Talk:Kamal Haasan

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	The following comments have been left for this page: This article will give an idea of what's missing: R._Madhavan. Further, the lack of in-text references and lack of biography do no favours for this article. Ncmvocalist 15:56, 6 October 2007 (UTC) (edit)

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Redirect from Kamal Hasan done chance 05:29, Dec 8, 2003 (UTC)

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On Improving This Article -- "Biography" section: suggested outline

Universal Hero's impressive and tremendous burst of effort in adding in plenty of raw material — much of it consisting of coherent and solid content on acting, key films, etc. — could be organised and improved upon around the suggested structure below.

-Biography-

--Early life/education--

~ Role as child actor (how he got into it? Whom did he act with?)

~ What happened (or what did he do) in the approximately 10-year gap between 1963 (when he was a child actor) and 1972? Did he study dancing to be a classical dancer?

~ Under what circumstance did he return to acting leading up to 1972?

--Film career--

---Acting---

~ Can a so-called "golden/classic/quintessential period", say 1975 to early 1980s be described? Landmark films (Apoorva Raagangal, 16 Vayathinile, Aval Appadithaan, Raja Paarvai, Saagara Sangamam, etc.) and more commercial films (Guru, Sagalakallavallavan, Thoongadhey Thambi Thoongadhey etc.)?

~ Works that are a result of significant collaborations between early 1980s and early 1990s, such as those with film directors Bharathiraja, K. Balachander, K. Viswanath, Singeetham Srinivasa Rao, Mani Ratnam, Santhana Bharathi etc.?

---Film production and direction---

~ Notable films that he directed?

~ Notable films he produced?

---Other details?---

Non-conventional roles

~The negative protagonist (e.g., Sigappu Rojakal), silent films (Pushpak), multiple-role films (here mention could be made about his multiple-role films -- but briefly please, because, after all, we must ponder a bit whether acting in multiple roles is such a great thing after all <of course, playing different roles in succession is an impressive feat, but then again its effect as a cinematic whole usually results in the dilution and one-dimensionality of characterisation>, as compared to focused, in-depth, broadly-explored single-person character studies)?

Dancing/Choreography in films

~Does he usually choreograph himself or to what extent is he given room to improvise? How is his fluid dancing different from the more mechanical and highly choreographed contemporary dance routines?

~Is he considered an adept dancer in most films, even in commercial films (modern dancing/classical dancing)? Some examples of each?

Playback singing

~When was the first instance of him doing playback singing? Where can good/significant examples of his playback singing be heard (Nayakan, Vikram, Apoorva Sagodharargal)? Has he sung for other film actors (such as the song "Ponmaney Theduthey" in the film Oh Maane Maane (1984))?

Etc. (Screenplay/lyrics writing?)

-Recognitions/Awards-
~Just some key/important recognitions? (Details about the National Awards he had won, some key Filmfare awards <because the rest can be found in extended filmography page>, FICCI "Living Legend", and the Asian Film Festival recogitions -- which Asian Film Festivals and are there evidences/references for these?)
~Civilian awards (Padhma Shri)?
-Partial filmography-
~Containing just award-winning films? (the rest can be put into dedicated filmography page)?
AppleJuggler (talk) 05:21, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

How come no mention is made about his involvement in the Hindi film Saagar (1985)?

Kamal's notable entries into the Hindi-language film industry needs mentioning (Ek Duje Ke Liye (K. Balachander), and Saagar with Rishi Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia -- for which Kamal won a Filmfare award for acting I think? Not so sure, please check). I think perhaps it's worth writing a paragraph dedicated to some of his notable work in the more well-known Bollywood (or films remade in Hindi that have been notably successful or drew substantial attention -- did Hey Ram receive any attention in the mostly Hindi-speaking world?) AppleJuggler (talk) 00:40, 15 February 2008 (UTC)

Mention could be made of Vikram (1986)

In relation to the above point about Saagar, in which Kamal co-acted with Rishi Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia: Vikram, a spy thriller involving nuclear missile proliferation and threats, is another film in which Kamal co-starred with Kapadia. This movie may also be mentioned in the text of this article because it stands out as an almost Bond-like, spy film. By linking films by whom he has co-acted with, and more significantly, by these films having some significance in themselves, we enrich this Wiki article's content. AppleJuggler (talk) 01:45, 19 February 2008 (UTC)

