Actor Shiva Rajkumar dedicates song to Kamal Haasan, recalls best meeting with him
Kannada actor Shiva Rajkumar was invited as the special guest for the audio launch of 'Thug Life' at Sai Ram Engineering College in Chennai. The actor opened the event by calling himself a huge fan of Kamal Haasan. He also sweetly dedicated a Tamil song to the 'Vishwaroopam' actor.Shiva Rajkumar got off the stage and hugged Kamal Haasan right after his entry. He declared himself a fan and said, "I like his smile, I like his eyes, I like his personality. I like everything about him. I would always catch his films first day first show.""When I met #KamalHaasan sir at my house with my father, i asked Kamal sir for a hug & i didn't bath for 3 days, because i want his odour on me. After my cancer surgery, KamalHaasan sir called me, I had tears after his call"- #Shivarajkumar pic.twitter.com/lmcVqZ17Zc— AmuthaBharathi (@CinemaWithAB) May 25, 2025advertisementThe 'Mufti' actor recalled the time he met Haasan at his home in Bengaluru. "I remember him visiting my house and speaking to my father, Dr Rajkumar, at our home in Bengaluru. At that time, he asked my father who I was. My father introduced me, and I requested him for a hug. I did not take a bath for three days. I wanted that feeling, his odour to linger. I am that kind of fan. I have fought with many people about the quality of Kamal sir's films. Even if they give bad opinions about the films, I would only say good things,' Shiva Rajkumar said.
He also spoke about how Kamal Haasan called him after he had cancer surgery in the US. "I still remember, I was in Miami in December 2024, where I got my surgery. Kamal sir was in Chicago and I received a call from him. I felt so happy talking to him. Following the conversation, he said, 'You don't know Shivanna, I have tears in my eyes after speaking to you'. I can never forget that moment. I felt like my dad was speaking to me. It was an honour," he explained.One day you and me @ikamalhaasan pic.twitter.com/ao3klrTtc1— Kendrick Kumar (@Kendrickkumaaru) May 24, 2025advertisementAs he wrapped his speech, Shiva Rajkumar sang a few lines of Kamal Haasan's iconic 'Ore Naal Unai Naan' from 'Ilamai Oonjal Aadukirathu'.'Thug Life', directed by Mani Ratnam, will hit theatres on June 5.
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The Print
18 minutes ago
- The Print
Kamal Haasan remarks: Karnataka HC raps actor for refusing to apologise
Haasan's production house, Raaj Kamal Films International, had sought adequate security for the movie's release in the state amid widespread protests and a boycott call by the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce following the actor's remark. The KFCC has also demanded that Haasan apologise. The movie will not be released in Karnataka on June 5, the scheduled date for the pan-India release, its producers told the court on Tuesday, following which it postponed the hearing to June 10. Bengaluru, Jun 3 (PTI) Here are some of the observations made by the Karnataka High Court on Tuesday as it rapped the actor-politician Kamal Haasan for refusing to apologise for his 'Kannada was born out of Tamil' remark while hearing a plea seeking protection for release of his movie 'Thug Life' in the state. Observing that a 'single apology (by Haasan) could have resolved the situation,' Justice Nagaprasanna said, 'Freedom of expression cannot be extended to the extent of hurting someone's sentiment, of a mass in particular.' Noting that the actor's recent statement has stirred the hornets' nest and triggered certain unrest in Karnataka among the people, the Judge said it has undermined the sentiment of language attached to the people of the state. 'Language is an emotional and cultural identity of a people,' and stressed that no individual has the right to make comments that undermine the pride of an entire linguistic community, the court observed. Justice Nagaprasanna asked, 'Are you (Kamal Hassan) a historian or a linguist to make such a statement? No language is born out of another. A single apology could have resolved the situation.' 'Jala, Nela, and Bashe (Water, land, and language) are crucial to citizens. The division of this country itself was based on linguistic lines,' he observed. Pointing out that C Rajagopalachari (the then Governor-General of India) made a similar statement about the language but apologised for it, the Judge said, '….If Rajagopalachari could tender a public apology 75 years ago, why can't you (Kamal Haasan)? For your commercial interest, you have approached this court seeking police protection for a situation created by you.' Citing from the petition that Rs 300 crore is spent on the movie Thug Life and after Nayagan this was the first cinema by Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam together, Justice Nagaprasanna said, 'You (Haasan) know the importance (of the movie), but you can't make a statement (of apology)…..you want your film to run smoothly in a state whose sentiments you have hurt. If you are not concerned about it, why do you want it to be run in Karnataka. Leave it.' PTI KSU HIG This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
The Hindu
31 minutes ago
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When Kamal Haasan changed his movie's title after finding no support from Jayalalithaa
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The Chief Minister added, if the police had a 'justified apprehension' that film shooting would create a law and order problem, they were well within their rights to refuse permission. 'Asked about the role of the State in protecting artistic freedom, Ms. Jayalalithaa, herself an ex-actress, said the police were not concerned with it,' a report in The Hindu on June 14, 2003 said. However, three days later, her Secretary – I, Sheela Balakrishnan, wrote to The Hindu, denying this. 'I would like to categorically state that no such remark was made by the Chief Minister,' she said. Questioning the Puthiya Tamilagam leader's action, The Hindu in an editorial posed: 'The question at this point is, will it not be premature, even immature, to judge a work even before the cameras have begun rolling, and the first scenes have been framed?' Around that time, Mr. Krishnasamy contended his party's protest against the shooting of Sandiyar was not aimed at Kamal Hassan, or a single movie but was against the decadence that had set in in the Tamil film industry. The title, Sandiyar, he said, had wrong connotations and villagers, especially in southern districts, were aware of the behaviour of certain elements who called themselves so. According to him, Sandiyar meant a 'terrorist at the village-level'. He said the actor had not attempted to justify or explain the title and it was not proper on Kamal Hassan's part to have attempted to meet Jayalalithaa to seek security for the shooting. Incidentally, Thol. Thirumavalavan (then known as T. Thirumavalavan), the leader of Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (at that time, Dalit Panthers of India), welcomed Jayalalithaa's stand and appealed to the State government to take steps to ban films which tended to incite caste clashes. 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Asked whether the Chief Minister had advised him to scrap the title, he said it was his own decision, and she said it was a 'good idea', a report in The Hindu said. When a journalist asked him about attempts by politicians to politicise the film, he merely said: 'What I feel I need not say here. It is enough if I convey it through the film.' The shooting of the film resumed but again was halted in mid-September. But this time, the actor said the location was shifted from Dindigul not for political reasons, but because the lakes in the district were dry and there was a delay in obtaining 'necessary equipment.' The film then got a new title, Virumaandi. During its audio cassette launch in December 2003, ace film director K. Balachander, a mentor to Kamal Hassan, had this to say: 'Kamal has emerged unscathed from the ordeal. In fact, he has to be grateful to the people who were causing him all that misery. 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