APARNA CHENNAPRAGADA: So Mr.
Kamal Haasan absolutely needs
no introduction.
But I'm going to do it anyway
because I'm a huge fan.
He's an actor.
He's a screenwriter.
He's a lyricist, director,
producer, choreographer,
dancer, singer across South
Indian and Bollywood movie
industries.
And the other thing
that's amazing
is he's won several film awards,
including 19 Filmfare awards,
four National Film awards,
and with seven submissions,
he's starred in
the highest number
of films submitted by India in
Academy Award foreign language
film.
[APPLAUSE AND CHEERS]
APARNA CHENNAPRAGADA: But I
think the most interesting,
and to us as Googlers, the
most powerful thing that Kamal
Haasan embodies, is this love
of technology and innovation.
He's a 10x thinker,
as we like to say.
And he's a pioneer in bringing
technology to Indian cinema.
Be it the first Indian
movie in digital format
with "Mumbai Express," or
bringing [? Audi ?] 3D sound
in "Vishwaroopam", he's
truly been a pioneer.
And one of the things I
want to call out today
is that he's here not to
promote any specific event
or not to promote any specific
movie, but really as a thought
leader in the industry.
So I look forward
to hearing him.
[APPLAUSE]
APARNA CHENNAPRAGADA:
So speaking of 10x,
I'll just start off with a
little 10x experience myself.
I was 10 years when I
first saw this movie,
and then I probably saw
it easily 10 more times.
And then I watched songs
from this movie, easily
100 more times.
I'm Telugu.
And I'm talking about the
movie "Sagara Sangamam."
[APPLAUSE AND CHEERS]
APARNA CHENNAPRAGADA: Where
the song was [NON-ENGLISH].
And this morning
and before this, I
played it 10 more times.
I just wanted to
let folks know that.
With that, I want to actually
start off, given this audience,
we are all about building
products that millions of users
love.
Which, if you look at it,
that's what you've done.
You've done it over many years,
over many movies, many times.
So I want to pick your brain
on the creative process.
When you think of a movie like
[? "Nayakan," ?] or "Gunaa"
or "Hey Ram," where do
you get that initial spark
of inspiration?
KAMAL HAASAN: I get
terribly scared.
Hi, everyone.
Jump into fork and knife.
When appetite is good, then
you jump straight to the act.
I get terribly concerned
when people ask me,
how do you do market research?
I don't.
That's the thing.
There's something
much deeper and bigger
than the-- it's your mind.
What you love most.
Because if you truly
believe that you're
part of a crowd, then your
assumption, your need,
your passion will be
emulated by the crowd.
Because you are one of them.
You've learned your
accent, your weaknesses,
your anger your food taste.
It's all from one place.
So it's confusing
for me to go compute.
If I had done that, I
would have been in school.
I'm a dropout.
I couldn't go that route.
But instead of going
on an outward travel,
I always travel inward.
It's a bigger space.
Everybody's space is bigger than
what they can possibly traverse
with available transport.
When you travel
inside, it's fantastic
distances you can cover.
And you don't even
have to be there,
but you'd have been there
before Neil Armstrong.
That's what Jules Verne did.
APARNA CHENNAPRAGADA: Mhm.
In his mind.
KAMAL HAASAN: He
specifically described
what almost 80% right the way
the rocket launch took place
and how the capsule
fell back into the sea.
So he has done the travel
much, much before America even
thought of it-- the
government, I mean.
So that's what I meant, that
I-- when you make a product,
you go with that feeling.
People call it God.
Some say mind.
Some say [NON-ENGLISH].
There's this constant trouble
when they say [NON-ENGLISH].
In our language.
They touch here.
That's not where it is.
It's here.
KAMAL HAASAN: But there's
this confusion-- location,
address confusion.
Which, I live
between the two ears.
It seems like a narrow
place to live in,
but it's a lot of
Lebensraum, as Hitler would
like to call it-- living space.
APARNA CHENNAPRAGADA: Yeah.
And I guess, related to that--
so when you have this God,
and as you develop
the idea, can you
share any anecdotes
of where you landed
was completely different
from where you started?
KAMAL HAASAN: Oh, that happens
every film, you can say.
I wanted to make a thriller when
I started off with "Hey Ram."
Wrote basically a
thriller, I wanted to make.
It's like "Day of the Jackal."
I started there.
But then, suddenly, when
I did research, I thought,
it's very trivial
to go that route.