I'll fix it soon. Universal Hero (talk) 16:57, 19 February 2008 (UTC)

16 Vayathinile (1977) -- is among the favourite films of some top Tamil directors

Almost all of the Tamil film directors interviewed in this article -- from K. Balachander, Sridhar, to Mani Ratnam -- consider Kamal's 16 Vayathinile as one of their favourite movies. In particular, Mani Ratnam highlighted the high-standard and realism of the film -- a realism which can be attributed at least in part in part to Kamal's prominent characterisation of the dimwit Chappani. These tidbits of information could be mentioned in the text of this Wikipedia article. 16 Vayathinile can be considered a key film in Kamal's oeuvre but is not mentioned in the text at the moment. AppleJuggler (talk) 01:56, 19 February 2008 (UTC)

This will appear in the 70's section, soon to be written Universal Hero (talk) 16:57, 19 February 2008 (UTC)

Collaborations with Rajinikanth

Perhaps in a small paragraph, other collaborations with Rajinikanth (apart from in Visu's Thillu Mullu) could be mentioned -- 16 Vaiyathinile, Aval Appadithan, Moondru Mudichu, Apoorva Raagangal. AppleJuggler (talk) 00:21, 20 February 2008 (UTC)

1 Filmography
2 Kamal's No Smoking Policy
3 Awards section: Need sources!
4 Photographs
5 The Alwarpettai Andavar drivel
6 Redirection
7 Doctorate
8 Discussing the bias in the article
9 Expand section on acting career
10 Internet fame
11 Suggestions
12 Added references and Kamal became a father before legally marrying Sarika
13 Please remove or reduce list of films that this actor has acted in
14 Other important comments for improving this article
15 Kamal's megalomania
16 Please remove the filmography section
17 On Improving This Article -- The introductory passage: comments and some guidelines
18 On Improving This Article -- Creating content: the key to an FA-class article
19 On Improving This Article -- Please fill out edit summary when editing
20 The use of the phrase "critical acclaim": substantiation?
21 The inclusion of details about Dasavaratham in the introductory passage
22 Collaboration: Divide and conquer
23 "Early Life/Career" section: needs to be filled out
24 On Improving This Article -- "Biography" section: suggested outline
25 How come no mention is made about his involvement in the Hindi film Saagar (1985)?
26 Mention could be made of Vikram (1986)
27 16 Vayathinile (1977) -- is among the favourite films of some top Tamil directors
28 Collaborations with Rajinikanth

[edit] Filmography

Doesn't have to be extensive and long. Selected films or films made in recent years are sufficient. Reader can then be directed to IMDB.com or other relevant websites which contain a full listing. Remember, lemmings -- this is an encyclopedia article and not a lengthy funeral eulogy. Splashprince 07:44, 11 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Kamal's No Smoking Policy

There is a statement that claims that Kamal does not take up film roles that glorify smoking. But this statement is not substantiated with evidence (such as with a reliable source). Please do this, or delete that statement altogether. Splashprince 12:02, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Awards section: Need sources!

Please provide sources for claims regarding him winning best actor at an Asian film festival, and so on. Doing so contributes to the credibility of the article. Splashprince 06:21, 5 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Photographs

The main photograph at the head of the article for Kamal Haasan has been removed for not fulfilling copyright requirements. But some photographs of him are found near the centre/base of the article. Since leaving these pictures there can be unrepresentative of Kamal (these are shots of him from film trailers/posters), may I suggest that either (i) a good, off-screen film of Kamal be found and included at the head of the article, or (ii) the other photographs from various films be temporarily removed (because they are not an actual representation of Kamal Haasan). Thanks. Splashprince 00:43, 22 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] The Alwarpettai Andavar drivel

I had cleaned up this article, omitting the somewhat notorious-sounding "Alwarpettai Andavar" moniker (which clearly has no place in an encyclopedia article), but someone wrongfully restores it. Let us keep this Wikipedia entry introduction professional, taut and sweet, shall we? Splashprince 14:44, 27 June 2006 (UTC)

I don't think the intro looks good either. Please go ahead and rewrite it. - Cribananda 14:53, 27 June 2006 (UTC)

Sounds good. Thanks. - 'Cribananda 14:54, 27 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Redirection

Page moved from Kamal Hassan to the Official spelling Kamal Haasan --Rrjanbiah 14:12, 15 Mar 2004 (UTC)

//The discussion between Kamal and Madhavan about Tsunami in the movie (released in 2003) showed the Tamil viewers Kamal's in depth knowledge in every field.//

Hahaha..itz a good joke indeed. Why not the viewer's take itz Madhavan's indepth knowledge in every field?! yea man, itz Madhan who wrote the dialogue of that film.

