Happy Birthday Kamal Haasan: 10 signature Ulaganayagan films that deserved more love from the audience at the time of release - 60 Years of Kamalism
Kamal Haasan's career is peppered with films, which never got their due. Who should take the responsibility - the filmmaker, who was apparently ahead of its times. or we, the audience, who were trailing by a few decades?
From Gunaa to Uttama Villain, these projects feature in every Kamal fan's list of films that we don't deserve.
What happens when love-at-first-sight becomes a metaphor for a long-awaited call for divine immortality? Gunaa, which poses this typical Kamal Haasan conundrum, acquired a cult status 10 years late.
Kamal spent 10 years of his prime researching and writing Hey Ram. How can we ever repent for snubbing this epic piece of fictionalised biography which has critics swooning over its layers!
The psychedelic barbarity that Nandu embarks on in Aalavandhan is presented to us in all its twisted perfection, so much so that it starts getting to our heads. And, we were never ready for such jolts
Anbey Sivam - the film that taught us about love, life, and all the things in between. This leisurely-paced beauty, with subtle humour and a surprising level of profoundness, never really got its due
Uttama Villain - the film that happened when Kamal held a mirror to himself. The film, which talks about the need to understand our purpose of life, was probably too deep, and way ahead of its time.
A hilarious black comedy, which depends more on visuals and less on dialogues, was never a masses-friendly affair in the first place. Mumbai Express realized its true potential as usual on TV re-runs.
The technically brillaint Hollywood-style action-drama, Vishwaroopam, failed to get its due, even after getting embroiled in controversies. R rated violence and minimalistic story-telling were cited.
Another light-hearted, quirky comedy that celebrates the concept of chaos - with some controversial lyrics thrown in - Manmadhan Ambu was another of Kamal's classic casualties.
Vikram - a Bond-style science-fiction thriller involving missiles, nuclear bombs, RAW agents, and laptops in the mid-80s - now that's suicidal material for sure.
Our first silent film, Pushpaka Vimaana/ Pesum Padam, relies only on anticipatory tension and Kamal's acting skills. Though it got an average run, it became a cult favourite only in the digital age.