I thought I would make a film
that at least I won't forget.
But there are people
who will join me
in saying they can't
forget the film.
It's not one of those
blockbuster, box office
record-breaking film.
But it got me a special respect.
But then, business is
not all about respect.
So probably I started
off right and went
towards something which
will live longer than I do.
The bottom line might die before
I die because I might break it
with another hit.
But these are things that
might survive even me,
so I'm not unhappy about it.
And if you take-- let me
talk about "Pushpack."
When Singeetam
came with the idea,
he had a film
called [INAUDIBLE].
It was fully there in his mind.
It was called
[INAUDIBLE] Duality.
Non-duality.
Not duality, but the
non-duality of it.
And it was a serious film
about rich and the poor.
And I said, I'm not
part of this film
if it's going to be this way.
Because it will die, and that
with [NON-ENGLISH] playing
in the back.
It would become an art film.
The shots will be lengthy.
You can hear people changing
positions in the seat.
I don't want to be a part of
that film, because that's how--
and he has tremendous
sense of humor.
And he laughed.
And it's actually
asking somebody
to do a total 360
change on what he
thinks is his favorite subject.
But he did it.
And that was a great
writing experience for me.
People always ask, what do
you write in a silent room?
That's where you
have to write a lot.
And rehearse a lot.
Because every detail
will have to be
perceived by the audience,
understood by the audience.
It's a cognizance
that you'll have
to forecast, foresee, and also
not come right on the nose
and make it--
APARNA CHENNAPRAGADA: Obvious.
KAMAL HAASAN: --obvious.
So that was a great experience.
The way "Appu Raja" was
born was I take all my ideas
to my mentor first.
Mr. K.B., I have an idea.
OK.
It's like Martin Luther King,
who says, I have a dream.
I keep going, I have an idea.
And he would sometimes encourage
it, sometimes craft it.
Sometimes it's made
my career better.
But he always chiseled it to
a better [INAUDIBLE] shape.
So when I took this
idea of playing
a short man for
the film, he just
looked at me aside
and said, relax.
What are you eating nowadays?
Don't be hyper like that.
It's not practical.
Why would you want the
filmmaker to suffer?
You are good enough at suffering
for a director like me.
Why would you want
him to go into this?
I can't even think of the
mind-boggling complications
that will come out of it.
I said, no, it can be done.
No.
I'll write a small
scene for you.
You can play a short
man and be done with it.
APARNA CHENNAPRAGADA:
In that scene.
KAMAL HAASAN: And I did it.
And I was even more convinced.
I went to him again
and said, I begged him,
but he was not sure for that.
So it fell into
Raaj Kamal's lap.
And that was before CG.
None of the effects that
you see in "Appu Raja"
were done in post.
It was already done in camera.
[APPLAUSE]
And another thing
about the film was,
I told him I know how
to make the dwarf work.
So I knew two tricks.
But you can't pull off a whole
film with just two tricks.
But I was so exhausted
wanting to try it.
I didn't tell the crew
that I didn't know anymore
except the two tricks.
So it was unbelievable.
It was the biggest con
game I pulled on my own.
Whole crew.
And it came to me, I wasn't
cheating anybody except myself,
so.
Well, it came to me-- the
first 15 days of a shoot,
which is a lot of
money, were scrapped.
Because I suddenly realized
I was thinking only
about how to play short and
had left screenplay story
to somebody else.
So it was not working.
So I reworked it with
another writer for a month.
And Appu was supposed
to have a small role,
because it's difficult. I
put it on the head, and said,
Appu's the hero.
Which means we'll break
our back everyday.
And we will shoot the scene.
And they'll take it to the lab.
And we can't move
onto the next shot
'til they come
back from the lab.
We'll be looking at the
car, and as they're driving,
somebody will have their
thumb down like this, say, OK,
break for lunch, and
we're doing it again.
And we'll go back again.
We got so upset
with it, I came up
with another idea of
just taking a clip of it
and doing the washing
and printing on the spot,
and so that we can see
whether it works or not.
So much so that, towards
the end of the film,
we started shooting
inside the laboratory,
from the laboratory.
APARNA CHENNAPRAGADA:
Launch and iterate.
KAMAL HAASAN: So I can
even laugh at it now,
because none of it is
required now, then--
APARNA CHENNAPRAGADA: CG.
