Kamal Haasan at India Today Conclave South 2023: Indian cinema should aim for the world like Korea did
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India Today Entertainment Desk
On Day 2 of India Today Conclave South, Kamal Haasan opened up about his four-decade-long career, his upcoming films and his political stint.
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India Today
Ulaganayagan Kamal Haasan lit up the stage and gave a fitting end to the two-day-long India today Conclave South 2023. The actor was a part of a session called Class Act: Never Say Die at the conclave, which took place in Kovalam, Kerala.

Kamal Haasan is the epitome of talent. He has been a pioneer in the Indian cinema industry, setting an example for actors, directors and technicians of several generations. Speaking at the conclave, Kamal Haasan opened up about his six-decade-long career, his upcoming films and his stint in politics.

ON VIKRAM'S SUCCESS

Vikram is the biggest in the Tamil film industry ever. The film was good and they [audiences] were not seeing too many such films and they did not see too much of me as well.

I am doing Bigg Boss Tamil next season as well as I see it as a platform to communicate with people.

ON HIS LOVE AFFAIR WITH CINEMA

If I am not a cinema actor, I would be a cinema buff. I love cinema. I love politics as well. But, politics is my commitment.

ON PAN-INDIA FILMS

I have to quote Mr Raj Kapoor. People were trying to find the difference between art films and the kind of films Raj Kapoor was doing. He said that cinema is art. My greatest doyen is Dilip Kumar. If I express my love in Tamil, he may not understand. This is cyclic. It keeps changing. I don't feel vindicated.

The more ethnic we go, the more international you become. The world wants to know about us. It is more ready than it was before. We shouldn't talk about the differences in India. We (Indian cinema) should aim for the world like Korea did.

ON RRR'S SUCCESS

RRR's win was a small step. The finale will be when Hollywood actors come to India to receive their awards.

ON THE KERALA STORY AND ITS BAN

As a director, writer, and an actor, I never believed in hyperbolic and-on-the-nose-type of films. Rhetoric and exaggeration sort of takes away the suspended disbelief. That cinema actually anchors the whole philosophy. I am against films that go over the top. I have done some of them. That's why I started my production company so that I could rectify my mistakes.

I have not seen the film [The Kerala Story] and have only heard of it. I believe certain things have happened, but the numbers cannot be misrepresented. I am against banning of any film. My film, Vishwaroopam, was banned and people still do not know why it was banned. I also spoke about the certification board being a censor board.

The audience should go to a film with suspended disbelief and then think about it.

ON INDIAN 2

I am very excited. If people felt that Indian (part 1) spoke about politics, they wouldn't be disappointed with the second part.

ACTOR OR POLITICIAN?

It's not finding the feet. I am financing my sojourn for politics. I have been supported by people for 60 years. Now, I am giving them back.

WHICH IS DIFFICULT - ACTING OR POLITICS?

It wasn't easy. In cinema, I have to prepare, write and create a film and then people will say yes or no. In politics, I have to work with people. The script is written by them. It's a place I want to be. Politics is a better place.

We now see Kamal Haasan as a star. But, Keralities will remember the beginning. It wasn't easy for me to make it big. Failures are my big teacher.