NOT often do you see a mega star in agreement with a film critic.
But book lovers and film buffs alike witnessed one such instance the other day at Landmark, Nungambakkam in Chennai. As film critic Baradwaj Rangan read out a passage from Sadat Hasan Manto’s book, Stars From Another Sky, about Manto’s account of an actress’ personal life, he threw caution to the winds and said that Manto shouldn’t be mistaken for someone who indulges in yellow journalism.
A self-confessed Manto fan , Kamal Haasan agreed with Baradwaj and went on to explain how Manto was completely different from those who gave out dirty details.
It was a promotional event organised by Penguin Books India where Kamal Haasan and Rangan were seen in conversation with each other on Manto’s Stars From Another Sky. The actor, who began by reading out his favourite passages from the book, settled down to narrate how he was influenced by Manto’s another work, Mottled Dawn, when he wrote Hey! Ram.
The conversation, though it veered on to topics like Partition, politics, literature and Kamal’s views on the use of expletives in Tamil Cinema, revealed a list of names that proved decisive in moulding Kamal Haasan into what he is today. The Q and A session that followed complemented the conversation despite a minor hiccup caused by an elderly woman who tried to play moral angel. Fans, who wanted to get their copies of the book, autographed by their favourite idol were left disappointed as Kamal Hassan made a blink-and-disappear- exit from the venue. But in the end, as one Kamal fan pointed out, they got what they wanted: Listen to Kamal Haasan speak of people who had deeply influenced him, and also to ask him questions they always wanted to ask him! The event was an initiative by Penguin Books India to promote its Penguin Classic Books Library.