Kamal Haasan's films not to be part of IFFI

Kamal Haasan was honoured with yet another award, this time for his Lifetime's Achievements in cinema. But the actor and filmmaker feels that the southern film industry lacks the initiative when it comes to participating in national film events.

Haasan recently completed 50 years of being in cinema, yet he will get no recognition at one of the biggest film festivals in the country - the International Film Festival of India.

The festival's retrospective will be featuring films of actors Asha Parekh, Sharmila Tagore and Soumitro Chatterjee - who also complete 50 years in cinema. But Kamal Hassan's works will not be a part of it, allegedly because the actor wanted seven of his films to be screened instead of just the proposed three.

However Haasan refutes this claim, "Some of my friends advised that. Somebody asked the question whether I insisted on seven. It's my friends and well-wishers in Delhi, to name Karthikeyan, he said three won't do, it has to be seven, we will do it in Delhi and that is how it became."

When asked if Bollywood was being given preference over the Southern film industry? Haasan answered, "No it usually happens. The fault is also ours, we don't represent ourselves well. We don't go to meetings, we don't participate. They make do with whoever is participating. It's a diverse culture, there should be unity in diversity."

But awards and accolades continue to pour in for Haasan. On Tuesday, Haasan was honoured for his Lifetime's Achievements in films by the Rotary Club of Madras. And the actor is also expected to Chair the FICCI media and entertainment enclave to be held on Thursday and Friday in Chennai. Not only that, a retrospective of his films is also in the offing.


THANKS:IBN LIVE