4 min readNew DelhiJul 3, 2026 12:22 PM IST
During the promotions of Thug Life, Kamal Haasan famously remarked that “arrogance is stardom’s evil partner,” adding that once arrogance sets in, it becomes difficult for an actor to stay grounded. However, one of his former co-stars now claims that the veteran actor may have fallen into the very trap he once spoke about. Actor Yatin Karyekar, who worked with Kamal Haasan in Hey Ram and Vasool Raja MBBS, recently alleged that the superstar’s self-obsession has affected his career over the years.
‘He creates controversy for publicity’
Speaking to Siddharth Kannan, Yatin claimed that Kamal often courts controversy deliberately to remain in the spotlight. “I have worked a lot with Kamal Haasan. There are things that one needs to do to create publicity and controversy. People create controversy for publicity. They feel the need to create controversy to stay in the limelight,” he said.
Recalling an incident during the shooting of Hey Ram, Yatin alleged that Kamal once staged a protest after his flight was delayed. “He once sat in front of the aeroplane and refused to move when the flight was delayed. That created headlines and his movie received publicity. He does that a lot. It is his way of thinking.”
‘Replaced the slap scene’
Yatin further claimed that Kamal’s self-image influenced creative decisions during the making of Vasool Raja MBBS, the Tamil remake of Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. “Kamal Haasan is very self-obsessed. We were shooting for Vasool Raja MBBS. The scene where Jimmy Shergill slaps Sanjay Dutt in the Hindi version was being recreated in Tamil, but he didn’t let that scene happen. He replaced the slap with a push.” He recalled how the assistant director was tensed. “I said, ‘When a Sanjay Dutt can, what is this man’s problem?'”
According to Yatin, no actor in the Tamil film carried the same intimidating presence that Sunil Dutt brought to his role as Sanjay Dutt’s father in Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. He claimed that the father-son dynamic in the remake was toned down and turned into a more comic relationship. “Nobody could say, ‘Ae, jaa na,’ to Kamal Haasan in the role of his father in the film,” he said.
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Yatin concluded by saying that Kamal’s approach has ultimately limited his own growth despite his immense talent.
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‘His obsession has limited his growth’
“His behaviour has affected his growth. Otherwise, he is a brilliant technician. He has done so many innovative things in stunts. But unfortunately, he has this thinking. Human beings are complex. His thinking is to always be in controversy, which is the wrong way of thinking.”
When Kamal said stardom brings arrogance
Interestingly, Yatin’s remarks come a year after Kamal Haasan himself reflected on the dangers of stardom during the promotions of Thug Life. Speaking to PTI, the veteran actor admitted that the pursuit of money once distracted him from continuously learning and spoke candidly about how fame can distance actors from reality.
“It is very difficult for stars because the inner circle is always trying to carry them aloft and not let their feet touch the ground.”
He further explained how success can create an echo chamber. “The beauty of cinema is that you can reach a larger demographic, but it also takes you away from actually witnessing your applause. So you distance yourself, and arrogance sets in because you don’t hear criticism, nor do you hear applause. It all comes through reporting to us, or when you meet your fans and they cheer you, but that’s not the actual data.”
Kamal Haasan will next be seen in the sequel to Kalki 2898 AD.