Shah Rukh Khan’s association with Hey Ram continues to be remembered as one of his most unusual collaborations. In a recent interview, Kamal Haasan revisited the film’s journey and spoke at length about Shah Rukh’s contribution.
“It was so edge-of-the-seat that audiences slipped out of their seats and out of the theatres (laughs),” he joked. “Even when I was making it, people asked me what the hell I was doing. Such expenses for what? I said it was a promise I made to myself. Like a spouse and a house.”
‘I was in financial soup’
Reflecting on the aftermath, Kamal admitted that the film’s failure had serious financial consequences.
“I was in financial soup,” he said, adding that the project could have gone either way but unfortunately took the “unsuccessful way, which wasn’t very convenient financially.”
He also revealed that one producer compelled him to reduce his remuneration at the last minute. Despite the setback, Kamal maintained that he has always been transparent about his finances.
“As an actor, I’ve no complaints. I’m one of the highest-paid actors in the country. Thanks to my brother, Chandra Haasan, who looks into my tax matters, I have zero tax arrears. That leaves me with no surplus funds for Swiss bank accounts at all.
But I sleep very peacefully at night. When I hear the thud of boots down my corridor, I don’t cringe in fear. You can call it virtuous stupidity. But it’s a comfortable life,” he said.
Shah Rukh Khan’s role and publicity mismatch
Kamal also addressed criticism that he may have been “self-indulgent” while making the film. According to him, a section of the audience felt misled during the Mumbai promotions.
“That’s because the publicity in Mumbai made them feel there was much more of Shah Rukh Khan in the film,” he explained. Shah Rukh played a small but pivotal role in Hey Ram, and Kamal suggested that expectations around his screen time may have contributed to audience disappointment.
