With Kamal Haasan relinquishing ‘Ulaganayagan’ title, here's how its origin began with Thenali
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On Monday, November 11, actor and politician Kamal Haasan relinquished his monicker ‘Ulaganayagan’ through a press note, and requested fans and media to address him by his name, simply Kamal or KH. However, it is interesting to note the origins of his monicker which was given to him by veteran filmmaker KS Ravikumar when he directed him in Thenali.
How did Kamal Haasan earn Ulaganayagan title in Thenali?
Thenali was released in 2000 and is directed by KS Ravikumar. The film became the first time Kamal Haasan was credited as Ulaganayagan, a monicker he relinquished recently.
KS Ravikumar recalled the time when he was the one who suggested adding the title for the first time with Thenali. “He was at the Aalavandhan shoot when I went to the sets and shot just his eyes. He did not want to have any title, but it was for my satisfaction since I produced for the first time with Thenali. I insisted on giving him a title,” KS Ravikumar had recalled.
Thenali was produced by KS Ravikumar under the RK Celluloid banner. However, 24 years after the release of the film, Kamal Haasan in a press note, requested not to call him ‘Ulaganayagan’ anymore. It is to be noted that before Kamal Haasan, Ajith Kumar also requested his fans not to call him ‘Thala’ but simply refer to him as AK.
Where to watch Thenali on OTT?
Thenali was released in 2000 and is a comedy film also starring actors Jayaram, Devayani, Jyothika, Delhi Ganesh, Charle, Ramesh Khanna, and Madhan Bob in supporting roles. In Thenali, Kamal Haasan plays a Sri Lankan refugee who suffers from a number of phobias, consults with a doctor, joins the latter in his family vacation, and becomes close with them much to the doctor's frustration.
If you would like to stream the film that earned Kamal Haasan his much-loved monicker, it is available on Aha Tamil and the OTTplay Premium app. Thenali is said to have been inspired by the 1991 American film What About Bob? which went on to become a commercial success. The film earned several awards and has music scored by AR Rahman, with Crazy Mohan penning the dialogues.
