Kamal Haasan and Shruti Haasan came together for — in their own words — a rare conversation, which gave a glimpse into the interpersonal relationship between the father-daughter duo, Kamal Haasan’s take on materialistic wants, and his childhood spent with limited financial resources. The session involved Shruti and Kamal asking each other questions. “What is one wish that you haven’t fulfilled?” asked Shruti to Kamal Haasan. Like always, there was no straight answer from the actor. However, this time around, the question made the actor open up about his take on materialistic desires and wants.
Kamal said, “There are a lot of those, a lot. My intention is not to list all of them. Listing them makes you go ‘I want this, that, and this.’ That’s when I remind myself, at Eldams Road (where his old family home is situated), my father gave me a small room that could perhaps fit two pianos. It was on the top floor… so, the heat! The restroom was three floors down. My father’s attitude was, ‘you know a lot so stay here. When you think you can’t go on like this, tell me and I will buy you a cow that you can rear.”
He added, “So, I used to lie down and think, all I want is Rs 10,000 per month. I would make a list of things I would want to do with that money. I don’t even remember the things on that list. But those wants helped me sleep. I wanted to buy a scooter, then I wanted to buy a car. Now, when I have the wealth to buy all of those things, ‘I wonder what do I want? A plane?’ I recently watched an interview of Shar Rukh (Khan). He said he wants to buy a plane. I felt happy seeing him because he still has a list. Personally, I feel, I shouldn’t have any list. I am not trying to become ascetic. Where is the end to it? Okay, if I want a plane, I wonder, how much will I use it? If I buy a big house like this in Kodaikanal, how much time will I spend there? Maximum one month. Then I will run back here. Why should I then buy a bungalow there?”
When Shruti asked if his films are his only wants, Kamal Haasan said, “I have a friend who has written a book called Ikigai. I recently met him. That book is about having the maturity to keep doing things you love. That’s my wish. Yesterday, Rahman Sir, Mani Ratnam, and I composed a song in just two hours (for Thug Life). We didn’t discuss how much it was worth, neither did we clap and celebrate it. But there is happiness. I went around like a child bragging that we finished the song in such a short span. And then I wondered whether I was gloating too much as people like Kannadasan have finished songs in five minutes? But that is what brings happiness to me.”
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