KAMAL HAASAN: --on a screen,
you can match everything, put
together, and go back to sleep.
APARNA CHENNAPRAGADA:
Speaking of kind
of taking risks and
trying to push the limit.
So you've done nearly 200 films.
In Tamil, Telugu, Hindi,
Kannada, Malayalam.
You act, direct,
write screenplay.
You play many parts.
As my friend and many fans
call you, you're [NON-ENGLISH],
right?
You're versatile.
How do these elements
play off of each other?
How does your
directorial sensibility
affect your writing and acting?
Can you share some insights?
KAMAL HAASAN: I think
this specialist situation
is a very modern situation.
Even in times of lore,
people wanted-- a good,
intelligent man was supposed
to be [NON-ENGLISH].
He must do eight
things at a time.
And there were a
special group, people
who did 100 things at a time.
And they were tested for it.
Like, someone will ask him
a mathematical question.
Someone will ask him to create
poetry in iambic pentameter.
And somebody will be dropping
flower petals on his back.
He'll have to count that also.
But his sensibility,
sensitivity-- everything
was tested.
And then they'll blindfold
him, and the whole thing
will be happening like that.
These are things
that we've heard.
It's all part of being--
APARNA CHENNAPRAGADA:
[INAUDIBLE]
KAMAL HAASAN: --ambidextrous.
And working on multi platform
is what we call it now.
We're coming back to it.
APARNA CHENNAPRAGADA:
Android and iOS.
KAMAL HAASAN: You're
doing everything.
The specialist thing is only
for those who are actually
creating something.
The actual user is
becoming [NON-ENGLISH].
Everybody.
So I don't take that
as a special talent
that I'm entitled.
But I think it is like
being everybody else.
APARNA CHENNAPRAGADA:
I guess, related to
that-- your directorial
sensibility,
how does it work with
different director styles?
Like, K.B. is very
different from,
say, Mani Ratnam
from [INAUDIBLE].
KAMAL HAASAN: Yeah.
K.B. is something
like what you would
say of your father, parents.
I've done 36 films with him.
And 36 is a long time to
either love or hate somebody.
I think we went through all
the ups and downs of emotions.
Finally ended up saying
goodbye with a lot of love
because he knew he
was going to go away.
So that's how we came
together in [INAUDIBLE].
And so it's a very
rare relationship.
And the man is tenacious.
I'm not saying that because
one, he's not going to hear it.
Two, it's not out
of that gratitude
that he made my career.
Truly, single-handedly,
like a father would do.
OK, now you're done
schooling, go to college.
Now you're done college,
do your doctorate.
Now you're done doctorate,
no worry about the job.
Continue doing what you like.
That kind of support.
And only a father would do that.
And for me, I keep
telling everyone
that's rare in this
century-- or any century,
for that matter-- to find a
guru who paid you to teach
so that he could learn.
That's always
happened in my career.
So I become very
emotionally indebted
when I talk about gurus.
And I'll use the word guru,
though I've lost my gods.
I have not lost this part of me.
I think it's very
important to have a guru.
But only thing is, we are
fixed with a format of a guru.
A guru need not
be older than you.
A guru need not be somebody
who comes from outside.
It could be a friend.
It could be a daughter.
She could be a daughter
or son-- anybody.
That's why, we have even in
our mythology, that Shiva
takes advice from Lord
[? Mulga. ?] He's called
[INAUDIBLE] in that.
So it can come from anywhere.
Yes, every director
is different,
like every interview
is different.
Some mock the interviewed.
Some want to prove that
they're better than the man
being interviewed.
There are various
ways of looking.
And some people make
both of them look good.
And those are the kind of
directors I respect a lot.
They're not trying to
save themselves and use
the rest of them as fodder
for their critical cannons.
K.B. would make it
look like his life
was at stake when
an actor, a postman,
didn't render his line properly.
Time was not of essence.
Nothing was.
He would work on a small detail,
over and over and over again.
That's why a small bit
part player in his film
ended up being his partner
in screenwriting-- me.
I started as a bit part player
who couldn't sort of mumble
his dialogue well.
From there, it started the
relation-- that's a special.
We'll not compare
him to anybody else.
Mani Ratnam is another person.
Sometimes when you
look at a peer,
you wonder that this guy
really as old as he says he is.
Or is he older?
The behavior is not young.
It's very wise and old.
I always found that with Mani.
When he was about 24, 23,
that's when I saw him.
