Many of you would have received the e-mail that has been circulating online for a long time now which gives examples of how incidents in Kamal Haasan’s films have often materialized in the real world closely after the films’ release. Some of the examples cited had been the use of the word ‘tsunami’ in Anbe Sivam in 2002, quite an unknown term at that time which became a horror in 2004 and the storyline of Dasavatharam in 2006 where a deadly killer virus originates in a US lab which is being compared to the current swine flu pandemic that started in Mexico. Of course, such things are hard to believe and Kamal would be the last person to lay claim to such quack coincidences because as he said in Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu, he is not ‘Nostradamus’. He is by his own admission a rationalist. That brings us to one of Kamal’s most talked about traits, rationalism and with that atheism.

Kamal Haasan’s atheism is an aspect that has evinced a lot of interest because he has chosen to be vocal about it. Of course, he has been vocal and forthright about many other things that have contributed to him being misunderstood. About atheism, he has been caught saying ‘Thank God, I am an atheist’ (a self-contradictory statement). But, there have been many instances where he has given clear indications that he is not against the concept of the God, the creator, but the system that the society has adopted to venerate that power. In other words, he is upset with the divisions and separations that the system has built into the people that he prefers to stay away from the system itself. As with many other Kamal thoughts, this will take time to be assimilated. Other things that he has been quite frank include his take on relationships that require a societal certification that he considers dispensable in lieu of the institution of family. His views on marriage and its relevance when the concept of family is more important may not actually appease many people who believe in time tested traditions, but he doesn’t seem wary of any such opposition.

Whenever asked about politics he has been heard saying that ‘I am not that good an actor’. A very tactful reply. Unlike many of his colleagues and contemporaries he has never shown inclination towards politics, he has not swayed to temptation. He might be the film personality who has fielded maximum questions on politics and yet never given in, even in the slightest manner, not even to comment on his political likes and dislikes. In his words, he has always remained ‘apolitical’.

Search further and you are sure to find many traits and opinions that make Kamal Haasan unique and peerless. He is definitely not Unnaipol Oruvan. He is one of a kind; ‘Unnaipol Oruvanillai’.