Kamal Haasan’s action entertainer Vikram will be releasing in Telugu through Nithiin’s Sreshth Movies banner. The film’s pre-release event was a grand affair with few special guests including Venkatesh.
Director Lokesh Kanagaraj thanked Telugu audience for the support for his previous films in Telugu.
“I hope, the support continues for Vikram also. Watch the movie in theatres to see Kamal sir’s roaring action. He has done some incredible job.”
Nithiin said it’s privilege for him to got the opportunity of releasing the movie in Telugu. He stated that Kamal Haasan is the one and only legend of Indian cinema.
“Kamal sir is a rare piece and a masterpiece. There’s nobody who can beat him with the kind of roles he did and the experiments. My salute to you sir. I’m a huge fan of Lokesh’s work. I loved his Khaidi. Only a fan boy knows how to show their favourite hero.”
Venkatesh heaped praises on Kamal. “Kamal sir completes 60 years as an actor. He did the Tamil and original version of Padaharella Vayasu in his early days of career. I got clean bowled after watching the film. For every actor, Maro Charitra is a GPS. If you take a film like Dasavatharam, there is no single actor who has guts to make that kind of a film. He’s an actor par excellence. He was the first Pan India star with the film Ek Duje Ke Liye.
Today, he’s the global star with his unparallel talent. South Indian cinema has two eras- before Kamal Haasan and after Kamal Haasan. He’s an actor, director, writer, singer, choreographer, politician and a good human being. I did many films in my career. I did a small role in his film. I hope, I’ll work with him in a full-fledged film. I wish Nithiin and Sudhakar Reddy for taking such a wonderful film.”
Kamal Haasan spoke highly about Telugu industry and audience here. He requested the audience to support good cinema.
“I came to Hyderabad for the first time 40 to 45 years ago, as a dance assistant for a film called Srimanthudu starring ANR. From then on, I’ve been eating Telugu food, one way or the other. My biggest hits came from Telugu. I’m lucky enough to have good directors. Like Nithiin, I had a family pushing me towards the direction I wanted to go. I did 36 films with Balachander, and that is my Ph.D. I learnt acting from him. Mine and Rajinikanth’s style, all came from him.
I’ve to say something about Venky sir which it would be a big lesson for Nithin. Venky needs not to work this hard. When he was at the top, he met me at Goa. He told me that he’s not happy with what he’s doing. He asked me what he should do. I told him what I knew, again he got another wave. He played a small role in Eenadu. When we’re making Marmayogi, he did costume trial, photoshoot for a role. We didn’t make that film. It would have been a fantastic film in my and Venky’s career.
I got Vikram. I got good team for the film. I’ll have to thank Sudhakar Reddy. I told him that please help us make history with this movie. I did many films in Tamil, and some of them were hits. I did only few films in Telugu and most of them were hits. Nobody can achieve anything alone. Lokesh also came to the industry like me. Nobody was behind him. But everybody is behind him now. I respect those kinds of people who come from bottom.
I once again remind Nithiin that don’t learn from me, learn from Venky. Work as hard as Venky, you’ll be the next superstar. That hard work, you need to do. Chennai has given lots of gifts to Andhra and Venky is one of them. Had he done movies in Tamil, he would have become a big star there.
I didn’t feel like I was acting with competition, while working with Vijay Sethupathi and Fahadh Faasil. I was working with brothers, who admired me. I’ve to return the admiration, because they deserved it. Give us strength to make Pan world films and we’re capable of doing it. I’m a fan of good cinema.”