One of the topmost actors of the day and a person I deeply respect, Shri Kamal Haasan recently accused me of being one of the prime reasons for the distasteful state of affairs in the movie world today. “You keep telling that you have traveled this far, starting from a Saidapet slum. And this attracts more and more youth who believe they too can make it like you. But you never talk of the dangers in this world of cinema and the suffering you underwent.”

He has a point.

The criminalization of the film world is one of the issues that especially distress me. It’s been over 20 years since I entered films, and I have seen a lot, both good and bad. Trends have changed, people have risen and fallen, but what is happening today is extremely worrisome.

Movies used to draw in audiences based on the strength of their stories. Then special actors like MGR and Sivaji became the focal points of success or failure. But today, movies are decided by middle-men and brokers, who have no stake in any form. And people who are putting in crores of rupees, often borrowed at usurious interest rates, listen to these characters and end up bankrupt.

Now to take a movie is not easy. The arduous task begins from thinking out a story, preparing a script and storyboard, choosing actors, integrating their available dates, and shooting the movie, which in itself is difficult enough. Thus the massive amounts of money that are tied up create an extremely dangerous atmosphere for the entire world of films.

Trends

Another recent occurrence I object to is the recent trend in movies. A recent release had a woman chasing her own brother-in-law. Middlemen are able to convince producers and financiers that their movies can be successful only if they follow such trends or patterns. “Sex is the latest thing sir,” they say and add “don’t bother about stories or acting”.

People enter the industry with no concept of what is involved and fall prey to these so-called agents. And he reiterates: “Family-oriented subjects have become very rare these days and hence I am confident that my Kai Vandha Kalai would do wonders at the box-office'.

'I struggled a lot to establish myself in the industry. But for my son, it has been very easy. Let's hope he does his best and tries to keep up the reputation', he adds.