Exclusive - Kamal Haasan on adapting AI: "It's a great tool, we won't get angry or ridicule it...'

Kamal Haasan exclusive

Veteran Tamil actor and filmmaker, Kamal Haasan, who is gearing up for the release of his new film Thug Life, has always been willing to change with the times.

Whether it has been his groundbreaking storytelling or his role as an early advocate for over-the-top (OTT) before the industry adopted them, Kamal Haasan has never been one to follow the crowd.

In this era of Artificial Intelligence (AI), seasoned actor Kamal Haasan offered a perceptive analysis on how technology is changing the film industry and beyond.

In an exclusive interview with Moneycontrol, Kamal Haasan discussed AI, revealing that it all started with a simple curiosity. Yet he joked that he quickly realised he needed to keep the course brief.

Also Read: Exclusive - Mani Ratnam on reuniting with Kamal Haasan for Thug Life: 'When Kamal sir appears in a film, half of the director's load is relieved'

My naiveté led me to abandon a lengthy course that I had previously enrolled in. During the conversation, he jokingly said that it didn’t take him long to realise that he needed to make the course a short one.

“I went for a long course and I cut it short because I understood I was being naive. I came back and that's also a great learning,” he told us.

Comparing his experience to owning a car, Kamal Haasan said in his characteristic wit, “So, I want to own a car. I admire a car. Why learn to be a mechanic for that car? So, that's what I was trying to do which I thought is not necessary.”

Kamal Haasan, however, agreed that it is important to embrace the AI tool and not let it overpower creativity. “It's a great tool and we will use it. We won't sort of get angry or ridicule it,” he added.

Kamal Haasan's view comes at a time when global film industries are grappling with ethical questions around AI—whether it's using digital doubles, voice synthesis, or AI-generated scripts.

Last September Kamal Haasan had enrolled himself for a crash course in Artificial Intelligence (AI) at a top U.S. institute.

Kamal Haasan also spoke about his collaboration with Mani Ratnam after a gap of 38 years. He said they both were excited to be working together.

“I'm excited to come together. Now I'm even more excited,” he said.

When we asked him about doing high-octane action sequences in Thug Life, Kamal Haasan jokingly said, “Thanks to all the injuries, I'm a more experienced action actor now. I was saying in a previous interview that our pride about the action and the film is, before the release, what is it that we are proud of is that nobody got hurt. That's crucial. It's not enough if you just say, No, animals were hurt. No, humans are also hurt. So, that's what I'm adding one more line to.”

Thug Life is directed by Mani Ratnam, and it also stars Trisha Krishnan, Silambarasan TR, and Abirami in key roles. The film will be released on June 5.