When Kamal Haasan said Shah Rukh Khan did Hey Ram for free after the film’s budget ran over: ‘He did it for a wrist watch’

Kamal Haasan revealed in an interview that Shah Rukh Khan deserved to own the Hindi rights to the film Hey Ram, because he didn't charge any money for it.

Shah Rukh Khan and Kamal Haasan worked together on Hey Ram.

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Kamal Haasan worked with Shah Rukh Khan on the 2000 film Hey Ram, which the Ulaga Nayagan also wrote, produced and starred in. In an interview, Kamal revealed that Shah Rukh essentially did the film for free when he came to know that the budget had been exhausted. By then, Shah Rukh was already an established star in Hindi films, and Kamal said that he will forever admire him for his gesture.

In an interview with Colors Cineplex, he revealed that Shah Rukh eventually got his hands on the film’s Hindi rights, which was only fair. “Nobody will believe it, they’ll say it’s a story. They say Shah Rukh is a commercial-minded businessman, and so am I. But the fact is, he knew the budget of Hey Ram. He just wanted to be a part of it. He has said in interviews, ‘I just wanted to be a part of it, I just wanted to touch Kamal Haasan’, and people will say this is only ‘dialoguebaazi’. But he actually did it. When the budget ran over, he didn’t even ask for his remuneration,” he said.

Also read | Kamal Haasan on OTT revolution: ‘I saw it coming before anyone else, but the industry disagreed with me’

He continued, “I keep telling him… he said, ‘Woh baat chhodiye’. Who does this? He did the film for a wrist watch. He got the rights, he said… But I was so happy, because he deserves it. If it was Rs 100 crore, he deserves another Rs 100 crore for that. I never thought what the value of the film is now, because he deserves it, and he is a partner of Hey Ram, and it’s rightful that the Hindi rights are with him. I’m so glad.”

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In an earlier interview with Mumbai Mirror, Kamal confirmed that Shah Rukh owned the Hindi rights to the film, and told Mumbai Mirror, “Shah Rukh only got a wristwatch for acting in my film at the time because, by the end of it, I had nothing left in hand. Now, he is the brand ambassador for a watch brand. I am glad that he got the Hindi rights of Hey Ram from Bharat bhai (co-producer Bharat Shah). He should have some memory of the film as he gave his friendship and service for it.”

Both Kamal Haasan and Shah Rukh recently delivered the biggest hits of their careers — Vikram and Pathaan, respectively. While critically acclaimed, Hey Ram didn’t do too well at the box office, but has since earned a cult status.

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