Kamal - Priyan- Balachandra Menon

Kamal Haasan was to work with Balachandra Menon and Priyadarshan and both the projects got dropped. While the film with Priyadarshan  got shelved, the film with Menon  took another shape. It got directed by K Ravikumar  , another director who like Menon  is known for his comic genre films. The Menon film theme was of a girl masquerading as a boy to fool those looking to kill her  and in  the new version , it was Kamal playing the woman trying to win back his estranged wife and daughter. It was Avvai Shanmughi.

The Tamil film was titled Kanden Seethaiyai and  launched with great fanfare with  Ruchitha Prasad as heroine and Mukesh in the cast. The film later underwent changes with Ramesh Aravind joining the cast. Menon had directed the film Ammayane Satyam with the same subject in Malayalam. With two weeks to go for pack up, the film got stuck. Producers cited that they were having financial problems. Menon claimed that Kamal wanted to play the boy disguised as girl role on prodding from his friends. Menon claimed that he had even offered to take over the production but Kamal did not relent.

The film later took shape with the same set of producers ( Wig Ravi-  Hari- Murali) as Avvai Shanmughi and Meena playing the estranged wife. The film had a close semblance to Mrs Doubtfire. Trade sources said that the Menon project was actually committed by Kamal as Sivaji wanted him to help his onetime wig maker Ravi. As Kamal found that he had little to do and there was no novelty since the subject was made in Malayalam, he wanted a total rework of the screenplay. Later it turned out that Wig Ravi was told not to pay any more money, except for production costs that included actors and technicians wages and in turn Kamal took all the distribution- remake rights of all non- Tamil Languages. The film was a whooping hit.

From here, Kamal moved to remaking it in Hindi as Chachi 420 with ad-film maker Shantanu Sheorey as director and Tabu playing Meena’s role. He had Jhamu Sughand as co-producer. Once again difference erupted with Kamal and the director. Finally it was left to Kamal to don the director’s hat and complete the film. It was the first directorial venture of the celebrated actor that otherwise should have been a big momentous event. Film did collect at the box office. I remember Shanthanu managing to put in his version of the differences in Screen through the then Editor Rauf Ahmed. I met Kamal as he felt that Screen was being partisan to Shantanu . He asked me – Have you come to see me as my friend or a Screen man? I replied – As your friend. A rebuttal was given and printed but with Rauf using his powers as Editor to omit out some portions.

Priyadarshan was to direct a film based on a story of Kamal Haasan. It was a surprise choice as the subject line was serious. It talked about union’s v/s corporate and intertwined in a love story. Priyan had created a name as a humour film director. To top it, R Madhavan was part of the cast. Maddy was the rage of the youth in the South. Priyadarshan backed out before the shoot began and did not give any reason. Kamal on his part told Subhash K Jha -"Priyan is no longer directing the project. He wanted to direct me in a much bigger project. So he is working on a script about class conflict. Anbesivam will now be directed by C Sunder”. Said Kamal, "Like Priyan, being directed by Sundar would be a new experience for me. I am looking forward to working with him and Madhavan. As for Priyan, neither of us is running away anywhere." So far  Priyan has not readied any class conflict subject and is awaiting the release of Arabikadullah Simham- Marikkar starring Mohanlal.

Menon has not got over the shelving of the project and even recently said that it was the pride and ego that made Kamal walk away from the project and that even today Kamal cannot face him.