Kamal Haasan: “Balu Mahendra and I shared a very close relationship”

Kamal Haasan has come open about his relationship with the multi talented personality late Balu Mahendra saying that he shared close relationship with him. The filmmaker, cinematographer, screenwriter and editor Mahendra, received 3 Filmfare wards in different categories and took his last breath in Chennai on February 13. Kamal stated, "Balu Mahendra and I shared a very close relationship. His debut film as a cameraman was with me. We used to sit and talk about films between shots. He used to listen to my scripts. So we had a bonding. In spite of being my senior, he was a friend."

The director was an inspiration for Haasan and both have grown up together watching cinema, "We had grown up watching cinema from the world over. And I'd like to think we had imbibed a certain maturity in our outlook which showed in our work together.” He also talks about Balu’s lady love Shoba, “When Balu directed his first film 'Kokila', I was his actor. (Actress Shoba, whom Balu loved, played the lead...In 'Sadma', both Balu and I made a conscious decision to keep sex out of the relationship between me and Sridevi. Not that he or I was averse to the idea of sex on screen.”

Late Mahendra has worked in many flicks as director but more than direction, he has given contribution in cinematography. Balu stepped in the industry in 1971 withNellu and the flick released after 3 years. Kamal is right now in two major projects Vishwaroopam 2 and Uthama Villain. The former is a sequel of 2013 controversial venture Vishwaroopam and it is slated to release in early 2014. Uthama Villain is in pre-production stage and developments are yet to be unfolded.