[edit] Doctorate

I'd like to know why Sundar persists on removing Doctorate from the article, when he has in fact been awarded a honorary doctorate by Sathyabama Deemed University. Is there any evidence of this being revoked?

I'm sorry. Can you provide a link to a news report on the Doctorate? Once we have that we can add that fact with the reference. -- Sundar ^{\talk \contribs} 09:31, July 27, 2005 (UTC)

Try [1].[2] has videos of the event.

Thanks Bhadri. -- Sundar ^{\talk \contribs} 10:08, July 27, 2005 (UTC)

Do we really want to acknowledge "honorary" doctorates, especially by institutions which are really just trying to get some star dust to rub off on them?--Kingsleyj 03:25, 30 July 2005 (UTC)

I would like to point out that honorary doctorate holders to use Doctor or Dr. as a title. See Honorary degree#Practical use. So, I think the use of Dr. as a title cannot be done in this case. Kamal ... no need title. Thanks. --Ragib 06:16, 1 August 2005 (UTC)

Ragib, I have to This is very much the standard. I have removed that pompous "Dr. Kamal" reference to good effect. Splashprince 14:50, 27 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Discussing the bias in the article

I'm not a fan of Kamal Hassan, the biased him. I think there are some very opinionated against him in the Personal life section that are uncalled for. for opinions.

"he does comment about?

If no one names and gives us just the outline,but inreality each deserves enormous applause." I can hardly say that these sentences towards Kamal Hassan. I would say this is against the spirit of Wikipedia -- Madhu

While he hates Hinduism and arranged marriages, adores Islam and polygamy. It is common in his movies to find a Brahmin or a Hindu being meanly culprit and a muslim a victim or kind hearted person (eg: Brahmins & Hindus: secretery in defence who is a coward spy in Vikram, a cruel Hindu villain in Anbe Sivam, all meanly brahmin characters in Avvai Shanmugi and for Muslims: a sacrificing cook in 'Avvai shanmugi', a muslim second hero in 'Kurudippunal' and 'Hey Ram') ^{[citation needed]}

There is no substantial citation for this.Potrays the actor in a negative sense as a pseudo secularist. Logicwiki 06:08, 10 February 2007 (UTC) Srikanth

[edit] Expand section on acting career

For an actor with 40 years of work experience, this section on film career is rubbing on the surface only! This is pathetic and unacceptable. I request senior editors to expand this section decadewise viz Sixties, Seventies, Eighties, Nineties and Noughts and highlight major events in Kamal's career. Anwar saadat 13:50, 23 April 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Internet fame

Is this Kamal Hassan in this clip that's been getting around on the internet? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koqeSXJtvvo

[edit] Suggestions

In the paragraph:

"Kamal married Vani Ganapathy in 1978. The marriage was turbulent, issueless and lasted 7 years. Kamal has two daughters through his relationship with Sarika. Shruti was born in 1985 and Akshara in 1991."

By 'issueless", did the author mean they had no children? I think 'issueless' is more of a legal, almost obscure, term.

Also, this is the only reference to Sarika. I am assuming she is well-known, but it might be helpful to put a reference to who she is for those not familiar with Indian cinema.

--Yelocab 09:52, 20 July 2006 (UTC)

Kamal Haasan is simply emulating the feat of the main actor from the Tamil movie Dambachari (1936) by acting in 10 roles. Someone seems to be intent on not acknowledging that so that the hero will not bask in second hand glory. Sudar 11:55, 23 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Added references and Kamal became a father before legally marrying Sarika

Kamal Hassan become a father without amrrying Sarika when Sarika was pregnant did Vani divorce him and he after 2nd daughter was born as he did not one child to be illgeal

Article gives impression that Kamal divorced Vani because they did not have children. Vani gave interview few years back in Kumudam that she conceived and went ahead with abortion due to joint decision. This was also confirmed by Suhasini.(Kamal's brother Charruhassan's daughter)--Indianstar 08:02, 18 November 2006 (UTC)

