Kamal Haasan did 22 Films in 1 Year, says it was just Training

These days, we don’t see actors working on multiple films a year. While mid-range heroes hardly do two films in a calendar year, stars either come with one film in a year or two. But back then, star heroes used to work on 20–30 films in a single year, providing business to all parties involved in the industry.

Legendary actor Kamal Haasan did 14 films in 1975, 18 in 1976, 19 in 1977, and 22 in 1978. When asked what are the things he learnt from that pace of work that still serve him today, he says that he doesn’t consider them as goals or milestones but takes it as a training period. Actors who rarely do films these days should learn from an icon like Kamal Haasan and start doing films not only to help the showbiz business but also to improve their craft.

Speaking in a recent interview, he said, “I never thought of that as work. I went into Malayalam cinema so that I could hone my craft. Here (in Tamil Film industry), it was all about commerce only. So, it will never go out of that groove. Great music, but it’s still running on a groove. There is no improvisation. So, I was not keen on listening to gramophone records. So, I went to another place, and the only places where I found solace were Mr. Balachander and Malayalam films.”

“So, I don’t consider them as goals reached or that my talent has been showcased. That was the training period. I knew it even then. So, I didn’t complain about little things. I was grateful for the experience,” he added.

On the work front, Kamal Haasan will be next seen in Mani Ratnam directorial Thug Life, which is slated for a worldwide release on June 5.