Met Kamal Hassan

I was reading an article about Dhasavatharam, a film in which Kamal dons 10 roles! It is supposedly the second film in tamil where an actor does that, and might go on to be a record.

While reading it, I remembered that my wife and I met Kamal Hassan, on Feb 5, 2007, early morning at the KualaLumpur International Airport, at the baggage section.

We were I guess around 10 people totally at that particular time, in the whole bay. Aarthi tapped me and said "Kamal paaru...Kamal da"...I turned to my left and saw no one and was thinking she was kidding. She pointed the other way, and I turned right to see him stand a couple of feet away from me.

It was a strange moment, since no words would come out of me. I didnt know what to tell him. I just extended my hand and he smiled, shook my hands. And in the next instant, his baggage arrived, and he and his crew of around 3 people, left the airport. Though brief, it was nice to meet the person you are a huge fan of.

Speaking of meeting people of the Tamil film industry, I've met SPB at Hyderabad, on 25th May, 2003, when my dad and I were having lunch at Shanbagh restaurant. Incidentally, it was my first day at Hyderabad. And the same evening, went on to meet Vijayakumar , he was on a shooting schedule at Hyderabad, along with my uncle. There are a lot of others, whom I've seen, but not talked to.

I dont know, but it does seem like these people are larger than life, though you know they are like us ordinary people. But the glamour of cinema does make it feel different.

I grew up in an environment where I could meet a lot of celebrities from films, since my uncle is one of them. And I presume it must be normal for me to meet stars, but everytime I see one, I kind of feel childlike and excited... Guess it will never change...