Director Raja Karuppasamy recently shared a special moment with Kamal Haasan ahead of the OTT premiere of his film ‘Modha Rathiri.’ The filmmaker posted a picture with the veteran actor and used the occasion to reflect on the impact Kamal Haasan’s cinema has had on his journey. The meeting has now drawn attention as the director opened up about what the legendary actor told him about his film and his work.
Kamal Haasan praises ‘Modha Rathiri’ director Raja Karuppasamy
The biggest highlight of Raja Karuppasamy’s post was Kamal Haasan’s words for the filmmaker. Sharing the actor’s message in Tamil, which translates to, “You should show everyone in Kodambakkam who you are,” Raja Karuppasamy revealed how meaningful the praise was for him. He also spoke about the deep influence Kamal Haasan’s films have had on his understanding of cinema. “There hasn’t been a single day in my life where I haven’t spoken about your cinema, watched your films, discussed your characters, or learnt something from the way you tell a story. For me, you were never just an actor. You were my cinema school,” he wrote.
Raja Karuppasamy says Kamal Haasan’s films shaped his cinema journey
The ‘Modha Rathiri’ director went on to explain why Kamal’s appreciation carries such importance for him. According to Raja Karuppasamy, the actor’s films helped him understand the many ways cinema can connect with an audience. “Your films taught me how an actor can disappear into a character. How a filmmaker can question society. How cinema can entertain, disturb, make us laugh, make us cry, and still stay with us long after the screen goes dark. Every time I thought I understood cinema, one of your films made me realise how much more there is to learn,” he said. Raja also looked back at his own journey, from watching Kamal Haasan’s films as a fan to eventually becoming a filmmaker himself.
About ‘Modha Rathiri’ OTT release
Raja Karuppasamy ended on an emotional note by thanking Kamal Haasan for the lessons and inspiration his cinema has provided over the years. “From being a fan who watched you on screen with awe, to becoming someone who gets to make films of my own, somewhere in this journey, your cinema has always been a part of me,” he wrote. He added that making a film that creates even a small part of the feeling Kamal’s films gave him would be a blessing. ‘Modha Rathiri,’ meanwhile, is set for its Netflix premiere, taking the film to audiences beyond its theatrical release.