And he had that calm
which none of us had.
And deliberate looking.
It's like a seasoned gladiator
who's not panting and up
with the sword.
He just lets it loose hang,
and looks for an opportunity.
That's what I found.
Even [INAUDIBLE] for both of
us, we learned some lessons
from that guy [INAUDIBLE].
He learned it actually
from a film institute.
Of all the directors
I'm talking about,
he is the right-- what do
you call it-- pathfinder
because he had a map.
All of us, including
[INAUDIBLE],
built and went on a
journey without a map.
It's difficult, I do understand.
But why not take that
education for cinema?
And I always admired [INAUDIBLE]
for coming prepared to the film
industry and leaving it with
many prepared students, who
are now making good films.
That's what he left behind.
The legacy of [INAUDIBLE] is
something that will live on.
He did lesser films,
but he compensated
by making more directors.
These are special people.
Singeetam, of course, is one of
the youngest directors I know.
He's only 87 or 86 now.
And [INAUDIBLE], naturally
your favorite, of the last
but not the least.
They're all special people.
And with this, you can say
clearly, my career was made,
with these few people.
APARNA CHENNAPRAGADA:
Is there any art
form-- again, you've done so
many of these different art
forms-- is there anything
beyond writing, screenplay?
Is there anything that you feel
like you haven't had the chance
to explore? [INAUDIBLE]
KAMAL HAASAN: Oh, so many.
I'm not as tech-savvy person
as everyone thinks that I am.
But what I like about
cinema is-- moving images,
let's not even call it cinema.
It's a very versatile medium.
It'll absorb anything
that comes its way
and continue telling stories.
With all the coagulating
coming together of platforms,
moving images are still
going to be there,
are still going to excite
even more than it did before.
And what I have not
done is so many things.
I always say, what
do you aspire to be?
In this film, you
would have done this.
Most directors try for this.
Some have succeeded,
some have not-- to become
truly a humble audience again.
We lose it with
all the technology.
Well, for when you see
something, an architecture,
computer stuff, you're
looking at the corners,
you're looking at
the engineering,
you're looking at the inside,
missing all the fun out of it.
Being computer [? ninjas, ?]
you look at the architecture--
what is this?
What could that be?
And you totally miss out the
fun where common man has.
It's how do you
regain the naivete?
How do you-- it's
not even unlearning.
It is like meditation.
You just leave it aside
and enjoy, go back.
And that's what I would like
to be, a true, good audience.
You know, when that happens,
I will not be making flops.
[APPLAUSE]
APARNA CHENNAPRAGADA: So this
question came up from-- again,
we collected some of the
questions from rest of us
at Google.
You know, at Google and in
Silicon Valley in general,
we talk a lot
about taking risks.
We say, how do you go 10x?
How do you bet big?
Take bolder bets of failing,
trying, experimenting?
I can't think of
anyone that embodies
the spirit of
experimentation and taking
risks other than you in cinema.
So you've taken many risks.
Can you share some thoughts
on how you think about that?
How do you actually think?
So think about maybe
[? "Dasavathaaram." ?] How do
you actually come up with
these big, bold bets?
And actually "Appu
Raja" is a great example
where, how do you think about
taking risks and failure?
KAMAL HAASAN: I don't
think it is a risk.
That's point number A.
If I thought it's a risk,
I won't do it because--
[APPLAUSE]
So only when I am
convinced, only when
I know that my bungee
will stretch to-- it's
made out of right material,
and I won't swing and hit
the rocks.
Taken this, I might still die.
But then, where's the
fun of bungee jumping?
Then don't do bungee jumping.
Just jump on where you are,
six, seven, eight inches.
Be happy with that.
But that's the way man
has always moved forward--
by taking that step forward.
We were walking on
fours, all four.
And then when we became
biped, somehow, we thought,
this is the direction to grow.
I always question that.
Why should this be
the direction to grow?
Why not this?
Why don't we think laterally?
Why don't we learn from a crab?
It moves faster in all
directions, this way.
And we tend to also complacently
lean back on previous success.
Biped man thinking everything is
up there is also part of that.
He should think laterally.
And about taking risks.
I'll have to use the dialogue
from [? "Dasavathaaram." ?]
Would you run a marathon with 40
million people and try to still
win?
All of us here have
run that marathon.
We had 40 million sperms.
And we are the winners.
This room is only
full of winners.
