3 min readNew DelhiFeb 18, 2026 09:45 PM IST
When Kamal Haasan made Hey Ram in 2000, it was one of the most hyped films of the year. The actor-director had invested a lot in the film and it failed to work at the box office, even though it got a lot of critical acclaim. In a recent interview, Kamal admitted that the film was a “commercial disaster” that landed him in a major “financial soup.” He shared that during the publicity tour in Mumbai, it was hinted that Shah Rukh Khan, who played a small but pivotal role in the film, had a larger role in the film, and this disappointed the audience.
In a chat with Bollywood Hungama, Kamal joked, “It was so edge-of-the-seat that audiences slipped out of their seats and out of the theatres (laughs). Even when I was making it, people asked me what the hell I was doing. Such expenses for what? I said it was a promise I made to myself. Like a spouse and a house.”
Talking about the financial consequences of Hey Ram, he shared that he “was in financial soup” and said that the film could have gone either way but it went the “unsuccessful way, which wasn’t very convenient financially.” He added, “One producer forced me to cut down my remuneration at the last minute.” The actor-politician added that despite some financial setbacks, he has always been transparent about his money.
“As an actor, I’ve no complaints. I’m one of the highest-paid actors in the country. Thanks to my brother, Chandra Haasan, who looks into my tax matters, I have zero tax arrears. That leaves me with no surplus funds for Swiss bank accounts at all. But I sleep very peacefully at night. When I hear the thud of boots down my corridor, I don’t cringe in fear. You can call it virtuous stupidity. But it’s a comfortable life,” he said.
When asked if he was “self-indulgent” while making the film, he said, “That’s because the publicity in Mumbai made them feel there was much more of Shah Rukh Khan in the film.” Kamal has previously praised Shah Rukh for being a part of Hey Ram without taking any fees. In a chat with Colors Cineplex, he said, “When the budget ran over, he didn’t even ask for his remuneration.” He also shared that SRK had the Hindi rights of the film. “He did the film for a wrist watch. I never thought what the value of the film is now, because he deserves it, and he is a partner of Hey Ram, and it’s rightful that the Hindi rights are with him. I’m so glad,” he said.
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