03 July,2026 08:26 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Kamal Haasan. Pic via Instagram
Veteran actor Kamal Haasan is back in the spotlight after his Hey Ram and Vasool Raja MBBS co-star Yatin Karyekar made a series of candid claims about the actor's working style. In a recent interview with Siddharth Kannan, Yatin alleged that Kamal was particular about protecting his on-screen image and even altered a pivotal scene in Vasool Raja MBBS because he did not want his character to be slapped.
Speaking to Siddharth Kannan, Yatin recalled that a memorable moment from Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. was modified in its Tamil remake, Vasool Raja MBBS.
According to him, the scene in which Jimmy Shergill slaps Sanjay Dutt in the Hindi original was replaced with a push in the Tamil version starring Kamal Haasan.
"He is very self-obsessed," Yatin claimed. "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."
The actor said he was surprised by the decision, recalling that even the assistant director appeared uncomfortable during the discussion. He also felt Vasool Raja MBBS lacked the emotional weight of the original because the father-son relationship did not have the same authority as it did with Sunil Dutt in Munna Bhai M.B.B.S.
Yatin also reflected on his experience working with Kamal Haasan in Hey Ram, alleging that the actor often found himself at the centre of controversies because he believed they kept attention on his work. He recalled an incident in which Kamal allegedly protested a flight delay by sitting in front of an aircraft, an episode that attracted significant media attention.
Despite his criticism, Yatin made it clear that he has immense admiration for Kamal's talent. He described the veteran actor as a brilliant technician and filmmaker, saying his comments were directed at certain aspects of Kamal's working style rather than his craft.
Directed by Saran, Vasool Raja MBBS released in 2004 and featured Kamal Haasan alongside Prabhu, Sneha, Prakash Raj and Nagesh and remains popular even today.
