Knew M Karunanidhi As a Writer Before I Knew Him As a Politician: Kamal Haasan

Kamal Haasan, who was close to DMK chief M Karunanidhi, said that he knew Kalaignar as a writer before he knew him as a politician.

The former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister died on Tuesday evening after waging a grim battle for life in a city hospital, leaving a void in the Dravidian politics and triggering nationwide mourning for an essentially regional leader.

Remembering the veteran politician, Haasan said, "I knew Karunanidhi-ji as a writer before I knew him as a politician. The language we actors used is that of Karunanidhi's. He had an incredible flow in his writing, which was very elegant. There was a call by the Tamilians for a leader, and he was the one who filled that role."

Meanwhile, Haasan's new film Vishwaropam 2 is all set to hit the screens this Friday. He said that he has a few commitments left in films, otherwise it would have been his last film. He was speaking at News 18’s event Baithak in New Delhi.

On being asked whether Vishwaroopam 2 is his last film, Kamal said, “I have two commitments left in film but then I think I'm done. If left to my own devices, 'Vishwaroopam 2' would have been my last film.”

He further said, “The reason I'm doing the other film is only because I had previously made the commitment.”

Haasan plays the lead role of a RAW agent in the film. The film, which has been delayed over multiple reasons for the past few years, is a sequel to the 2013 film Vishwaroopam. Set for release on August 10, the movie has been simultaneously shot in Hindi and Tamil. A dubbed Telugu version will also come out.

Written and directed by Kamal Haasan, the film also stars Rahul Bose, Pooja Kumar, Andrea Jeremiah, Shekhar Kapur, Waheeda Rehman.

However, the release of the film is uncertain now as theatre owners in Tamil Nadu have decided to close their cinema halls for all the evening and night shows on Tuesday in the wake of Karunanidhi’s death. It’s not clear when they’ll be back to playing films.