This post is one born out of admiration for a person whom I think is a true idol.

I have always been a fan of Kamal Haasan since my childhood. And when I say I am fan, I don’t mean to say I watch every movie of his or that I am there for the first show of his every movie. I am actually not even one of those fans who will swear that each and every performance of his and every movie of his is mind blowing. But what I do say is that this is one man who has made the profession of acting and the movie industry highly respectable in my eyes.

I decided I have to write about how Kamal has transformed my view of cinema and its stars after I watched his recent movie ‘Vettaiyadu Vilaiyadu’. I am sure all Tamil movie goers would have watched the film by now. And I am also pretty much sure that everyone would agree that the movie was really well made and that Kamal has once again proved that he is a cut above the rest! I for one was so enthralled by the movie and by Kamal’s performance that I was raving about the movie(which included Kamal’s looks as well;)) for more than a week. I must also mention here that the director of the movie Gautham Menon moved up a few notches in my ‘favourites’ list. It was a mind-blowing movie, though many (especially men) did think that it was very disturbing as it dealt with the story of a serial rapist and murderer. However, I would say that the movie was made to be disturbing as it left some serious thoughts in the viewers’ heads long after the movie was over.

I spoke so much about the movie to my friends and everyone that after each conversation I started thinking a little about this person. I thought about how this man has dedicated his life to the art of acting. Many of his movies totally shock us as to what lengths he goes to in each of his movies to look the part he is playing. His movies also clearly show us that this is one man who has done his homework to almost become the character he is playing. In each of his movies there is something new. Sometimes it is the make-up, sometimes it is his singing ability that comes to the fore, sometimes it is all the new technical stuff he has introduced in film making; the list is endless. Another important point that many people fail to recognize in his movies is the subtle message each of his movies carries. Of course, in all the movies the hero plays the good guy fighting for a cause and the cause is pretty much clearly outlined in the first few scenes of the movie. However, in all of Kamal’s movies (especially the ones that he has acted in the last decade or so) have real important messages laced into the story, but it is not blaring enough for the masses to understand. Now, that is why Kamal does not command a fan-following like Rajinikanth (the superstar of Tamil filmdom)! Coming back to the point about messages, let me mention a few. Remember this movie ‘Peiyar Sollum Pillai’ - the message there was about abolishing caste-ism. ‘Kurudhipunal’ was about the life (the real emotions and tribulations) of commandos. ‘Mahanadhi’ was a very disturbing movie about the life of children who lose their parents, but one of the messages I liked in the movie was in a song which teaches the children about how not to fear devils and demons and how they are all just a myth. ‘Anbe Sivam’, my all time favorite movie (I personally think it is one of the best movies ever made) is about ‘Love’. It so subtly highlights the message that “Love is God”. I think it is a movie that every human being who really wants to live a meaningful life should watch and probably save a copy for posterity. Another recent one, ‘Virumaandi’ was about the death sentence. I could just go on and on. But this is not all that I want to talk about.

The most important thing that I wanted to talk about in this post is about how Kamal Haasan is an inspiration to people who want to make a difference in this world. Think about this. We all look up to extraordinary people such as scientists, doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs, IT professionals, etc. and talk about how we want to be like them. But hardly does any parent show the example of an actor to his/her child to make them understand what it takes to be a successful and extraordinary human being. Including me, I think all of us just look at movies as entertainment and movie stars as glamorous people who do a job they are paid for. But think again. Think again about this guy named Kamal. He was a school drop-out and became an actor to fulfill his father’s dream. But he chose to make a difference through the medium that God had offered to him. He dedicated his life to this art of acting. Though a school drop-out he is well-read and highly knowledgeable and speaks impeccable English, Tamil and several other languages and can talk about any topic for hours on end. He is a great dancer, a great orator and someone who walks his talk. And hey, I almost forgot this one! He is amazingly good looking, even at the age of 52 and I think he does the due for that fit and fine look. The next one is a little dicey but I have to say it. I am sure many of YOU, don’t like the way he leads his personal life (frankly, who are we to comment on his personal life?), but think again. However flamboyantly you would say he lives his life, he has been very honest and forthright. Now that calls for some real appreciation given that none of us on the face of this earth is perfect and that many of us don’t have the guts to own up to our mistakes. Now tell me, what more does one need to make Kamal his/her idol and look up to this man to live one’s life more successfully and meaningfully?

I could go on and on about this guy. But I will just conclude by saying, “Kamal Haasan for me is a person who has pushed the limit for something he believes in - the medium of cinema to share his knowledge and his experiences. And I sure would be proud to introduce him to the next generation as one of the greatest men to walk this earth”! I always think about this guy and say to myself, “If only I have half of this guy’s dedication to whatever my cause on earth is, I would be successful in making a huge difference to this planet I live in”.

[Editor’s note: Please welcome a new contributor to this blog, Savitha! The above is based on this post.]