It seems there is an almost obsessive focus on the details of his relationship. This is not something you would find in an encyclopedia like the Britannica, would you? Please keep the article tight, focused, and fairly general, and avoid dwelling on issues such as this that detracts from the main flow of the article, which is to give a balanced and overall picture of the subject as an actor. It might be helpful to also refer to this Indian cinema Feature Article (Satyajit Ray). This is a high-quality article and does not wrangle about personal relationships of the filmmaker Satyajit Ray, or what his beliefs are and whether he forces his beliefs unto others, or whether his daughters are as talented as him (which was actually something someone wrote here in the Kamal Haasan article!) AppleJuggler 05:25, 12 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Please remove or reduce list of films that this actor has acted in

This article has a very long list of films in which this actor has acted. Just out of interest, the list of films is at least twice as long as the sections which have any substantial content about the actor himself. If one is serious about creating a high-quality article, please see how Feature articles on other actors are made (Angelina Jolie, Henry Fonda, Sharon Tate, Uma Thurman). As for the film list, it could either be (i) removed, put into another article and wikilinked to this article, or removed and readers informed that they can refer to www.imdb.com for the very same extensive list, or (ii) largely reduced, leaving just a few (say, 3) notable films of this actor from each decade.

To illustrate: the musician Ilaiyaraaja has composed songs for hundreds of films, but not all 800+ of his film albums are listed at "Ilaiyaraaja"; only a very short, partial discography is provided (it contains only 5% of his total output) and readers are referred to www.imdb.com if they are interested in checking out his full list of albums. AppleJuggler 05:45, 12 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Other important comments for improving this article

Critically in need of sources of reference. Please back up as many statements of facts as possible with a reliable source of reference (an academic journal article, a book, a respectable newspaper article etc.) For an example of how an article could be referenced, refer to Ilaiyaraaja.
'Acting career' section seems to list notable roles more than anything else. It seems less like a section dealing broadly with acting (the path of his acting career, the types of roles played, the kind of directors he has worked with, the characteristics of his acting (acting style), etc.) than an extended 'Notable Roles in Films' section.
Gossip, unsubstantiated statements, and statements not proper for an encyclopedia article should be avoided. A (fictional) example of such a statement is as follows: "According to Galaxy magazine (Issue 4, page 51-52), Kamal Haasan is known to be secretly living with a mistress, Avvai Shanmugi, in a small village hut outside of Madras."
Language needs brushing up. For example, in the 'Awards' section of this article, there is a line that says that Kamal Haasan is an "idiol of art".
Avoid eulogistic words/statements like "Kamal Haasan is the greatest actor ever!" or "Kamal Haasan's acting is unmatchable by any other actor in the Indian film industry." etc.
More and informative images would be desirable (e.g., photos of the actor in his early days, actor on a film set with a film director, the cover to a DVD of his film, etc.)

AppleJuggler 05:58, 12 February 2007 (UTC)

I have cited some references for biography related information. Even after reading the guidelines of verifiable sources, I am ambiguous about what can be considered an authentic source. sriks8 (talk) 09:52, 5 December 2007 (UTC)

Sriks8, read point 1 again. AppleJuggler (talk) 02:15, 12 February 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Kamal's megalomania

While Kamal's acting leaves others leagues behind, he seems to exhibit megalomania in his choice of roles and duration of appearance. These seems to be an overwhelming urge for him to be in as many frames as possible. Please note that I am not counting "Michael Madan Kamarajan" or "Dasavatharam", but the other movies.

As an astute filmaste, it might be worthwhile for him to take a sabbatical from acting in lead roles and focus on directing - a la Clint Eastwood. The break will definitely give him a chance to take a neutral perspective on balancing the charaters as opposed to making movies revolving around a single character. Sudar 08:09, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Please remove the filmography section

The excessively long filmography in this article must be removed. It could go into a separate article that serves as a list of his films, but even this is unnecessary: his complete filmography can be found on the World Wide Web at various websites, one example being http://imdb.com. So why duplicate it here, and make the poor article such an untidy drudgery to read? Read this too for comparison with other FA-status articles of film actors. AppleJuggler (talk) 08:39, 1 February 2008 (UTC)

[edit] On Improving This Article -- The introductory passage: comments and some guidelines

