Kamal Haasanâs assertion that âTamil gave birth to Kannadaâ has sparked a rare consensus between rival political parties, Congress and BJP, who have jointly condemned the veteran actor and politician. Central to this controversy is a longstanding cultural fault line: language as a core marker of identity. In South India, where linguistic pride is deeply…
Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan on Friday met with Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin amid Hindi imposition row. Earlier, the actor addressed party cadres in Chennai on the 8th foundation day of his party, Makkal Needhi Maiyam (MNM), emphasizing the importance of linguistic pride. Marking the milestone, Haasan hoisted the party flag at the MNM headquarters in…
The phenomenal pan-India success of movies such as Baahubali, RRR, KGF and Kantara appear to have emboldened southern producers to now consider releasing their films on major festivals such as Diwali and Eid as well as long weekends, which have typically been the preserve of Bollywood flicks. Their growing popularity in the Hindi belt means…
A young Rajinikanth clad in a white vest, is halfway through an expressive rebuke â perhaps some expletives are also involved. Behind him, is a towering Kamal Hassan mid-smoke, the eerie consternation on his face befitting a ruthless serial killer. Emerging from between Parattaiyan in 16 Vayadhinile and Dileep from Sigappu Rojakkal, are a couple of women hand…
Fire dance by African artistes at Gemini Circus | Photo Credit: PERIASAMY M An unfettered performer races atop a wheel that spins under the spotlights â literally as fast as he can run â at a speed of may be 20 miles an hour. He soon perfected somersaults on the wheel and then began performing…
Hariharan and Kamal Haasan | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement In 2009, Kamal Haasan presented a screenwriting course at IIT-Madras and wanted to start a full-fledged film school. It was during that time that a conversation with him sowed the seeds of my book, Kamal Haasan: A Cinematic Journey. This book, aimed at an international audience,…
Poster of âKalki 2898 ADâ After a fantastic run in theatres, director Nag Ashwinâs Kalki 2898 AD, headlined by Prabhas, is finally making its way to the smaller screens. With an ensemble cast that includes Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan, Deepika Padukone and Disha Patani, the film was released on June 27 to much fanfare on thousands of…
Around 30 years ago, the Prashanth household gathered at the main hall in their T Nagar bungalow. Prashanth had just written his medical exams and was set to become a doctor, something that his family desperately wanted. However, there was a catch: film directors were waiting with scripts, in which they wanted to cast Prashanth….
In Shankarâs 1996 film Indian, Crazy Mohanâs character threatened to expose corruption through a national newspaper, while the filmâs lead character would later hijack a television station to send a sharp anti-corruption message. The same filmmaker then went on to film one of the most iconic on-screen television debates in Tamil cinema, in 1999âs Mudhalvan….
A still from âIndian 2â | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement The makers of director Shankarâs latest film Indian 2, starring Kamal Haasan in the lead, have confirmed that the filmâs runtime has been trimmed to make it more streamlined. ALSO READ:âIndian 2â movie review: Kamal Haasan, Shankarâs underwhelming sequel relies more on its past legacy…
