In October 2024, in the course of the promotional actions of Sivakarthikeyan-Sai Pallavi-starrer Amaran at Chennai’s Raajkamal Films International (RKFI) workplace, the individual lacking from the thick of issues was none aside from the movie’s producer: Kamal Haasan.
“Avar US ku padikka poitaar (He has gone to the US to study),” mentioned somebody at his workplace, referring to the actor’s choice to take off to the United States of America to check synthetic intelligence.
At 70, with a number of awards and movies in a number of languages to his credit score, Kamal Haasan could be extensively thought to be top-of-the-line actors in the nation. He, nonetheless, nonetheless considers himself a “student”, which prompted his choice to put aside time to check synthetic intelligence, interested in its use in his subject of labor.
“We are all part luddites. That’s our problem,” says the actor, “That’s why I have the naivety to say that I want to learn AI. They kept asking me what exactly I want to learn – which is when I realised there are so many verticals in the film industry itself.”
Kamal vouches to continue to learn extra – which, he hopes, will assist him streamline his present movie assignments and most likely assist in executing his dream projects. “We are still not good with scheduling and budgeting. We are not good with compartmentalising and delegating. AI will take away the chore in the job and the thinking person inside you has a better chance,” he says.
Kamal Haasan
| Photo Credit:
Johan Sathya Das
In the US, Kamal Haasan visited the Perplexity AI headquarters, interacting extensively with its CEO, Aravind Srinivas. He additionally attended NAB 2025 in Las Vegas, which showcased how AI applied sciences might improve storytelling and streamline manufacturing processes. “I have never studied in a classroom, so my study continues,” he tells us.
It did – on the units of his upcoming movie, Thug Life, as effectively. The movie marks the approaching collectively of Kamal Haasan and ace director Mani Ratnam after three many years; their final outing was Nayakan (1987), one in all Tamil cinema’s largest classics. “Both of us have evolved since then,” he says, “He (Mani Ratnam) changed the landscape of Tamil cinema, which influenced filmmaking across India. I believe that the more ethnic you become, the more international you become – this is a quote that Singeetam Srinivasa Rao (director-screenwriter) is quite fond of, and I picked it up from him.”
Kamal might be referring to the globe-trotting motion drama in Thug Life, in which he performs a gangster named Rangaraya Sakthivel, prompting followers to debate a doable Nayakan hyperlink to the present movie (Kamal’s identify in the 1987 movie was Sakthivel ‘Velu’ Naicker). “Thug Life will make you forget Nayakan. Otherwise, we are not doing our jobs well. Maybe chronologically you can say Nayakan and Thug Life, but out of appreciation, it should be the other way round,” says Kamal.
‘Thug Life’ marks Kamal Haasan working with Mani Ratnam after three many years
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
He describes the movie as an “extension of his life”. “I’ve been both; I have lived a life and have been a thug in my teens. The kinetic energy will push you to do wrong things when you’re young…most people in college do it. I’ve never been to college, so I might have just been a cruder thug. I’m not proud of it, though.”
Thug Life has music by AR Rahman, whose music is kind of completely different from Ilaiyaraaja, Kamal Haasan’s collaborator for a very long time. What was the distinction? “With Ilaiyaraaja’s songs, I was immediately able to say, ‘Oh yes, I like this.’ But it was different with Rahman. I remember listening to ‘Kappaleri Poyachu’ from Indian (1996)for the first time. I just shrugged, because it was just him singing with a beatbox. But when I saw the final version of the song, ending with ‘Saare Jahaan Se Acha’… it blew my mind,” remembers Kamal, who believes that his music needs to be labeled as ‘slow nectar’ than ‘slow poison’.
Debuting as a toddler actor in Kalathur Kannama (1960) when he was simply 5, Kamal Haasan has acted with generations of actors – from the late thespian Sivaji Ganesan to Silambarasan. Considering his huge expertise in entrance of the digicam, did he give his Thug Life co-stars Silambarasan, Ashok Selvan and Trisha an performing tip or two? “My guru was K Balachander (late director), but he did not teach me. He gave me an opportunity and in conversation, I picked up skills. That’s how it should be done.”
While the actor’s upcoming roster suggests extra adrenaline-pumping moments – he has a movie with stunt masters-turned-directors Anbariv scheduled subsequent – there’s additionally a rising clamour amongst followers for Kamal to return to the comedy style, for which he efficiently teamed up with the late comedian-writer Crazy Mohan on many movies, like Avvai Shanmughi and Panchathanthiram, amongst others. “I don’t miss him, because he has left a lot of him in me. Without work, we spoke with each other every day about everything under the sun, including ideologies, puranas and yayatis,” remembers Kamal Haasan.
So, will a comedy topic floor someday quickly? “Humour is not fast food. You must add so many condiments and serve,” he says.
Kamal Haasan in ‘Thug Life’
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
Post Thug Life, the promotions of that are maintaining him busy for the time being, Kamal Haasan will transfer on to different projects. Other than his instant movie commitments, the actor-director additionally needs to discover methods to execute his unrealised projects, comparable to Marmayogi, Sabaash Naidu and Marudhunayagam.
Malayalam actor Joju George lately talked about that Kamal Haasan’s iPad has greater than 400 scripts, one thing that the Thug Life actor smilingly dismisses as an ‘exaggeration’. “I might have around 30. And some more, which are not yet completed,” he reveals, “There’s one lying with me titled Suryadhaagam, which revolves around an established Godman and his ascent into a living God. It’s a bit like Caligula (Roman Emperor), who did not die a good death. My story does not do into that, but it talks about the morbidity of man’s hubris.”
Published – May 26, 2025 05:28 pm IST
