Veteran actor Yatin Karyekar has made some surprising remarks about Kamal Haasan while recalling their experience of working together in Vasool Raja MBBS and Hey Ram. During a recent podcast interview, Karyekar described Kamal Haasan as “self-obsessed” and claimed that the actor often made creative changes to scenes so that his character never appeared weak on screen.
However, he also made it clear that he respects Kamal Haasan’s talent as a filmmaker and actor.
Yatin Karyekar Says Kamal Haasan Changed an Important Scene
Speaking on Siddharth Kannan’s podcast, Yatin Karyekar spoke about Vasool Raja MBBS, the Tamil remake of Rajkumar Hirani’s blockbuster Munna Bhai MBBS.
He recalled that one of the most powerful scenes from the Hindi film was altered in the Tamil version.
In Munna Bhai MBBS, Jimmy Shergill’s character slaps Sanjay Dutt during an emotional confrontation. According to Karyekar, Kamal Haasan did not want the same scene in the remake.
Instead, the slap was replaced with a push.
Karyekar said, “Kamal Haasan is very self-obsessed. We were shooting for Vasool Raja MBBS. The scene where Jimmy Shergill slaps Sanjay Dutt in the Hindi version was being recreated in Tamil, but he didn’t let that scene happen. He replaced the slap with a push.”
Assistant Director Was Under Pressure During the Change
Karyekar also remembered that the assistant director appeared extremely tense while the scene was being discussed.
According to him, he wondered why the change was necessary when Sanjay Dutt had performed the original scene without any hesitation.
He recalled thinking, “When a Sanjay Dutt can do it, what is this man’s problem?”
Comparison With Munna Bhai MBBS
Yatin Karyekar also compared the emotional impact of the Tamil remake with the Hindi original.
He said the authority that Sunil Dutt brought as Munna’s father in Munna Bhai MBBS could not be recreated in Vasool Raja MBBS.
According to Karyekar, nobody in the remake could speak to Kamal Haasan’s character with the same level of authority.
He added, “Nobody could say, ‘Ae, jaa na,’ to Kamal Haasan in the role of his father in the film.”
Karyekar on Kamal Haasan and Controversies
Apart from discussing the film, Karyekar also shared his opinion about Kamal Haasan’s public image.
He claimed that Kamal often used controversies to keep attention focused on himself and his projects.
As an example, he recalled an incident during the shooting of Hey Ram. According to him, Kamal Haasan once sat in front of an aeroplane to protest a flight delay, an act that attracted widespread media coverage.
Karyekar said he personally did not agree with that approach.
Despite Criticism, He Praised Kamal Haasan
Although Yatin Karyekar criticised some of Kamal Haasan’s decisions, he was equally generous in appreciating his abilities.
He described Kamal as an exceptional technician and filmmaker. Moreover, he said his disagreement was only with Kamal’s approach to handling his public image and certain creative decisions.
About Vasool Raja MBBS
Released in 2004 and directed by Saran, Vasool Raja MBBS is the Tamil remake of Rajkumar Hirani’s hit film Munna Bhai MBBS.
The film starred Kamal Haasan in the lead role alongside Prabhu, Sneha, Prakash Raj and Nagesh. Yatin Karyekar and Rohini Hattangadi reprised the characters they had played in the Hindi version.
The movie became a commercial success and remains one of the most popular remakes in Tamil cinema.