Moondram Pirai, Mahanadhi and Anbe Sivam would have been equally successful if they were made today: Kamal Haasan

With his recent film, Vikram, actor-politician Kamal Haasan experienced the most commercial success in his six-decade career. Lokesh Kanagaraj wrote and directed the film, which was released on June 3 and ran for 50 days in Tamil Nadu theatres. Vikram marked Kamal's return to the big screen after a four-year hiatus. So, will the success of Vikram influence the type of films that Kamal, who has had his fair share of commercial flops, makes?

In the latest interview with Galatta Plus, Kamal Haasan emphatically stated no, referring to the audience as a "multi-headed monster."

"One day, they just want to eat curd rice, the next day, they want chapati and gravy, and the day after that, they just want tender coconut. Even if you provide copious amounts of chapati and gravy, they will not eat it that day. That's why Charlie Chaplin referred to the audience as a multi-headed monster because he didn't know what to feed it," Kamal Haasan said.

Also, Ulaganayagan emphasised the importance of positively promoting the film even further. He stated that any negativity that may arise within the production team could spread and eventually harm the film's success. "Today, they liked my film. They might not enjoy my next one. And I will be solely responsible for this. We can't blame them. Who else am I supposed to hold accountable? They should recognise my brilliance. They should be ashamed of themselves for setting mediocrity as a standard!"

Kamal Haasan said he'd continue to do films that enrich the standards and taste of Tamil cinema. "This generation may be unaware that Sakalakala Vallavan was as popular as Vikram today. It amassed the largest collection at the time, and everyone rejoiced. I also had the impression that I had reached my peak. The same audience, however, made Moondram Pirai a silver jubilee success the following year. It's conceivable. If made today, Mahanadhi will be a smash hit. If Anbe Sivam was released today, it will mark its silver jubilee," he stated.

Kamal Haasan will return to the Vikram franchise shortly. The film's worldwide ticket sales of over Rs 400 crore have made it all the more likely.

Notably, Vikram and Lokesh's 2019 film, Kaithi, is linked to each other and exists in the same cinematic universe. The title is taken from Kamal's 1986 spy action film, Vikram, directed by Rajashekar.

The action thriller currently premiers on Disney+Hotstar. Vikram is produced by Kamal’s home banner Raaj Kamal Films International in association with R Mahendran. The film features an ensemble star cast including Vijay Sethupathi, Fahadh Faasil, Narain, Gayathrie Shankar, Kalidas Jayaram and Arjun Das, among others, in pivotal roles. Actor Suriya appears in a cameo role.