Writing has given me more control over my acting career: Kamal Haasan

About the time I made Dashavatar (2008), I also got interested in geopolitics, and I wanted to bring that element into an entertaining movie. That’s what I did in Vishwaroop. For example, people make fun of Mahatma Gandhi’s Khilafat Movement and raise questions such as when you are fighting for freedom in India, why do you care about someone else in Turkey? (The movement started as a protest against the British by Indian Muslims who didn’t want the Ottoman Caliphate to be abolished). But, the fact remains that the world is connected. So, the cases of espionage elsewhere in the world or Hamas being bombed are also connected to us. We just don’t realise the butterfly effect these international events can have.

A fair number of movies and TV shows have recently featured characters working for intelligence agencies.

My uncle worked for the intelligence, so it’s a topic close to my heart. Shekhar Kapur’s character in Vishwaroop is named after him. I have always been intrigued by what I thought is a direct contrast between popular spy stories and real-life events — because it’s not all about ticking time-bombs. I have been featuring RAW as a premise since the ’80s when I produced, wrote and acted in Vikram (1986), which was about the making of an inter-continental ballistic missile.

You are 63. That’s about the age people retire and want to take it easy.

Politics is not a career.

Haasan during the shoot of Vishwaroop 2

Can we call it new innings?

No. I’m not playing, I’m serious. Some people do things late in life. I was born late too — my father was 50 when I was born. So, sometimes, I hope, such late decisions turn out to be good. But I joined politics out of anger at what’s happening in the country.

Unlike many others, you have been very vocal about Hindu extremism.

This has come from my anguish. I’m a fan of Gandhiji and I’m kind by nature. But I also don’t want to fear anything.

You have also been vocal about the caste system. How crucial is it to speak up against caste today?

I have been vocal about it since the time I was 18 years old. In India, caste remains a major issue. Some friends in Mumbai say, ‘We don’t have such caste problems.’ But Mumbai is an island. Everyone behaves themselves in Mumbai as everything there is about opportunities. If you go deeper into Maharashtra, you will find caste-related issues. You must speak about these issues, but not rabble-rouse. We must try to build narratives that can destroy caste. It won’t go away quickly, but we must try.

You also criticised the decision of AMMA (Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes) to reinstate actor Dileep as its member even though he is an accused in an abduction and sexual violence case.

AMMA should have consulted its members. You must talk to your members and find out what the problem is. They just said that it (the decision to reinstate Dileep) was an order and needs to be accepted. That’s the problem even with our government. They don’t ask why we are agitating. They just issue an order. If you protest, then you are either impeding progress or you are not patriotic enough. They tried to stop Vishwaroop I… and I had to sue the government of Tamil Nadu. I won the case and then released the film. But how many people can afford to take on the ruling government?

Still from the film Sadma.

Do you see patriarchy going away from the film industry anytime soon?

It goes away and then comes back. We have had a woman (Indira Gandhi) as the prime minister of India twice. Given a chance, she (Indian woman) will rise to that occasion. The problem lies with women too. They are not seizing the day. That’s why we must empower them.

You have managed to strike a balance between alternative and commercial cinema with movies such as Nayakan (1987) and Pushpak (1988).

Mani (Ratnam) entered cinema after me, but we were a group of people who always believed in this kind of cinema that mixes the alternate and commercial. You will see that aesthetic reflected in the movies done by Balu Mahendra, Mani and me. Mahendra made that connect well. What would you call Sadma (1983), which was directed by him? Is it a commercial film? Is it an art film? We found that in-between space.

You have been writing almost all your major movies, including Vishwaroop and Vishwaroop II.

Yes, I have been writing for 42 years now. I’m a reluctant actor. When I was 18, I was asked to assist a friend in writing. He gave me so much space, and when his film was released, he gave me the writer’s credit. After that, I wrote many screenplays, sometimes I was given the credit and sometimes not. While working with K Balachander, I was part of every department. I have given story ideas and conducted rehearsals like a first assistant director. Later on, I took to writing original scripts such as Thevar Magan (1992), which was made into Virasat (1997).

Still from the film Chachi 420.

Does writing give you more control over a movie?

Writing gave me more control over the career of Kamal Haasan. Otherwise, there is no vehicle for the actor in me to promulgate my talent. The filmmaker and writer (in me) prolonged my career by at least 20 years.

What made you turn your fan clubs into welfare organisations?

That was done 30 years ago. I took such a step because of the need to channelise anger and the right use of labour, for the benefit of the people of the state.

Why did you agree to host a show like Bigg Boss (Tamil)?

The platform for communication that it offers. Its TRPs are unprecedented. As a political party, I am running, so far, on my steam. I have started the party and spent my money. It is only after the Election Commission registered my party (Makkal Needhi Maiam) that I’m taking money from the public. All the money is accounted for, but this big podium to reach the masses is what I needed. Which is why I announced my political entry on Bigg Boss. I reached out to more than three crore viewers per episode. The best I could do personally was a congregation of one lakh. That also means handling police permissions, traffic jam and other expenses. Even if I can get three sentences across on the show, that’s fantastic outreach.

So, artists should make use of such platforms to get their views across?

Yes, they must. That’s what makes politicians so angry. That explains why we have a ‘censor board’. The CBFC (Central Board of Film Certification) should stay a certification board. Instead, they keep offering us cuts in the films.

You have dabbled in a lot of disciplines within and outside the film industry. What is that one skill you would love to acquire?

So many things. I would love to be a cinematographer. Then, there is one skill I haven’t mastered yet. While making a movie, one should have the cool head of a viewer — it is a fantastic equipoise which can help one make smart decisions. A viewer calls a film bad if s/he does not like it. But if s/he likes it, then s/he comes back and spends Rs 500 more on the ticket. That kind of clarity is required when you invest Rs 50 crore in a film. That’s an art I have still not learnt and I am about to leave the industry.