The introductory passage needs paring down. A degree of measure is required when contributing here, as it is easy to succumb to "fan gushing". The paragraph in the introductory passage, which contains a blow-by-blow account of some of his achievements, could be moved to a subsequent section, where it would best belong under sub-headings such as "major achievements", or in a general "career" section. Some basic but key achievements could, however, be retained for the introductory passage, but as indicated earlier, a degree of measure and succinctness is called for. Hyperbole and superlatives should be avoided in the writing of the article, overall. AppleJuggler (talk) 04:37, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

[edit] On Improving This Article -- Creating content: the key to an FA-class article

This is likely the most difficult part of building a top-notch article: researching for, collating, assembling and referencing meaty content. There is a tendency in articles involving Indian film actors to eulogize trivially ("he is the greatest actor...", "he executed a superbly fantastic and most super-stylish acting in this film..."), dwell on scandal ("he divorced his wife, married another woman, divorced her, and is currently living with a girlfriend..."), make long lists ("his best films are A, B, and C"). This tendency should be avoided or greatly moderated, as what is being written is an enyclopaedic article, not a promotion poster. Solid content can be obtained from numerous sources that include published books on Tamil cinema, biographies, newspaper articles, credible Internet sources, and journal articles. In summary, bear the following in mind, all editors: expand the narrative about the subject's life (i.e., relevant life history information), career and achievements, and substantiate your claims. AppleJuggler (talk) 04:48, 11 February 2008 (UTC)

[edit] On Improving This Article -- Please fill out edit summary when editing

The edit summary field is there for a reason. Please fill it out with each edit so that others can keep track of the changes made, and so that changes that are rendered can be more easily checked and examined. AppleJuggler (talk) 00:00, 12 February 2008 (UTC)

[edit] The use of the phrase "critical acclaim": substantiation?

The phrase "critical acclaim" (meaning, to be lauded or praised through careful, exact evaluation and judgment, by broad consensus) is used twice in the introductory paragraph in relation to two films. Where is the evidence that these films are critically acclaimed? Is it that these two are critically acclaimed while most others are not? If critically acclaimed, then by whom? Why are these two films selected, in particular? These are things discerning readers will think about and question, and upon this hinges the issue of credibility. AppleJuggler (talk) 01:46, 12 February 2008 (UTC)

Will be fixed with sources Universal Hero (talk) 10:50, 12 February 2008 (UTC)

[edit] The inclusion of details about Dasavaratham in the introductory passage

It suffices to say that an upcoming film of his will be Dasavaratham (2008). Other details about this film (e.g., "one of the most expensive films", "he will portray 10 distinct (just how distinct? how is this measured?) roles", "he will be the first to do so") could be reserved for a later section in this article, or could be mentioned in the Wiki dedicated to Dasavaratham. Furthermore, the statement that "he is first person internationally to act in that many roles" needs substantiation. If this is not possible, then this statement should be left out. AppleJuggler (talk) 01:53, 12 February 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Collaboration: Divide and conquer

To all those collaborating on this article:

I've noticed that AppleJuggler and UniversalHero have been working on this article.

Firstly, I'd request UniversalHero to please use edit summaries whenever he makes any changes. It will be quite useful while collaborating.
Secondly, if it is laid out on the table as to what needs to be done in clear words, each of the collaborators could manage a set of tasks that need to addressed. I was suggesting the UniversalHero that it could be something like, a section per collaborator.
I noticed the early life section empty. Is someone working on it OR does it need work from the beginning?
If updates by collaborators of the article are given at the end of certain period, say 1 week, periodic review of the article could be achieved.

If there are other ideas which the collaborators might want to share, you please put it forth here. Cheers! Mspraveen (talk) 15:14, 12 February 2008 (UTC)

User	Task	Status	Expected Completion
Universal Hero	Career prose	Re-writing	14 February 2008

Sorry to say, but, I've not been contributing at all to this article despite my intentions a week ago. The problem has been with my personal interest and this article doesn't seem to influence me much with making constructive edits to this. My apologies because I don't intend to be a part of this collaborative project indefinitely. I hope to return to work on this article someday. Apologies and my best wishes for those editors who're presently working on it. Mspraveen (talk) 15:15, 16 February 2008 (UTC)

[edit] "Early Life/Career" section: needs to be filled out

As commented by user MsPraveen in the preceding post, this section could be furnished with a wealth of available information. AppleJuggler (talk) 04:15, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

[edit] On Improving This Article -- "Biography" section: suggested outline