Kamal Haasan birthday special: When the legend said, 'Malayalam industry lost its grain while competing'

Apart from Tamil cinema, Kamal Haasan has also acted in Malayalam films such as 'Kannum Karalum', 'Njan Ninne Premikkunnu', 'Thiruvonam', and 'Thettu'. Legendary actor Kamal Haasan celebrates his 71st birthday on this day and on this special day it’s worth revisiting a candid moment when the actor reflected on what he described as the “dark phase” of Malayalam cinema.

'Malayalam industry lost its grain'

In an earlier conversation with Film Companion, Kamal Haasan spoke with deep affection and concern for the Malayalam film industry, where he says he was “trained” and inspired as a young actor. Calling himself “a great fan and a product of Malayalam cinema,” Kamal said the industry once went through a creative downturn while attempting to compete with its southern counterparts.“There was a time when the Malayalam film industry, in order to compete with the Tamil and Telugu film industries, lost their grain and their OG thing,” Kamal observed.

Admiration for ‘Nirmalyam’

Kamal also revealed that his all-time favourite Malayalam film is Nirmalyam (1973), which marked the debut of actor Prithviraj Sukumaran’s father, the late Sukumaran. The film, he said, symbolized the kind of raw honesty that once defined Malayalam storytelling. For the unversed, 'Nirmalyam' was directed by MT Vasudevan Nair starring PJ Antony, Sukumaran, Sumithra, Kuthiravattam Pappu, and Ravi Menon in the lead roles.However, Kamal expressed optimism about the industry’s revival.

“Now, Malayalam cinema provides good-quality content again,” he said, crediting OTT platforms for bringing authentic narratives back into focus.

His last Malayalam outing

Kamal Haasan’s most recent appearance in Malayalam cinema was in the 2010 drama Four Friends, directed by Saji Surendran and starring Jayaram, Kunchacko Boban, Jayasurya, and Meera Jasmine. Meanwhile he also appeared as a voice narrator for the anthology movie 'Manorathangal' featuring Mammootty, Mohanlal, and many others in the lead.