Kamal Haasan blames Shah Rukh Khan publicity confusion for misleading audience of his most ambitious film that left him financially struggling

Superstar Kamal Haasan is widely regarded as one of the finest actors in Indian cinema and a true master of his craft. His 2000 film Hey Ram completed 26 years on February 22. The film, written and directed by Kamal himself, also starred Shah Rukh Khan, Rani Mukerji and Vasundhara Das in key roles. Recently, the veteran actor opened up about how the film’s failure pushed him into what he described as “financial soup,” despite being among the highest-paid actors in the country.

Kamal Haasan opens up about 'commercial disaster' Hey Ram

In a recent interaction with Bollywood Hungama, Kamal looked back at the film’s journey with honesty and humour. Though Hey Ram earned critical praise over the years, he admitted that it did not succeed commercially. He called it a box office disaster, adding jokingly that it was so "edge-of-the-seat" that audiences slipped off their seats and walked out of theatres.



Calling himself India's one of the highest-paid actors, the Thug Life actor further added, "I was in financial soup.It could’ve gone either way. It went the unsuccessful way, which wasn’t very convenient financially. One producer forced me to cut down my remuneration at the last minute. But as an actor, I’ve no complaints."

While talking about the reasons behind the film’s failure, Kamal also opened up about confusion during the publicity phase. He suggested that promotional activities in Mumbai may have created the impression that Shah Rukh Khan had a much larger role in the film than he actually did. According to him, this mismatch between expectation and reality left sections of the audience disappointed.

Kamal Haasan's upcoming projects

Despite the financial turbulence, Kamal stressed that he has always been transparent about his earnings. He mentioned that thanks to careful handling of his finances, he has no pending tax issues and lives peacefully without fear. He described his approach to money as honest and straightforward, even if it means not having surplus wealth tucked away.


Meanwhile, on the work front, Kamal Haasan was last seen in Thug Life, directed by Mani Ratnam, which didn't perform well at the box office. He is set to begin work on KH237, directed by stunt duo Anbarivu, and is also expected to collaborate with Rajinikanth after 46 years on an upcoming project.