Kamal Haasan at ‘Indian 2’ audio launch: ‘Divide and rule will not work in India anymore’

The audio launch of Kamal Haasan’s ‘Indian 2’, which marks ace director Shankar’s first collaboration with composer Anirudh Ravichander, was a star-studded event with fierce speeches and breezy performances

“Indian is back,” seemed to be the most repeated line at the audio launch of actor Kamal Haasan and director Shankar’s Indian 2. Stars descended at the Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai on Sunday to celebrate the film’s music, and the reunion between the veteran actor and director after their 1996 film Indian.

Apart from Anirudh Ravichander, who is collaborating with Shankar for the first time as the music director of Indian 2, the event saw the cast and crew of the film, including Kajal Aggarwal, Rakul Preet Singh, Bobby Simha and Brahmanandam, in attendance. Actor Silambarasan TR, and directors Lokesh Kanagaraj and Nelson, also attended the audio launch.

At the event, actor-singer Shruti Haasan surprised fans with a rendition of a melange of Kamal hits; Shankar’s son Arjith Shankar, on the other hand, gave a dance performance while the filmmaker’s daughter and actor Aditi Shankar danced and sang an assortment of songs from Shankar’s previous films. Naagin-fame Mouni Roy and Urvashi Rautela also danced for a medley of songs.

Nelson, who had directed the reality show Bigg Boss Tamil that Kamal hosts, said, “I was present at the episode in which Indian 2 was announced. I’ve seen the long journey this film took. I also directed the audio launch programs of I and 2.0 in this very place. Shankar sir pushes the boundaries, taking Tamil cinema to a new height. It’s a dream even to get near to that. Rajini sir often praised Shankar sir for his commitment and dedication.” Pointing out an incident on the sets of Bigg Boss, he also said, “I remember him (Kamal Haasan) spotting a spelling mistake in Tamil during a task in the show and he reprimanded me for it. I felt so proud to have gotten scolded by Kamal sir that I told everyone about it.”

Lokesh Kangaraj, who had teamed up with Kamal for Vikram (2022), said, “I’ve always asked for updates about Indian 2 whenever I meet anyone related to it. To get his signature on Vikram’s contract, I went to the sets of Indian 2 where I got to meet him in the ‘Indian thatha’ avatar. To sign the contract, it took almost five minutes to remove prosthetics from his two fingers.”

Next, the film’s female leads Kajal Aggarwal and Rakul Preet Singh took over the stage. Kajal said, “I’ve learnt so much from Kamal sir and it’s a dream-come-true moment to work with Shankar sir.” Rakul said, “Kamal sir exhibits so much dedication and tries to challenge himself more. I learnt so much from him. I can finally say I’m also a Shankar sir film heroine.”

Veteran actor Brahmanandam said, “Shankar, more than being a world-renowned director, is a great human. He’s so dedicated to his craft. Kamal is such a committed actor and I feel proud to be one of his contemporaries.”