Came across this interview with Vasundhara Das in an Indian magazine based in US. A couple of questions deal with Kamal and her experience in Hey Ram. Here go the excerpts:

…I got a call from mom that Kamal Hassan had called them and wanted to do a screen test for his film *Hey Ram.*

I went with my family’s blessings and met him. I was a total tomboy and was expecting some skimpy clothes. Instead I found myself being draped in this Kanjeevaram heavy silk sari, a wig of long hair and flowers in my hair.

…I had not expected it and it also meant a commitment to him for a couple of months where my music will have to wait.

Kamal saw that reticence and said, “We need to talk.” He then said to me, “Look I know you are a reluctant actress. I know the feeling. I’ve been there myself, because I started acting at 5. But you have to decide whether you will allow me to help you and if you will put in the effort.” He had approached my parents and me with such courtesy and graciousness that I found myself saying yes.

There is a very intimate scene in the film. How did you manage it, and how was the experience in all?

He told me upfront about the scene and again with finesse. From the beginning to the end, we were like a big family. Each scene had its own challenges and Kamal is a perfectionist. The fun part came when he asked me to read some dialogues, He was thrilled when I read it in Hindi, for the Hindi version, and didn’t have a South Indian accent in my Hindi. But when I spoke in Tamil his eyes popped out. In spite of being a Tamilian, I didn’t realize that the spoken Tamil for that film had a different dialect. I still laugh when I remember that look as he said, “What did you just say Maam?” I had to work on my Tamil accent ironically!

I still remember the first scene where the family comes to see me for the first time. I had to wear this thick kanjeevaram sari and sing for them. Kamal deliberately chose that scene knowing I was a singer to put me at ease. It was a very thoughtful gesture.

Kamal saw the offers that were pouring in as I was shooting in his film. His only advice to me was, don’t do anything where you don’t stand out. Don’t get caught in the hype. I have done regional cinema and Hindi films as well, but I have been very picky.