Question:
Kamal now you are not exactly new to playing various roles Avayeshanmukhi, Michael Madhan Kamarajan. How different was Dashavatharam compared to Michael Madhan Kamarajan which was made years ago and you also thought of that some several years ago?

Kamal Haasan:
Thank you. But what was interesting about Dashavatharam apart from my Michael where I play four roles, three roles in Appu Raja, and Chachi 420 and various other films, what’s interesting for me as an actor is backed by a very interesting script and that’s important for any actor and especially for me and that came about and I had a team who believed in me the director, we worked before. So there was this prearranged synergy that worked well in the making of the film and that helped me and, compared to my other films I don’t know how to say without sounding too humble or too pompous, and trying to pitch it properly so that wrong kind of message doesn’t go out. I haven’t done a film like this before, so that’s the film.

Question:
Its said to be the most expensive film till date. So what’s the budget like of this film?

Kamal Haasan:
I think that’s the purview of the producer, but I can tell you that it is the costliest film yet made and I am going to be making another film after and so therefore I am being careful and saying that it is the costliest film yet made.

Question:
But you have also made ….

Kamal Haasan:
No this…ya, but this was on hinge side on second thought, that we went in to Hindi release also. My next film will be bi-lingual right; we are already working with our writer Mr. Atul Tiwari, who is also written the Hindi dialogues.

Question:
How viable you think is the bilingual concept?

Kamal Haasan:
Its always. I have done 22 of them. So my experience tells me that it is a very viable thing to do and for me…

Question:
You are doing this film with Himesh Reshamiya after which he is not working any more?

Kamal Haasan:
As a matter of fact he told me I don’t know I…will quote Mr. Himesh Reshamiya. He said that this is the last outside film that I am doing.

Question:
Any particular reason behind choosing him as the Music Director?

Kamal Haasan:
Well then his name was put on the table and I didn’t know who he was and it was skeptical that I work with great masters and I didn’t know who he was, but let me tell you frankly he did surprise me in the very first meeting. And the proof of the pudding is in the cassette which you will be getting soon. Sorry about the confusion.

Question:
Jackie Chan is here today so did you guys exchange any notes, what did he tell you after seeing your film promos?

Kamal Haasan:
Ya we will also give you some bytes about …… come come… Mr. Atul Tiwari whom I was talking about, I mean he was behind my back and I was talking. Behind his back
[Mr Atul Tiwari laughing]. So….so…

Question:
Jackie Chan and your film

Kamal Haasan:
Jackie Chan and what we are saying will be given to you as bytes hopefully…

Question:
We understand his extreme interest to work with you so what are you ….

Kamal Haasan:
Yes yes. I hope you have understood as much as I have. He said he would like to work and it was nice to here, I don’t know how true it will become but I presto on the point one more time read rated it probably.

Kamal Haasan:
You have two beautiful ladies in the film. Kamal Hasan the legend is working with the latest I mean the beautiful looking actresses in town like Mallika Sherawat and Asin. What was the expierence? You have acted for like two decades so what did you find special in them especially in Mallika sherawat?

Kamal Haasan:
She was there for the obvious reason that she is there in most films. So that’s very special about her according to the hoardings. Now as far as Asin is concerned I would say that she has put in so much of hard work which I could see but the audience would only be able to discern that good performance and the way she has spoken her lines, acted in the film, and the number of days that they had to spend with this kind of a project….tidious.

Question:
Kamal now doing several roles together is not an easy job, a lot of research work needs to be done, you played George Bush, you looked like him in the movie and you did something different what we really see in the film, so how much did you have to research in terms of posture, walking, talking and dialogues , everything.

Kamal Haasan:
Well its like …I have said it in another interview one way and truth can only be said in one way so I …I hate to repeat my self but I am doing it. The thing is that, if they ask me how I learnt English , the stages in which you learnt English, or how did you learn the cycle, it becomes very difficult to explain. You don’t actually take down notes, fortunately in this film we did have some early note which I will be happy to release later when...If the audience thinks that this film is worth it.

Question;
You are an intellectual film maker and being that...

Kamal Haasan:
Well that’s a dangerous label to carry, everybody who has working apparatus inside the skull is intellectual according to me.

Question:
What are the prospects of the film in the box office?

Kamal Haasan:
I know its to pompous to talk like yes it will be a hit, very few films you can talk of like that. How big a hit we don’t know, that’s the humble part of it but we know that we have a hit and how big a hit we don’t know and we hope...

Question:
Your daughters have seen the film and which characters do you like you most in the film?

