Kamal Haasan opens up about Sandiyar, Hey Ram, Vishwaroopam controversy

There could be no other filmmaker as victimised as Kamal Haasan by censor board in Tamil cinema. He has always been the target of religious groups, lynch mobs and politicians. He had to give up the name Sandiyaar (later changed to Virumaandi) for his debut directorial in Tamil due to opposition, had to go through a bitter ordeal to release Vishwaroopam, and had to face the wrath of Indian politicians since they viewed his Hey Ram as an anti-Gandhi film.

“I don’t know why, may be I have not voiced myself well, I have been targeted many times. There was a film called Sandiyar: etymologically, politically, ethnically, they were wrong when they said the name had to be changed. Today, another movie called Sandiyar was recently released. If you take Hey Ram, much before its release, a senior politician perceived it as an anti-Gandhi film based on the poster and wanted it stopped. I am trying to do my best. If I am wrong, I correct myself. I am right, I stand by it. I don’t regret the fight in Vishwaroopam, I have lost a lot of money. It was a very costly battle, in fact. But I don’t think it should be allowed to happen. We used to think that the Censor Board should be abolished, but seeing how things are going, maybe it should stay on for some more time, until sense prevails,” says Kamal Haasan in an interview to a daily.