A shocking incident that prompted Kamal Haasan to write ‘Mahanadhi’

One of the most celebrated films of Kamal Haasan is 'Mahanadhi' which released in 1994. The film was produced by Raj Kamal Films International and directed by Santhana Bharathi with the script written by Kamal Haasan. Popular Tamil writer Ra.Ki.Rangarajan penned the dialogues along with Kamal for the film.

23 years after its release, Kamal has revealed a shocking incident that prompted him to write the film. On account of the 70th Independence Day of India, a popular national newspaper which also has a digital version has made Kamal write about his 70 favourite movies.

Kamal's list includes films from various languages with his comment on why he liked the film. The list covers a wide range of films from yesteryear classics such as 'Parasakathi', Mughal E Azam, 'Samskara' and 'Chemmeen' to the contemporaries such as 'Dangal', 'Manam' and 'Thithi'. Out of 70, 21 are the films in which Kamal has acted in. This 21 includes 'Aboorva Ragangal', the debut film of Superstar Rajinikanth, 'Avargal' and '16 Vayathiniley' in which Kamal and Rajini have acted together. The list also includes Kamal's contemporary star Mammootty's 'Thaniavarthanam' and Chiranjeevi starrer 'Mana Voori Pandavalu'.

However the most conspicuous miss in the list is another classic Kamal Haasan-Rajinikanth starrer 'Aval Appadithan' which would not have been made as a film without the interest showed by Kamal in the project. Sri Priya who played the lead character revealed in an interview that it was Kamal who convinced her to act in the film for a salary which was much lower than her then market value. The film was also extensively shot in Kamal's Alwarpet residence cum office.

Coming to 'Mahanadhi', Kamal Haasan revealed for the first time ever that a ploy to kidnap his daughter prompted him to write the film.

Kamal explains that his household helpers made a plan to kidnap one of his two daughters for ransom and they even made a dry run. Thankfully he discovered the ploy by accident and which made him angry to the extent of being ready to kill for his child's safety. However his "saw sense it time" and sat down to write a new script based on this incident.