'Hey Ram' to 'Uttama Villain': Films that have made Kamal Haasan controversy's favourite child
It was just
a short while ago that Kamal Haasan's recently released film 'Uttama Villain'
irked certain pro-Hindu groups who claimed that the comedy-drama had hurt
religious sentiments by projecting lord Vishnu in inappropriate light. This
unfortunate development went a long way in continuing the 'Sadma' star's tryst
with controversial big screen outings.
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Here is a
look at some of Haasan's other controversial movies:
Vishwaroopam:
Directed by the 'Ulaga Nayagan' himself, this spy-thriller managed to irk Tamil
Nadu-based Muslim civic groups .They stated that it projected the Muslim
community in negative light. As a result, 'Vishwaroopam' was not allowed to
releasein the state. The problem was sorted only after Haasan agreed to mute as
many as five scenes. On top of that, the film also ran into trouble with the
'Hindu Makkal Katchi'. The political party wanted the makers to replace the
Sanskrit title with a pure Tamil one. Despite these developments 'Vishwaroopam'
managed to garner tremendous critical acclaim.
Dasavathaaram:
Directed by KS Ravikumar, the film featured Haasan in 10 different roles.
Unfortunately, it faced plenty of flak from the 'Vishwa Hindu Parishad'. The
non-government organisation criticised its makers for inappropriately
showcasing the clash between Saivism and Vaishnavism. However, all these
allegations were withdrawn in May,2008. Interestingly, the movie also faced
charges of plagiarism, when an Assistant Director, Senthil Kumar filed a case
in the Madras High Court claiming that the story of 'Dasavathaaram' had
actually been written by him. However, the petition was dismissed.
Vasool Raja
MBBS: A light-hearted comedy, this Saran-directed project was a remake of the
popular Hindi film 'Munnabhai MBBS'. It ran into hot water with the medical
community. Things turned so ugly that Tamil Nadu Medical Council president K R
Balasubramanian actually filed a petition against the flick, stating that it
could ruin the reputation of the medical community. Moreover, the movie's title
faced criticism for ridiculing the values that the medical fraternity stood
for. Despite these events, 'Vasool Raja MBBS' managed to set the ticket window
on fire.
Hey Ram: A
hard-hitting period film, 'Hey Ram' featured two of Indian cinema's biggest
stars - Kamal Haasan and Shah Rukh Khan - in the lead. Revolving around the
assassination of Mahatama Gandhi, it was criticised by several political
parties, They alleged that the movie portrayed Gandhiji in bad light, taking a
stand against his principles. While these events did prevent it from finding
commercial success, the Tamil-Hindi bilingual managed to floor critics
nonetheless. Interestingly, it was selected as India's official entry to the
Academy Awards but failed to bag a nomination.
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