Kamal’s 60 glorious years in cinema

Kamal Haasan, the all-round cinema personality has been an actor, dancer, director, screenwriter, producer, playback singer and lyricist. Having acted in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Hindi and Bengali films, he is completing 60 years in tinsel town.

The sobriquet of ‘Ulaganayagan’ that he picked up in the later part of his career has stuck. Kamal will be 65 on November 7. His journey as a child artiste began in Kalathur Kannamma when he was just five, in 1960.

Six decades in the industry is a feat that should have been celebrated in a grand manner by the entire film industry. His home banner Raaj Kamal International is taking the lead in organising a three-day gala event to felicitate the iconic star. The situation is such after Kamal entered politics that his own film company is hosting the celebrations, rather than the whole industry taking the lead.

A film industry bigwig reveals that both powerful cinema bodies — Tamil Film Producers Council and Nadigar Sangam — are under state government control and so their hands are tied with regard to planning a more spontaneous celebration by the industry of such a huge landmark.

The celebrations of 60 glorious years titled “One Man, One Legend, One Name - Kamal Haasan” are to begin on his birthday when the statue of his father — lawyer and freedom fighter Srinivasan — will be unveiled by ‘Ulaganayagan’ in his hometown Paramakudi.  November 7 also marks his father’s death anniversary.

On November 8, the statue of Kamal’s mentor, director K. Balachander, will be unveiled at the new Raaj Kamal Films International office in Alwarpet in Chennai.  Later in the evening,  Kamal’s directorial venture and magnum opus Hey Ram is being screened at 3.30 pm at Sathyam Cinemas in commemoration of Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary. This will be followed by a Q&A session with industry personalities and media.

On November 9, a grand musical treat in tribute by Isai Gnani Ilayaraja with SPB and Kamal himself crooning will take place.  Superstar Rajinikanth and many ace actors and actresses have agreed to grace the event.  Rajini and Kamal share a 44-year friendship in the industry despite their own on-screen rivalry
and their political differences.