayagan is a movie which has classic stamped all over it. And in the title role, Kamal, makes you forget Kamal the actor, and for 2.5 hours on screen, you see a foul mouthed, rough, paan chewing, dhoti clad slum lord called Velu Naicker. And yes the scene where he breaks down at his son’s dead body, is a must for any aspiring actor. And the haunting background score by Ilayaraja, hits you in full, this is one of the few scenes which always brings a lump to my throat whenever I watch it.
Apoorva Sahodaragal( Tamil, Dir : S. Srinivasa Rao): As a pair of twin brothers one a midget, one a carefree mechanic, Kamal provides another great entertainer. While his role of mechanic is nothing great, it’s asAppu, the midget, that he really steals the show. As the person who plots the revenge of his father’s killers, and the way he outwits them, Kamal is just outstanding. All in all a total entertainer from the word go. Just watch the scene where Appu discovers that he has been duped by the girl he loves, and his expressions when his mother comments about his deformity, enough to melt any one’s heart.
Pusphak( Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Dir: S.Srinivasa Rao): A silent movie, this is a black comedy. Kamal plays an unemployed person, who impersonates, a perpetually drunk rich man, and takes his place in a luxury hotel. Totally hilarious, watch out for Tinnu Anand as a bumbling killer, and Amala lends charm as the daughter of a magician. One of hilarious scenes is when Kamal starts weeping while watching a movie, as also the scenes where Tinnu Anand, tries to kill him. A movie not to be missed, just to see Kamal’s infectious comic charm.
