‘Don’t call it Kollywood’

Ulaganayagan Kamal Haasan launched the new 24-hour comedy channel Siripoli in the presence of Tamil film comedians like Manobala, Charlie, Viyapuri, MS Bhaskar and Napolean in Chennai.
At the event, he said, ���I look like a joker dressed in a suit in the heat of Chennai. But I think the occasion is right as I���am inaugurating a comedy channel!��� If that brought on the laughs, the high point of the evening was when Kamal joined singers Krish and Kalpana on stage and rendered a song, Panneer Pushpangale..., which he had sung over 30 years back for his Aval Appadithaan under the baton of Ilayaraja.Later, Kamal Haasan quipped that if there���s one thing he hates, it���s the word ���Kollywood���. He explained, ���Please don���t use the term Kollywood. You can call it Chennai films or Tamil film industry. During my younger days, my father used to say ���don���t be a kaali payale (a chap who walks around aimlessly)���. The K-wood word remains me of it.��� We got the point, Mr K!