EXCLUSIVE: Kamal Haasan recalls his first meeting with Dilip Kumar, 'I almost had tears in my eyes'

In an exclusive Pinkvilla Masterclass ahead of the release of Indian 2, the encyclopedia of acting, Kamal Haasan, shared why he almost had tears in his eyes when he met the great Dilip Kumar.

By Rishil Jogani

Published on Jun 29, 2024 | 10:31 AM IST | 100.6K

Kamal Haasan shares that he almost had tears in his eyes when he saw Dilip Kumar for the 1st time (Credit: Pinkvilla, Saira Banu Instagram)

Kamal Haasan is known as the encyclopedia of acting. He begun acting in movies as a child actor and has now been in the film business for 64 years. The actor is just as passionate about movies as he was when he started out in 1960. In the exclusive Pinkvilla Masterclass ahead of the release of Lyca Production's Indian 2 (Hindustani 2 in Hindi), Kamal Haasan spoke in length about his upcoming film. He also shared why he almost had tears in his eyes when he saw Dilip Kumar for the first time.

Kamal Haasan Was 1st Struck By The Aura Of Mr Sivaji Ganesan; It's Through Him That He Discovered Dilip Kumar

Kamal Haasan has been an inspiration to millions upon millions of actors and movie aspirants. In the exclusive Pinkvilla Masterclass hosted by Himesh Mankad, the gifted actor was asked about whom he sees or has seen as an inspiration in his life. To this he said, "The truer statement that a Tamilian can make; My horizon started with Mr Sivaji Ganesan sir."

Kamal Haasan, who thought that the world had only one sun that is Mr Sivaji, acknowledged that it was due to him (Mr Sivaji) that he understood that there was an entire galaxy out there. He said, "I found another bright sun called Dilip Kumar Saab. This order is because I was born on the southern tip of this country. Otherwise, maybe I would have found Dilip Kumar Saab first (laughs),"

Kamal Haasan Refers To Dilip Kumar As One Of The Greatest Actors India Has Ever Produced

Raving about Dilip Kumar and justifying why he caught up on his films much later in his life, Kamal Haasan said, "He is one of the greatest actors India has ever produced and way advanced than most actors of his times. He is very international and it took me some time to understand. And because of various political reasons, Hindi films were scarce. So I caught up with Dilip Kumar films much later."

Kamal Haasan Admits Being Scolded By Javed Akhtar For This Reason

Kamal Haasan admitted being scolded by Mr Javed Akhtar for not watching Dilip Kumar's films when they were about to collaborate on a film called Saagar. The first thing he told him was to watch Ganga Jumna so that his (Javed Akhtar's) task becomes easier.

Kamal Haasan Shares That He Almost Had Tears In His Eyes When He Met Dilip Kumar For The First Time

Then, Kamal Haasan shared a throwback story from his first meeting with Dilip Kumar and it was a couple of days after he had watched Ganga Jumna. He said, "I met Dilip Kumar Saab two days later and that was the silver jubilee celebration of Ek Dujhe Ke Liye. And I shook his hands and I almost had tears in my eyes because the effect of Ganga Jumna was still on me,"

Watch the full Pinkvilla Masterclass featuring Kamal Haasan

Kamal Haasan Says That Dilip Kumar Frowned When He Shared That He Saw Ganga Jumna

Recalling his conversation with Dilip Kumar, the Vishwaroopam actor told, "I said, 'I saw your film, sir'. He could see that I was emotional and he was trying to place, which one. And he did ask that question - 'Which film of mine did you see?' and I said 'Ganga Jumna'. He frowned. (What Kamal Haasan thought Dilip Kumar felt) 'What's he trying to say? A very clever quip about my acting or what is it. Why is he talking about Ganga Jamuna'. Then I had to explain him quickly that I am catching up on his work. And what he had done 20 years ago hit me like a thunderbolt."

Kamal Haasan Talks About How He Paid Respect To Dilip Kumar

He concluded saying, "After that, almost every December, I used to go to his house, kneel before him and kiss his hand. That goes to show that I am a film fan even before a film actor."

Indian 2 (Hindustani 2) On 12th July In Theatres Worldwide

Indian 2, titled Hindustani 2 in Hindi, releases worldwide on the 12th of July, 2024. The film's advance bookings will be opening just a few days before its release. How excited are you to watch the S. Shankar movie? Let us know.