Growing up in the 1980s and being an admirer of Hindi films, we were hooked to the films of Amitabh Bachchan and Mithun Chakraborty. Around that time, we came to know of two films, Ek Duuje Ke Liye (1981) and Sanam Teri Kasam (1982), starring a young Tamil actor, which were making some noise.

We were not even teenagers then and hence not allowed to watch films in movie theatres alone, especially Hindi films. Our only avenue to watch glimpses of them were through songs that were played on Chitrahaar (the hugely popular programme on Doordarshan showcasing Hindi movie songs). Haasan was unlike any of the other heroes that we had seen. He possessed a casual charm and versatility which was so endearing.

Around the same time another film of his, Sadma, with Sridevi sealed his stature as one of the finest actors in Indian cinema. He is, after all, one of the few actors who has received four National Awards in his career – topped only by Shabana Azmi who has received five.

Saagar: A brilliant actor who portrayed unrequited love with such honesty

But it was the Ramesh Sippy film Saagar, that released in 1985, which made us fans of Kamal Haasan. Here was a guy with a superb physique and looks, an amazing dancer and most importantly a brilliant actor who portrayed unrequited love for the heroine, Dimple Kapadia, with such honesty and integrity that we were intrigued. It was such a moving performance that audiences all over the country fell in love with Kamal Haasan.

After that phase he starred in some forgettable Hindi films and soon after went back to act in Tamil films – several of them seminal – with some occasional forays into Hindi cinema. His Mani Ratnam-directed Tamil film Nayakan (1987) went on to become a masterpiece of Indian cinema.

South: Era of blockbuster films and pan-India superstars

In recent years, particularly after the advent of OTT platforms, films from the South have made a huge impact on the Indian film scenario. Previously there was very little scope to catch up on regional cinema, so one could only watch actors from other parts of India when they had Hindi film releases. Thus, we came to know of Rajinikanth (Andhaa Kaanoon and Geraftaar), Nagarjuna (Shiva), Venkatesh (Anari) and Mohanlal (Company) to name a few. Even Sridevi became a pan-India superstar after she started acting in Hindi films.

But this has changed in the last two-three years. These days, big films from the South have a wide pan-India release and some of them have a much bigger box office impact than even blockbuster Bollywood films. And that is how Dhanush, Surya, Prabhas, Fahadh Faasil, Vijay Sethupathi, Allu Arjun and many others have become pan-India superstars.

Still from 'Ek Duuje Ke Liye'. Youtibe screen grab

Fahadh Faasil: The versatility and the power of Kamal Haasan of the ’80s

In this backdrop, comes the reincarnation of Kamal Haasan through Lokesh Kanagaraj’s brilliant film Vikram, also starring Fahadh Faasil and Vijay Sethupathi. As rightly described by film critic Baradwaj Rangan, Vikram is a historic film and a fitting big screen comeback for Kamal Haasan. It is as if after decades he has come back and firmly established himself yet again, alongside the modern-day superstars from the South.

Vikram is a classical action genre film. In contrast to a film like RRR, it does not rely on hyper-reality and fantastic storytelling. With a strong storyline, and marvelously choreographed action sequences, it heavily relies on the acting prowess of three of India’s finest actors currently. Somehow, I see in Fahadh Faasil a Kamal Haasan of the ’80s. He has the same versatility and the power as the actor who had enthralled the country many decades back.

Vikram: Audiences of this generation can get to see the brilliance of Kamal Haasan

In Vikram, Kamaal Haasan excels in his stunning action sequences as well as deftly brings out the emotional underpinnings which I would say is the crux of the film. I personally believe that as an actor it is extremely difficult to pull off ‘dialogue-baazi’ convincingly. That’s one of the elements which makes an actor a ‘star’. Kamal Haasan does that with elan in Vikram. There is also a dance number at the beginning of the film which touches upon his greatness as a dancer. It is really heartening that audiences of this generation can get to see the versatility of one of the greatest icons of Indian cinema.

Seeing Vikram, I was taken back to the time when I first saw this unbelievable powerhouse of talent many decades ago. He still reigns supreme.