[APPLAUSE]
And I'll go even further.
This world has only winners.
If you're not a winner, you
wouldn't have come here at all.
You would have been with those
other brothers and sisters who
lost, who stayed outside
mama's womb, knocking and dying
outside.
And you are the only
person who made it.
So when somebody thinks
of killing themselves,
I tell them this.
It's up to you to make
a loser out of a winner.
We always try to do that.
That's why that gives me
the confidence, that I've
won before-- why not try again?
[APPLAUSE]
APARNA CHENNAPRAGADA:
[INAUDIBLE]
One of the things at least
is that the technology
at that time wasn't
there, right?
And you've been thinking about
this, how technology can really
shape-- What are your thoughts?
Do you think that
the time has come?
KAMAL HAASAN: [INAUDIBLE]
stopped for reasons
that very few know.
Everyone was sad.
Somebody said, it's a disaster.
It'll be like [INAUDIBLE]
for-- I like the comparison,
so I enjoyed it.
But what I told them for fun,
or in anger-- I said, so what?
Part of [INAUDIBLE] was
going to be in film.
The rest was going
to be digital.
And they all laughed
because it was 2000.
But that's what will
happen, when-- if
and ever-- [INAUDIBLE] is made.
Part of it will be in film.
The rest of it will
be in digital domain.
Who knows?
IMAX.
APARNA CHENNAPRAGADA: So I want
to switch gears to technology
and what we do here.
And there's one big shift
at least-- many big shifts,
actually-- in entertainment,
with mobile phones.
But for us, one of the biggest
things we see is YouTube.
That there's a lot
more of entertainment
reaching people not through
these mega, mainstream,
huge marketing machines and
mainstream pictures, and so on.
And then there's the
other shift with Netflix.
For example, there's
original series,
with really talented
actors like Kevin Spacey
in "House of Cards."
Netflix is coming to India, too.
So how do you think about how
film industry is adapting to it
and how it should adapt to it?
What are your thoughts?
KAMAL HAASAN: I'm the bleeding,
injured example of why the film
industry is not adapting to it.
Because when I
wanted to go simple,
it's a very simple thing,
like putting it on DTH.
They're out to kill me.
Literally throw me out of the
industry for trying to do that.
I think this intramural
entertainment
is going to be at the
will of the consumer.
Where or when you want-- it
cannot be within four walls.
He's going to take
it to his bedroom.
He's going to take it to work.
For lunchtime viewing
of a part of that film.
And he's going to watch at will.
And the platform is
irrelevant anymore.
I even told the
people who opposed
the theater owners that--
tell me with all the calendar
printing of
[INAUDIBLE] photograph,
has the crowd [INAUDIBLE]
[? reduced? ?]
[APPLAUSE]
There is a ritual
that they believe in.
They like to do that journey.
That's why they go.
Even wine shops
[INAUDIBLE] things.
[INAUDIBLE] wines.
And you have that.
I've seen so many.
And you've seen him.
So what is the thing?
God is everywhere, isn't it?
According to
[INAUDIBLE], he's there
in atom and in a pillar, in
you and me and everybody else.
So [INAUDIBLE] why won't
we settle down to it?
It's an experience.
How many ever
treadmills you make,
people would like to walk
the earth in bad weather.
They'll wear all
sorts of rain gear
and still run on open space.
Like that, there is
this congregation.
You want to enjoy
this conversation.
You can read about it.
You can see it on your thing.
But sitting here is
something special
for people, especially for me.
So I can't just do this on
Skype and be happy about it.
It can be done.
But this is another experience.
Likewise, cinema is a choice.
You can-- to go, or here.
That's what you'll have to ask.
And they should encourage
allied businesses
because it's going to promote
the central core even more.
One thing-- as long as
the industry does not
allow transparency
in business, they're
not going to allow any
new technology, either.
It should be, the
correct way to run
the business is the
collection of a film
should be seen by
everybody, all the players.
There should be transparency.
I think there's a
hole in the bucket.
We're carrying a bucket
with holes on either end.
I'm just a middle man.
A stupid middle man
who likes his art
and somehow trying
to wet his tongue
when there is a river running.
And I'm scooping what
comes in a hole bucket
with two holes on either end.
So I think they must adapt.
I'm using this to warn
those old people who
are hugging their investments,
which will become arcane.
It'll crumble.
The edifice will
crumble on themselves.
