Chevalier Dr. Kamal Haasanin Mayyam - Part 9

[Anban]

Historian level writing sir.

[irir123]

super narration!

FIVE movies within 8 months ?! Khaki Sattai (April 1985) , Andha Oru Nimidam(May 1985), Uyarndha Ullam (July 1985), Mangamma Sabatham (Sep 1985) and Japanil Kalyanaraman (Deepavali, Nov 1985).

I do recall that time period but the timespan of these movies means Kamal was most likely working 14 hour shifts!!

to top it, he was also practicing his dancing at Eldams road - whew! some man indeed!

how did this man get the time to eat, go to the bathroom etc etc?

If you can also fill in as to why K Balaji and IR fell out (KB going to Gangai Amaran for Sattam and Vaazhvey mayam at a time when IR was churning out stunner after stunner, is inexplicable), would be thankful.

[ramdas2005]

@Murali Srinivas, thanks for the fantastic write up...and the clarifications...

[venkkiram]

http://postimg.org/gallery/bcabkka8/

வழக்கம்போலவே துணிச்சல் மிகுந்த, செறிவான பதில்கள். கமலுக்கு நிகர் கமலே! வேறெந்த கலைஞர்களிடமும் இல்லாதது.. அந்த வகையில் ரசிகர்களும் ஒரு(பல) படி மேல்தான்.

[Adox]

Can't say second fiddle for Saagar, not just from the point of view of scope of acting, but even otherwise.

Ha ha! Second fiddle ?? Hardly .. Kamal completely overshadowed Rishi in the movie. Even NI folks say the same thing.

[Adox]

Murali Srinivas,

Your chronological narration of events made interesting reading !

[pamrang]

Superb writeup, Murali Srinivas! Enjoyed learning this history

[Avadi to America]

h_h/ramdas,

I am afraid that the info regarding Vidudhalai is not fully correct. While Balaji did have a grand idea of staging a casting coup of the century (imagine NT, Rajini and Kamal acting in the same movie) it never went beyond the initial stage. The fall out between Kamal and Balaji did not happen for Viduthalai. A brief flash back for the uninitiated.

Balaji after becoming a producer was solely dedicated to NT. Except for his first film as producer Annavin Aasai, which had Gemini in the lead and which came out in 1966 and save an exception in 1978 when he made Radhaikketra Kannan with Sivakumar (more to help his long term production manager Krishnamoorthy more popularly known as Billa Krishnamoorthy) he produced films only with NT from 1967 to 1979.

Even during those days (read 1975-76) it was rumoured that he was trying to do a casting which if it had materialised would have been the mother of all casting coups in Tamil Cinema. Sholay got released on 15th August of 1975 and the rumour was like this. Balaji had acquired the remake rights from GP Sippy. While NT would reprise the role of Amithab in the original, MGR will enact the role of Dharmendra and Gemini would don the role of Sanjeev Kumar. But I am sure it was only a rumour with no truth to it.

During October of every calendar year Balaji used to start his movie so that he can release it on January 26th, his lucky date (actually it was his marriage date). At the fag end of 1979 Balaji wanted to remake Sankarabaranam with NT but NT said no. Since no suitable story was available for NT from other languages and since NT was also busy with other commitments, Balaji turned his attention to the next generation. Rajini was roped in and Don was remade as Billa. Next he made Thee with the same combo with Thee being the remake of Deewar and it got released on 26th January 1981. [It is to be noted that the same Balaji had tried to acquire the rights for Deewar way back in 1975 when it was released with NT in mind. But the price quoted by the producer was too high and Balaji left Deewar and purchased the rights of Namak Haraam which he remade as Unakkaga Naan with NT and Gemini].In between Billa and Thee, Balaji also produced a movie called Sujatha (remake of Malayalam Shalini ente Koottukkari) that had the beautiful song “Nee Varuvai ena naan irundhe” which pitch forked singer Kalyani Menon (Mother of director Rajiv Menon) in to limelight.

Coming back to 1981 post the release of Thee, Balaji went to Kamal and produced Saval (July 3rd of 1981- a remake of Haath Ki Safai) after which continued with Kamal to produce Vaazhve Maayam (Jan 26th of 1982 – remade from Telugu Premabishekam). Then he went back to NT and Theerpu (May 1982) and Neethipadhi (Jan 26th of 1983) followed. Then again to Kamal with Sattam getting released in May 1983. After this Balaji spread his wings and he started doing more films with Mohan, Sivakumar and Suresh all coming under his fold.

After Sattam Kamal did Mangamma Sabatham for Balaji in September 1985, which was again a remake of Disco Dancer 2 of Mithun. Kamal had committed another movie for Balaji. But by now Kamal was not very comfortable doing movies continuously for one producer which were again remakes and nothing original. Moreover Balaji’s style of working was completely different. He used to get the call sheets of all artists in advance, chalk out the shooting schedule and then hunt for the story. Once he zeroes on a subject his team of writers would complete the script and shooting would start and proceed as planned earlier. Kamal it was rumoured did not like the working style because since everybody is committed, the producer is not serious about a good story but simply buys whatever is available in the market and proceeds with the shoot.

That’s the reason he was hesitant for another venture and the fact that his movies that came after Khaki Sattai (April 1985) like Andha Oru Nimidam(May 1985), Uyarndha Ullam (July 1985), Mangamma Sabatham (Sep 1985) and subsequently Japanil Kalyanaraman (Deepavali, Nov 1985) did not do well at Box office added to his decision. At that point of time he did not want one more disaster. Therefore when Balaji hit upon the idea of remaking Qurbani and asked Kamal to be a part of it he refused. [He for one had not been keen on multi starrers after 1980 can be gauged from the fact that both Prabhu and Arjun had only brief roles to play in Vetri Vizhaa and Kuruthi Punal respectively]. But by that time Vikram had already started and so was Vidudhalai. In fact Balaji had two films on the floor simultaneously at that point of time both having NT in lead roles. While Marumagal came out on his favourite day of Jan 26th of 1986, Viduthalai was released on 11th April of 1986.

Vikram was released on 29th May of 1986 and if at all Viduthalai had a film competing with, it was Naanum Oru Thozhilaali another Kamal movie helmed by Sridhar that was started in 1981 as Sakthi got rechristened as Meednum Sooriyodhyam that title later getting changed for assumed political colour to Naanum Oru Thozhilaali and finally hit the screens on May 1st of 1986. That is another long story.

Sorry if I had bored anyone with this long narration. Just wanted to highlight that it was the working style of the producer that put off Kamal All other reasons were accidental.

Regards

Murali Sir, intha HUBla ezhthunathaiyey neenga booka podalam....I still go and read NT thread just because people like you....

[venkkiram]

[venkkiram]