It’s an emotional film for me: Kamal

spent more time with Balachander than my father. I started working with him from the age of 16 and did 36 films with him.

IKamal Haasan “I spent more time with Balachander than my father. I was a late child for my parents and my father who lives in a village would come and see me once in a while. I worked in 36 films with Balachander; I started working with him when I was 16 and worked with him till his death. He was a father figure for me,” said Kamal Haasan at the promo for his upcoming film Uttama Villain.

Kamal Haasan considered directors Balachander and K Viswanath as his gurus. “Both are legendary directors. I went to Balachander and requested him to act in my film. He immediately asked ‘If I die in the middle of shooting what will you do?’ I told him that I would change the script and keep whatever shooting was done with him,” reveals Kamal Haasan about his guru Balachander. But he completed his character. “He didn’t see my film completely but he saw some parts while dubbing for his char- acter. He told me that the film is something that he would have made. That’s a big compliment for us,” said Kamal Haasan.

There were many emotional moments while shooting the film. “Once K. Viswanath touched Balachander’s feet and the later objected to it as he considers Viswanath elder to him. But Viswanath replied that the respect was for his work not for his age,” said Kamal.

Kamal Haasan plays a dancer and an actor and has provided the story and screenplay for the film. He did not direct the film as that would have made his schedule very hectic. “I play the role of a dancer and the make-up for that took two-and-half-hours. So to direct the film would have been very difficult,” he said.

Ramesh Arvind, a popular Kannada actor, is making his debut as director with this film. Interestingly, Ramesh, too, was introduced to the film industry by none other than Balachander.