Kamal Haasan reasoned, "Please know that this decision comes from a place of humility and a desire to remain true to my roots and purpose, to always be one among all of us - the lovers of this beautiful art form."
Published Nov 11, 2024 | 12:03 PM ⚊ Updated Nov 11, 2024 | 12:03 PM
Kamal Haasan. (X)
Actor-politician Kamal Haasan on Monday, 11 November, took to his social media handles to share that he no longer wants to be referred to as “Ulaganayagan” or any such prefixes and suffixes.
In the note shared on X, he asked his fans, media, members of the film fraternity, party cadre and others to simply refer to him by his name as Kamal Haasan, Kamal, or KH.
Expressing gratitude for the love and admiration, Kamal wrote, “I have always felt a deep sense of gratitude over being bestowed with endearing titles such as Ulaganayagan, among others. Such accolades, given by the people and recognized by esteemed colleagues and admirers, has always been humbling, and I’ve been genuinely moved by your love in conferring it upon me.”
Ulaganayagan is a pair word in Tamil. Ulagam means the world, while Nayagan is synonymous with the hero. As a result, “Ulaganayagan” translates to “Hero of the World” in English.
Actor Ajith Kumar made a similar remark a few years earlier, in 2021, asking his fans, audience, media, and cinema fraternity members to stop referring to him as “Thala” and instead call him by his name, Ajith, or AK.
Explaining his stand, Kamal wrote, “The art of cinema transcends beyond any one individual and I am but a student of the craft, forever hoping to evolve, learn and grow. Cinema, like any other form of creative expression, belongs to all.”
“It is the collaboration of countless artists, technicians, and audiences who make it what it is a true reflection of humanity’s diverse, rich, and ever-evolving stories. It is my humble belief that the artist must not be elevated above the art. I prefer to remain grounded, constantly aware of my imperfections and my duty to improve. Hence, after considerable reflection, I feel compelled to respectfully decline all such titles or prefixes.”
Further stating that the decision comes from a place of humility, he added, “I humbly request that all my fans, the media, members of the film fraternity, party cadre and fellow Indians, to here on after, refer to me simply as Kamal Haasan or Kamal or KH. Thank you again for your gestures of kindness over the years. Please know that this decision comes from a place of humility and a desire to remain true to my roots and purpose, to always be one among all of us – the lovers of this beautiful art form.”
உங்கள் நான்,
கமல் ஹாசன். pic.twitter.com/OpJrnYS9g2
— Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) November 11, 2024
Kamal Haasan has completed shooting for the Mani Ratnam directorial Thug Life, which is set to release on 5 June 2025.
(Edited by Sumavarsha Kandula)
