Love him or hate him, but there’s no denying that Kamal Haasan played a significant role in shaping modern Indian cinema. While he is widely regarded as one of the finest actors of all time in the country, Kamal is also hailed for his contributions to the evolution of the art form as a whole, introducing several cutting-edge technologies to Indian cinema.
Much to his benefit, many visionary directors of the era when he was an up-and-coming star made a beeline to collaborate with him, and fortunately, he, too, tried his best not to miss such opportunities, even if that meant working twice as hard. As a result, Kamal repeatedly had the chance to be part of landmark movies across various languages, becoming an inseparable part of the golden annals of the country’s cinematic history.
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Kamal Haasan and Singeetham Srinivasa Rao’s iconic collaborations
Among the many filmmaking maestros with whom Kamal Haasan created extraordinary classics is Singeetham Srinivasa Rao, widely regarded as one of India’s most versatile and innovative directors. From Michael Madana Kama Rajan (1990), Apoorva Sagodharargal (1989), and Magalir Mattum (1994), to Raja Paarvai (1981), Kaathala Kaathala (1998), Sommokadidhi Sokokadidhi (1979), and Mumbai Xpress (2005), the duo joined forces a handful of times, with Kamal even taking on writing duties on a few occasions.
Released in 1987, the black comedy film Pushpaka Vimana featured no dialogues. (Credit: IMDb; enhanced using AI)
While most of their collaborations are celebrated to this day, with Michael Madana Kama Rajan being hailed as one of the finest comedy films in Indian cinema, the duo also created another pathbreaking movie that defied the norms of commercial cinema and yet emerged as a massive success, underscoring that conviction is always key.
Reclaiming the silent era: The phenomenon of Pushpaka Vimana
Released in 1987, the black comedy film Pushpaka Vimana featured no dialogues, thus becoming the first silent film in several decades after the end of the silent era. Revolving around an unemployed young man who gets caught in a large web of troubles, the movie was headlined by Kamal Haasan and featured an ensemble cast, including Amala Akkineni, Sameer Khakhar, Tinu Anand, KS Ramesh, Farida Jalal, Pratap Pothen, Lokanath, and PL Narayana.
Kamal Haasan in director Singeetham Srinivasa Rao’s Pushpaka Vimana. (Credit: IMDb; enhanced using AI)
Interestingly, it was released under different titles in different states in accordance with the respective official languages. While it was released as Pesum Padam in Tamil Nadu, the black comedy became Pushpak in Hindi-speaking regions, Pushpaka Vimana in Karnataka, Pushpaka Vimanam in erstwhile Andhra Pradesh, and Pushpakvimanam in Kerala, according to The Hindu.
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During a recent event, Kamal Haasan himself revealed that the movie was mounted on a budget of Rs 15 lakh. It was jointly produced by Shringar Nagaraj and Singeetham Srinivasa Rao himself. Despite being a highly experimental film without any dialogues, Pushpaka Vimana turned out to be a massive success, grossing more than six times its budget. According to a 1989 India Today report, the black comedy film earned almost Rs 1 crore at the time.
“Understanding cinema is all about passion, and then only does it become a business. We are doing it the other way around… we just check how much it will make. We evaluate it by Rs 100 crore, Rs 200 crore, Rs 300 crore, etc… But that’s not how we are supposed to do it. The day we made Pushpaka Vimana for Rs 15 lakh, we felt like we made a Rs 150 crore film, and that is not even an exaggeration,” Kamal said during the event.
The world’s oldest active film director’s next project
Singeetham Srinivasa Rao, now 94, is the oldest filmmaker in the world actively leading a major production, a record he clinched by dethroning Hollywood heavyweight Clint Eastwood. His 61st directorial venture, Sing Geetham, is all set to hit the screens worldwide on June 11. The movie will feature every line of dialogue being sung by the actors, marking yet another experimental project by the director.
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In a career spanning 65 years, Kamal Haasan has contributed to Indian cinema as an actor, director, producer, screenwriter, playback singer, and lyricist. He has appeared in over 230 films across Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Hindi, Kannada, and Bengali. His most recent screen appearance was in Mani Ratnam’s box-office bomb Thug Life (2025). Kamal also serves as a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha.
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