When Kamal was a diehard fan of Puttanna, Dr Raj

Smitten by Bengaluru bug

Kamal Haasan arrived to a deafening roar from the galleries of a mall here on Thursday.

“If someone asks me what keeps me going, it’s this unconditional love from you all,” he told the scores of fans gathered to get a glimpse of their favourite star.

The legendary performer was here to promote his upcoming film ‘Vikram,’ which also stars big names like Vijay Sethupathi and Fahadh Faasil.

The Tamil film, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, hits the screens worldwide on Friday.

Police found it difficult to handle the overflowing crowd at the venue.

Kamal spoke about the time when he was a fan of two artistes - thespian Dr Rajkumar and filmmaker Puttanna Kanagal - the evergreen stalwarts of Kannada cinema.

“Whenever Puttanna Kanagal made a film, my guru K Balachander would take a car and come to Bengaluru (then Bangalore) to watch the film on the first day and I would come along with him,” he said.

The 67-year-old said he had lots to learn from Dr Rajkumar.

“He told me I acted well when I was just 21. I learnt to respect people from him. He would stand next to me as though he is seeking a role from me. That’s how humble he was. He inaugurated my maiden production ‘Raja Paarvai’ (1981) and he was there on the first day of the shoot of ‘Pushpaka Vimana’ (1987) to support me,” he recollected.

The veteran actor reminisced his golden days in the city.

“I would come to Bengaluru to interact with Girish Karnad and B V Karanth. I am a big fan of Karnad and we never fully realised what a great man he was when he was alive. Then there is the Windsor Manor, where ‘Pushpaka Vimana’ was shot. My driver told me that he thinks of me whenever he passes by the landmark,” he said.

He said the city has changed a lot. “I would jog everyday in the city whenever I came here. But today, if you leave me alone at the Kempegowda Circle, I will get lost,” he said.