And people will
keep marching on.
They can't stop Netflix.
They can't stop YouTube.
They can't stop anybody
coming in and entertaining.
And the democracy
of enjoying art
will be fully
enjoyed by the world.
No business strategy
can stop it.
No Hollywood, no
Bollywood can stop it.
[APPLAUSE]
APARNA CHENNAPRAGADA: Some
of your fans wanted to know
when are you going
to be on YouTube?
KAMAL HAASAN: Yeah.
I'm already there, but
without monetizing it.
[APPLAUSE AND CHEERS]
APARNA CHENNAPRAGADA:
So you're at Google.
We're all nerds here, so it's
time for a quick trivia quiz.
But I thought first,
let's see if we
can ask Google some
questions about you
before I ask some questions.
Let's see if Google's
smart enough to know this.
I want to try this.
OK, Google-- where
was Kamal Haasan born?
FEMALE SPEAKER: He was
born in Paramakudi, India.
[APPLAUSE AND CHEERS]
KAMAL HAASAN: We'll
keep it to ourselves.
I was born in [INAUDIBLE].
This is something I
always wanted to correct.
APARNA CHENNAPRAGADA:
All right, let's fix it.
[APPLAUSE]
APARNA CHENNAPRAGADA:
So let's ask you
some questions, just for fun.
Ultimate comedy?
A, "Pushpak," B, "Michael
Madana Kama Rajan,"
C, [INAUDIBLE] D, your choice.
KAMAL HAASAN: I would say--
in spite of [INAUDIBLE] being
everybody's favorite--
"Pushpak" is unique
because he didn't speak.
And I think truly
ultimate comedy
is that which is done
not at anybody's expense.
That is truly noble
comedy, where you laugh.
They asked me,
well, it's a known--
[APPLAUSE]
If you can do that, you're
a fantastic comedian.
You can make people laugh.
You can call a obese man obese,
short man short, tall man tall.
It's very easy to
make fun of people.
That's why they
say that when they
explain tragedy and comedy.
They say, when it happens
to you, it's a tragedy.
When it happens to somebody
else, it's a comedy.
Simple That's our attitude.
Within that attitude,
if we can bring nobility
without hurting anyone,
then that's great comedy.
And Chaplin was that.
Buster Keaton was that.
[INAUDIBLE] was that.
He made fun of people,
but people with cold.
And he changed the
spelling for every word
to explain in writing, how do
you explain a person has cold?
He said, I am
C-U-B-B-I-N-G. I'm cubbing.
Because he had a cold.
If you start phonetically
pronouncing it,
you feel that you're
talking with a cold.
That's the brilliance of-- he's
actually making fun of anyone
with cold, including yourself.
And you start doing it, he must
have written 100 years ago.
So that's good comedy,
ultimate comedy for me.
APARNA CHENNAPRAGADA: We
already covered some of it,
but ultimate director?
And not including K.B.
in it, because I know
he's a different category.
KAMAL HAASAN: Well,
in his absence,
I love to promote somebody
I love equally well-- me.
[APPLAUSE]
APARNA CHENNAPRAGADA: It
was one of my choices,
which is [INAUDIBLE],
[INAUDIBLE], Kamal Haasan.
KAMAL HAASAN: But I
have a commitment.
APARNA CHENNAPRAGADA:
Ultimate film.
KAMAL HAASAN: Ultimate
film is yet to be made.
I'm trying to--
[APPLAUSE AND CHEERS]
APARNA CHENNAPRAGADA: So
I'll turn to some questions
that we collected
from the audience
and the rest of Google.
So I'll share some of them.
So one of them is
that there's so much
exciting work going on in
South Indian region cinema,
but these films are relatively
difficult for other parts
of the world to access.
I mean, forget even other
parts of the world, other parts
of the country to, right?
For example, often they
don't have subtitles.
Or they don't have distribution.
What are your thoughts on how do
we bring these fantastic films
to the rest of the world?
KAMAL HAASAN: I think
we'll have to-- this world
and that world will
have sit together.
And probably there are going
to be vested interests, earlier
champions who won't
like-- I call it
the Herod and
[INAUDIBLE] syndrome.
Kill the child so they
won't be in opposition,
which is a very wrong thing.
It's against humanity.
You cannot kill a nascent
industry because you're worried
that it'll affect it.
In [INAUDIBLE], we'll
have [INAUDIBLE].