Kamal Haasan:
Now you are talking to a mother. So you are asking whether you like the elder son more or the younger son more. I am not going to get into that trap. I have a whole what you call group of my brothers in the film, ten of me, I have to be kind to all of them, and that’s not because …I think you could take the word of unit, they said this character is the best and they did not know the name and we hope the others are good, and then they would change the verdict and it was enjoyable.

Question:
Whose reaction matters most to you..specially in this film whose reaction matters the most for you?

Kamal Haasan:
Audience, in general, but anybody, it matters the more rare the audience, the more diverse the audience, the more unexpected source it comes from it pleases even more like little children, youth set of kids, pleases us even more because I want all kind of age groups to see the film

Question:
Is the movie going to have a world wide release?

Kamal Haasan:
That’s what the producer’s are saying, they are talking about 1000 prints, so I think they will have more precise details on that.

Question:
What is the duration of the film and when is it releasing?

Kamal Haasan:
Its just below three hours, that’s the best we could do. We tried for three and a half hours but we had more actors in the film. (Laughing)

Question:
And when is it releasing?

Kamal Haasan:
Next month

Question:
We have heard about you hired artists from Hollywood and technicians from Hollywood. How different film is it going to be?

Kamal Haasan:
Oh! It will, that’s how our medicine improved. That’s how our education improved. We got this from all over the world and India’s culture is so rich because of all the international influence involved in it. We think that it all happened within the country but I personally think that India is already an international country for the past 20 years and its continuing to happen and our film is definitely enriched. Here Mr. Atul Tiwari’s work , which I spoke of today on the stage, is a kind of synergy that its kind of both humbling and elating, at moments when you think you have written the best line throw it at a stable, and blossoms into even a better line.

Question:
Kamal are you happy with the audio launch?

Kamal Haasan:
That was not an audio launch

Question:
Do you think that was a necessity to do such a thing?

Kamal Haasan:
Anything! Right from the old times from the bazaar or a market place situation, the loudest seller attracts attention. So its simple, its one of the…it is one of the swat theories.

Question:
Because like Shahrukh Khan and all the Bollywood stars, promotion is like a game right now….

Kamal Haasan:
Yes being heard, the loudest crying child gets the boat.

Question:
Kamal there are two questions one is that hiring a specialist in make up, how far has that helped you at this particularly…

Kamal Haasan:
Oh! It has helped me a lot and I am sorry I couldn’t speak much about Mr. Michael Westmore, who is another great man in the team because I would that very important technician in the film. Without him saying yes it couldn’t be done, we couldn’t gone ahead and written the whole script. Its total trust in Michael Westmore, its absolutely international standard technician. It’s not just a name he is in the walk of fame in Hollywood Boulevard. He has got a star for himself, that’s the kind of work he has done, and I think its about the 25 years that I have known him and its about four years that he has not been nominated for the Emmy or the Oscar.

Question:
Will we see you doing a Hollywood film?

Kamal Haasan:
I would like to see that too but some discussions…..

Questions:
You and Rajnikant, there was a huge talk about you and Rajnikanth’s …..

Kamal Haasan:
We keep talking about it ……but it seems that we just keep talking about it

Question:
You have spent about two and a half years or three years behind this film

Kamal Haasan:
Two years
Ya! You are right that’s two and a half years totally

Question:
So now that it’s over, now that it’s going to be released in a few months, what do you feel? Are you anxious to see the audience response? Are you happy that its over, like now you don’t have to wake up every morning and out makeup….

Kamal Haasan:
No No it’s a different thing. To quote Alan selito Woods-“Its loneliness of a long distance runaway”. You can’t explain it to sprinters or athletes or any other guys. Its something you learn, this is about 500 hours of make up. I started respecting women more in my life…you know I am not joking now, seriously thought that it must have taken a lot of perseverance

Question:
Be it Hindustani or Chachi 420 and now Dusavatharam(ten different avatar)

Kamal Haasan:
See it’s like they say that I have a nose like my dad or I have a face like my dad, I speak like my dad, my English accent is where I learnt it from. I think I learnt the tricks of the trade or aspire to be whatever I am from Late Mr Shivaji Ganeshan’s performance. I have been vindicated I have been applauded a bit late when it becomes another movie.

Kamal Haasan:
Oh1 I have told you, the two ends of the spectrum is there in everybody’s life. I hope that I will be able to entertain with the same passion continuously and the same passion and it would be a success only by the applause and you people saying the right things, right criticism...

Question:
Does a fan means to you?

Kamal Haasan:
Means a lot

Kamal Haasan:
I hope so.

Question:
What about Himesh Reshamiya and which is your favorite track in the movie?

Kamal Haasan:
He told me that this would be his last film that he would be working outside for anyways.. I like the very first song I don’t know about Atul ji. I like the very first song. Its …the Hindi line is I don’t remember…but Tamil line is kallai mattam kandal..