Still dreaming on

Bonhomie and camaraderie are the heroes in Panchtantram, says Kamal Hassan who was in Planet M Bangalore to promote the film.
This film has five heroes-- Ramesh Arvind, Jayaram, Yudisethu and Sriman -- all friends and sporting French beards. Is the film a takeoff on Dil Chahta Hain? "No way. It is a very different film. Probably we also wear hair gel," says Kamal vehemently. And they are not playing college friends. "I guess we are all too old for that. In this film, we are all married men. I remain unmarried for about two reels." Kamal plays a pilot with Air Canada.
Kamal, who has lost the 25 pounds he had gained for Abhay says, "That kind of weight is not something you can carry around. "I have decreased my diet and instead of 30 eggs (white) I eat 10." Kamal blames improper marketing of Abhay for its failure. "I wish Bharath Shah was there to help us out. It would have been good. It is like my baby was strangled by the umbilical cord."
And all the hard work going down the drain is something Kamal says he had to grin and bear and get on with life. "About Hey Ram, I have no rancour," he says.
Marudanayagam, his dream project, still remains a dream because "It needs money in dollars and I refuse to shoot with Indian rupees. Marudanayagam literally means Lord of the Plains in Tamil. Much before Lord of The Rings I got this title. I have to shoot for 140 days more and on certain days, a single shoot might cost Rs 3-4 crore. And then the post-production costs. I know how I will do it. But I don''t know when, it all depends on the money coming in."
With more than four decades in the industry, Kamal says he does not need to go on holidays to chill out. "I enjoy my work so much, I feel that itself is like a holiday."
There are no dearth of offers for this evergreen hero who still looks as fresh and lively as ever. "If I do six films they''ll have an audience. But I have decided to do just one." His next film is with Madhavan and is titled Anbesivam and is directed by Priyadarshan. Is Simran the leading lady? "We haven''t decided on who the leading lady will be. And regarding me and Simran having a relationship, I guess it is not pertinent at all. If I am having one it is my personal and if not again it is a private matter."