Somebody asked about
[INAUDIBLE] What
is the use of spending
billions of dollars on this?
What do we get out of it?
To which he said, I don't know.
It was a lady, and she
said, I don't know.
We scientists do
not think of that.
When Marconi made
radio, he was not
thinking of the
commercial value of it.
He was inventing something.
The businessmen will always
find use for any invention.
[APPLAUSE]
So we must keep
working on innovative,
if not inventions all the time.
Innovative permutation
combinations.
And now I think cinema
should get more democracy.
It cannot be with the money bag.
No country should be
held by federal banks.
APARNA CHENNAPRAGADA:
You've been a trailblazer
in bringing technologies.
[? Audi ?] 3D's a
great example, right?
What can we expect next,
and what drives you here?
KAMAL HAASAN: Well,
everyone thinks I
jump at everything that's new.
I was very angry when
digital revolution
was delayed by laboratory
owners, studio owners, camera
rental owners.
And people who simply were
attached to film, like Mr.
Noland, Christopher Nolan.
It's something like
saying I'm a vegetarian.
I will never touch
meat, or vice versa.
So it is like that.
But at that time,
I think the world
digital cinema revolution
was delayed at least by 10,
15 years by vested interests.
And in India, add five more.
And that five more
was too much for me.
So what I did was, they
were making big things,
bringing in a lot of big gizmos.
So I made a film
called "Mumbai Express"
with a camera which is
lesser than the one that's
shooting me now.
I made a point.
Even now, I am saying
that there were
times when we had a camera,
and we changed costly lenses.
Now we can put a camera for
every perspective we want.
So it's going to be
change of cameras
rather than the
change of lenses.
It's going that direction.
And it's going to be like
lollipop, where you can
turn the camera 360 degrees.
It's there.
You can choose, now you
have [INAUDIBLE], which
fixes focus anywhere you want.
Photographers say
that's cheating.
So is knowledge.
You know better
than him, and you
retain that knowledge, what's
going to happen tomorrow.
You see, in King
Solomon's mind, there
is a scene where he
forecasts darkness
that will come on Earth.
Actually, he knows from
his calendar there's
going to be a solar eclipse.
People there believe
that he is godly.
That's cheating.
But you can do that
with knowledge.
That's what others,
the great priests
were doing there,
with their knowledge.
Now is the time when you have
to really give it to the people.
Let the customers, the
inventors, and the content
makers almost touch each other.
It's going to be like
live performance.
So that's where we
are heading towards.
It is live performance.
If you telecast it now, right
now, it is live performance.
So we are going
in that direction.
And we'll have partners.
But unfortunately, they're
all going to be young.
That's only way to go,
because the older people
seem to believe in
stagnancy and rigidity.
That's perfect
recipe for atrophy.
I just spoke about
that at Harvard.
I said, when you hold on and
think, I believe in this,
there's no subtle signs.
Shouldn't be.
Then we would be only
believing in penicillin.
There won't be antibiotic,
and further on and on.
Now we are reversing
and teaching
our body to take care of it.
That's where the
medicine should go.
That's where cinema should go.
I think the audience are
going to drive the content.
Not like designers
making a thing.
It'll become so
natural and harmonious,
you won't even know who
is directing the film now.
I will live to see
the day, hopefully.
Work fast.
APARNA CHENNAPRAGADA: So
if you were at Google,
what would be your 10x project?
KAMAL HAASAN: You ask a
child, what do you want?
He'll say, a big lollipop.
So it's like that.
And I would say that you
should get into moving
images content dispersal.
How you do it, how will you
encourage the existing industry
to accept you and
not tolerate you?
[APPLAUSE]
You must become part of that
industry, whatever it takes.
If it means waging
battle, time for battle.
Because otherwise, it's
going to slow down.
And why slow down technology
when all could enjoy it?
Why slow down knowledge?
It should be those.
So I think we should all
sort of huddle together.
The game has begun already.
The ardent fans cheering
for the game to go.
They don't care about
winners and losers.
They enjoy the spectacle.
So we must give it to them.
And the spectacle
will be when we fully
understand that cinema, or
any entertainment medium,
is about the content
and the performance.
And above all, the enjoyment
of the larger majority.
Not the enjoyment of a few
who are playing on the stage.
They both enjoy equally,
but this enjoyment
comes from there.
They cannot perform on their
own and feel the same happiness.
So it's time that we
get together and connect
that last mile.
