The discipline and rigor of stage
plays made him a spontaneous artiste and his
passion for the medium comes through in all
his portrayals. He made his cinematic debut
under KB and fitted his characterization of
the helpless, angry young man to a T. Most of
his early movie roles were of complex individuals
with a seemingly frivolous façade. Think
of Nizhal nijamagirathu, Avargal and Apoorva
Ragangal. He has also played the lover boy on
several occasions. He has a unique penchant
for comedy and his sense of timing and body
language are impeccable. In Apoorva Sahodarargal,
Michael Madhana kamarajan, Singaravelan, Tenali
and Pancha thanthiram his flair was showcased
well. He has won with fantasy and thriller movies
like Kalyanaraman and Vikram. There are innumerable
masala films in which he has excelled as the
action hero. The terrific thing about Kamal
is that even in such masala fare he has carved
a unique niche in portrayal. His work in combination
with superstar Rajinikanth is also memorable.
|
|
|
He has a deep understanding of the medium and
he is a perfectionist when it comes to the technical
aspects. His painstaking dedication can be understood
from the unique make up he used for Indian and
Anbe Sivam. He has worked with the stalwarts or
jambavans of cinema like KB, Bharatirajaa, Mani
Ratnam, K. Vishwanath, Shankar and Singeetham
Srinivasa Rao. He has also worked in Hindi, Telugu,
Kannada and Malayalam. He has been instrumental
in creating a talent pool of good writers, lyricists
and technicians. Sujatha, Crazy Mohan, Vikram
Dharma and the list goes on. He is an excellent
dancer and a reasonably good singer. His own production
Thevar Magan brought the great thespian, Sivaji
Ganesan for a memorable comeback. His recent films
have won cinematic acclaim but limited commercial
success. Anbe Sivam, Aalavandhan, Hey Ram, Virumandi,
Mumbai Express etc. form the series. However,
he carries on his journey with the true focus
of a Catholic warrior for whom his work is the
only form of worship.
Awards
have been showered on him in plenty. He has also
been given the Padmashree. He is the only actor
to have been appreciated by the great Satyajit
Ray.
A twice
married man with two grown up daughters, he has
had a turbulent personal life which is often blown
out of proportion. His brother Charuhasan and
niece Suhasini are also veterans in the industry.
Hats
off to Kamal
for holding the torch of excellence and acting
as the role model for younger generation of actors!
|
