Kamal Haasan opens his heart about 'Mumbai Xpress'

Kamal Haasan opens his heart about "Mumbai EXpress" - Newindpress.com: "Kamal told IANS that though the film was shot in an 'innovative style', it was 'not an experiment with audiences' tastes'. "

How has the year been for you?
Kind... That's the best way I can express it. Kind rather than cruel. Everything seems settled and calm in my life. That spirit shows in my new film "Mumbai Xpress". It lacks the tense wound-up spirit of "Virumandi" or the forced smiles of my comedies two years ago.

The smiles and chuckles this time are real. Though actors are masters of concealment somewhere the player's personal pain communicates itself into his work and then to the audience.

So you classify "Mumbai Xpress" as a comedy?
With slight reservations... Comedy is considered slightly undignified in our cinema. Like my other comedy "Pushpak" with Singeetham Srinivasa Rao, "Mumbai Xpress" is also a trendsetter. Or so my peers tell me

Many times you think you're being funny when you're actually falling flat on your face. Not this time, though. My first ever production was meant to be directed by Singeetham Srinivasa Rao. We were supposed to remake a film called "Gol Mal". But someone else bought the rights in Tamil.

That's how I turned a writer, by default, in "Raja Parvai". I produced, wrote and played in the film. "Raja Parvai" wasn't a financial winner for me. It was my learning curve. I paid for the lesson I learnt.

So how market-friendly is "Mumbai Xpress"?
The box office is that oasis where all animals come to drink their water. Fortunately this time I've hit bull's eye with both the aesthetics and the commercialism.

"Mumbai Xpress" is a joyous film. You don't feel you've just watched a funny caper. Also, I've made the film in three languages: Tamil, Hindi and Telugu.

There's also a Kannada star in the film.
Yes Ramesh Arvind, whom everyone will be talking about after "Mumbai Xpress". He has done extremely well in the film. We first thought of Tinu Anand for the role. But suddenly we thought we were falling into a comfort zone. We didn't want to repeat ourselves.

Ramesh Arvind was playing the lead in Kannada films. He quickly changed his looks and agreed to do a role that many actors wouldn't see as an ideal launch in Hindi.

Ramesh is a writer like me. He understands the nuances of the part. His Hindi isn't perfect. That suits his character fine. We gave vernacular freedom to actors. All the actors behave naturally in all three languages.

Some characters are in both the Hindi and Tamil versions - my leading lady Manisha Koirala, Ramesh Arvind, Sharad Saxena and the little boy Hardik. Saurabh Shukla too was meant to be in both versions. But his hands were too full.

So we got another director-friend Santana Bharathi to play Saurabh's role in Tamil.

Is the film inspired by any foreign source?
No! Probably the spirit of Oscar Wilde hovers over the film... Speaking of Oscar, one day I hope we'll have an award which the foreigners will crave to have.

How does "Mumbai Xpress" compare with your other recent works?
Hard to say for me. But when the writing of "Mumbai Xpress" was complete I had felt the same satisfaction that I did after I wrote "Virumandi". I'm very happy with this work. Not that it would qualify among the great films of this century.

"Mumbai Xpress" gave me the happiness of a grand meal shared with close friends. It was a rare feast for me, not because I cooked it. But because the cooks didn't spoil the broth. The burp is awaited.

And trouble with the title again?
There has been trouble with the title, yes. But we've sorted it out. The government has assured me there'll be no trouble. The dissenters don't want an 'angrezi' (English) word in the Hindi title.