And that last mile might be
uphill, might be bloody battle,
but it has to be done.
And I'm not going to
die on the battlefield.
[APPLAUSE]
I won't run away
from it, either.
APARNA CHENNAPRAGADA: So the
next question from the audience
was, if you were to make
a Hollywood movie today,
what would it be about?
KAMAL HAASAN: Oh,
they already made it.
Whenever I think of
something, they make it.
[APPLAUSE]
APARNA CHENNAPRAGADA: And
who would your four stars be?
KAMAL HAASAN: There are so
many talented people here.
It makes me want to cry.
That's how many talented
people there are.
Some names I don't even know.
But look at Ryan Gosling.
Look at Tom Hardy.
Tom Hardy is somebody who I
could either applaud or kill.
I'll only do two
things for the man.
But he'll have to keep
that performance going.
He's doing what Brando and
all did with tremendous pace.
I don't know.
What would I do?
He's every actor's envy.
And there's a way to go.
And there are so many people.
And so many things to do.
And "Revenant" is
a film I always
wanted to make because
it was already made
as "Lost in the Wilderness."
It's from a lore.
It's a true story, but
it has happened before.
When I saw that film, one
day, I will make that film.
And Alejandro beat it to me.
He did.
It's a fantastic film.
But it gives me
more energy anger,
because I can feel the
breath of man behind me.
And I can see the kicking of
the dust of the man running
in front of me, is coming.
I can taste the earth
that's coming from his foot.
And the lion is there.
We can see.
But it's fun.
I enjoy it.
I am in this.
They ask me, what
are you working on?
And how do you manage?
Everybody asks me
these questions.
I give a very
disappointing answer.
I don't work anymore.
It's about 20, 25 years
since I stopped working.
I still get paid.
I still make movies.
I love it.
So--
[APPLAUSE]
I don't consider
that as work at all.
I'm so grateful for
whatever money they give me.
I'm so happy.
Because nobody pays
you for your holiday.
APARNA CHENNAPRAGADA: You've
done a variety of genre films
in different parts
of filmmaking.
Is there a new genre?
Is there something new
that's on your mind
recently that you
want to explore?
KAMAL HAASAN: Oh,
there's so many.
It's going to happen.
As a matter of fact,
for [INAUDIBLE],
Jean-Claude Carriere
and I had a thought,
because we wanted to shoot
it with multiple cameras.
Of course, it's a nightmare
for every producer when
the director says, I
want multiple cameras.
That means cost will go up.
A take, to become perfect,
will take so many takes.
So but what we
wanted to do is work
with three primary
cameras-- and many more.
But three primary cameras
where the French film will have
a different cut, perspective.
English and Tamil in one film.
We'll send it to those areas
with those point of views.
Like, when we want to see
this film of us talking,
where would you want
the camera to be?
Here.
Not there.
So our, probably here and here.
That's what pleases us.
So the script was
written that way.
We didn't even share it with
anyone because if we had,
that would have been another
reason to stop the film.
So there are so many
things that you could do,
innovative things.
Now you have so
many things coming.
You can make the audience
look around and still
have content everywhere.
And this is nothing new for me.
When I was about
five-year or six-year-old,
there was a exhibition
called Circorama which
came to my town, [? Cheni ?].
It was a big tent they
built. The audience
were herded inside
a huge circus tent.
And all the projection
rooms were outside.
And I saw a speech by Abraham
Lincoln, Gettysburg speech
or something.
I didn't know much English then.
Something was
happening in English.
And you had this
Lincoln Memorial thing.
And we were in the middle.
It was astounding.
You have to stand and watch.
So when they say 360
degree camera now,
I say, I've seen it.
So that is technology.
That's how delayed technology
becomes, sometimes,
for good reasons
and bad reasons.
APARNA CHENNAPRAGADA:
It's a related question
to what you just said,
which is, what role do you
think personally you want
to play in the pushing
this technology
towards the frontier?
You've always been, as you
said, like the bleeding edge.
KAMAL HAASAN: Simply
get in there and do it.
Don't keep deliberating
and talking about it.
What's the worst
thing that can happen?
Is you'll fail.
That's data for future work.
[APPLAUSE]
APARNA CHENNAPRAGADA:
The last request
was, can we take a
group selfie with you?
KAMAL HAASAN: Yeah, we can.
[APPLAUSE AND CHEERS]
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