Filmmaker David Lean once said, “I think people remember pictures, not dialogue. That's why I like pictures.” It makes complete sense that a bona fide legend like Singeetham Srinivasa Rao, a self-confessed fan of the Lawrence of Arabia filmmaker, took this statement so seriously that he made Pushpaka Vimana, a film with no dialogue, in 1987, a solid 50-plus years after the first talkie was released. This was a high-concept experiment written by Singeetham himself, but he needed someone who could convince audiences to return to the era of black-and-white cinema. He needed someone who would understand that the answer to “Why are you doing all of this?” is simple… “Why not?” That's why Singeetham found his muse in Kamal Haasan, and the latter found his architect in the former. To mourn the passing of the legendary filmmaker, who breathed his last on Saturday, Kamal wrote, “I have admired him since I knew him. Now I aspire to live like he did.”
Between 1979 and 2005, Singeetham and Kamal Haasan collaborated on eight films, each bringing unique challenges. Through this stellar collaboration, let’s trace the genius of Singeetham Srinivasa Rao, who leaves behind a legacy nonpareil, which teaches every filmmaker, young and old, to believe in the magic of cinema and the power of storytellers.
Sommokadidhi Sokokadidhi (1979)
First times are always special. When Singeetham decided to mount a comedy about twins, separated at birth, finding each other at the most inopportune of times, and deciding to test their luck by living the life of the other, he needed someone young and charming, who could also be smart and conniving. He knew one new guy on the block was moving up the ranks in Tamil, Malayalam, and Telugu. Sommokadidhi Sokokadidhi was the first time Kamal played dual roles in Telugu, and who knew that would be the start of a collaboration where a comedy of errors and switched identities would be comparatively one of the easiest challenges in their careers.
Raja Paarvai (1982)
Singeetham, who hadn’t made a Tamil film since his National Award-winning 1974 film, Dhikkatra Parvathi, decided to come back to Tamil cinema to helm Kamal Haasan’s landmark 100th film, Raja Paarvai, which was simultaneously shot in Telugu as Amavasya Chandrudu. As a blind musician, Kamal Haasan gave a tour de force performance. It marked the beginning of a relationship built on a pure love of cinema and an incessant need to give audiences something new. It showed that milestone films don’t always have to be of a particular kind. It proved that success isn’t always measured by box-office returns. It marked Kamal Haasan's debut as a producer. Most importantly, Singeetham and Kamal Haasan became a trio for the ages with the addition of composer Ilaiyaraaja.
Pushpaka Vimana (1987)
In cinema, some experiments are unlike others. Some are so experimental that getting them from paper to picture becomes the toughest part. With Pushpaka Vimana, an idea that brewed in Singeetham’s mind in the 50s finally took shape in the 80s. It was the first non-talkie since the silent era gave way to the talkie era in the 30s. Singeetham had to produce it because no one else was coming forward to do the same. Who would watch a silent film in the era of songs and heavy dialogue? He needed someone to be the face of this experiment. Someone who could turn a Kannada film into a pan-Indian film long before the phenomenon got this name. And who else but Kamal Haasan to become the unemployed graduate in this black comedy and give wings to Singeeetham’s wordless ballad?
Apoorva Sagodharargal (1989)
Trust is a two-way bridge, and it is on this facet that the relationship between Kamal Haasan and Singeetham grew stronger with every collaboration. When Singeetham wrote something that needed a huge canvas, he knew Kamal would deliver. Similarly, when Kamal decided to collaborate with an untested screenwriter named Crazy Mohan and make a film featuring him in triple roles as a conscientious cop, a dwarf, and a good-for-nothing car mechanic, he knew only one filmmaker could understand his machinations. And thus was born Apporva Sagodharargal, the tale of two brothers, and, in a way, it perfectly summed up the relationship between Kamal and Singeetham. Two unique people who understood each other best, even if the world played catch-up to their genius.
Michael Madana Kama Rajan (1990)
In every filmmaker’s career, there comes a film that brings out their absolute best. A film that challenges them like no film before, and no film after. Michael Madana Kama Rajan's watertight script did half the job, but Kamal-Mohan-Panchu Arunachalam's writing needed someone like Singeetham to balance their ambitions and make it accessible to the audience. Four different Kamal Haasans. Four different stories. Four sets of parallel narratives. One convergence. And even there, four different ways of shooting the same scene. How do you make it all seem seamless? Singeetham knew how to get things right, not once, not twice, but four times, and give a timeless classic like it was just another Monday.
Magalir Mattum (1994)
This collaboration between Kamal Haasan and Singeetham wasn’t like their previous films. It was a different kind of comedy, and it wasn’t going to be easy, especially since it is not every day that Tamil cinema mounts a social comedy with three fantastic heroines in the lead. The film didn’t shy away from true-blue physical humour, top-notch conversational asides, and downright slapstick, all while telling the story of how the average working woman cannot just have it all in this patriarchal society. The film reaches the zenith of comedy long before Kamal Haasan comes onscreen, and yet, after his entry, it manages to pull off a few more high-quality jokes. If the image of Revathy, Urvashi, and Rohini zipping through the city on a bike is etched in your memory, it is because Magalir Mattum continues to rank among the gold standard of comedies in Tamil cinema, and rightfully so.
Kaathala Kaathala (1997)
After working on films that featured Kamal Haasan in a single role, a dual role, and a quadruple role, Singeetham was brought in to direct their simplest collaboration. Kaathala Kaathala doesn’t feel like the quintessential Singeetham-Kamal film, because it wasn’t meant to be. But it is also a testament to the trust they share, and how easily they understand what the other wants. Due to an industry-related issue, KS Ravikumar, who had previously helmed Kamal Haasan’s Avvai Shanmughi, couldn’t direct Kaathala Kaathala. The actor-filmmaker wanted to make the film, no matter what. He needed someone who would stand by him and his vision, and not with the system. He knew only one name, and Singeetham, as always, didn’t let Kamal down; they delivered an ensemble comedy for the ages.
Mumbai Xpress (2005)
As they say, life is like an art film… You never know when the credits start rolling. A collaboration that began in 1979 took the Mumbai Xpress to its final destination in 2005. With Mumbai Xpress, the duo pushed the technical boundaries of cinema and made the first censored digital film in the country. It was a black comedy that explored interesting spaces without making a huge fuss. Mumbai Xpress also became the last collaboration of the trio of Singeetham, Kamal Haasan, and Ilaiyaraaja. In fact, it remains the last time Ilaiyaraaja composed for a Kamal Haasan film. Mumbai Xpress, just like Raja Paarvai, might not have set the cash registers ringing, but it didn’t take anything away from the legacy of this duo who rewrote Tamil cinema history one film at a time. Just as Kamal Haasan’s Avinash faced every card life threw at him with a smile, Mumbai Xpress felt like a fitting finale to a journey that began with the story of two unlikely brothers.
This was a cinematic journey that was a pleasure for both of them, a toil for both of them, and an honour for everyone who was part of this journey that began in 1979, ended in 2005, occupies the collective consciousness of the audience in 2026, and will continue to do so as long as people want to forget everything else, smile, laugh, tear up, and just have a wonderful time in the movies.