Quotes from Kamal Haasan

We should work towards a legislation to sack non-performing politicians. This may not happen during my lifetime, but I will try for it anyway.

The most feared thing should be death, but after a lot of rumination, I have settled to fear incessant pain. It is not a 'screaming hysterically' kind of fear but a silently lurking one.

I have been vociferous against government on things like beef. I used to eat beef, but I've stopped. That doesn't mean others shouldn't eat beef.

I've entered politics the moment I marked my finger with the electoral voting mark. So I've entered politics, but I am not a politician. I am doing my duty as a citizen of India.

There is a buffet of ideologies for me to choose from. I've been a fan of certain communist and socialist ideals. Some have failed, some have succeeded. I've lived long enough to understand where all they failed.

The disgraces I suffer should be attributed to me, but the praises that I get go to my family and teachers. It is they who decided what I would become.

I don't remember myself to be a forefront fighter, but when pushed to a point with a wall behind me, there is only one way forward. Later you can call it a Rambo syndrome, but I never regret it, as it comes naturally to me, and in my mind, that is the only way.

I've always believed in speaking my mind, and I think the technology has made it more prominent. Even a common man's voice is heard prominently now, much to the chagrin and surprise of politicians. They aren't used to that.

The fact that I've lived this long is not really an achievement. Time passes; we age... it's natural. This is why it annoys me when a person watches a movie and tells me that it was 'time pass.' Would time not have passed if he hadn't watched the film?

When I was 16, I felt I might be left with some effeminacy because of all the dancing. I was so full of classical dance that I wanted to get away and do something else.

A political party is about an ideology. And I don't think my goals in politics can match the ideology of any political party.

When you don't take a stand against corruption you tacitly support it.

Happiness is perhaps painlessness, a state one rarely appreciates. Happiness, then, is very much like a great talent. It rarely gets appreciated and is taken for granted.

Sometimes we equate anger to destructive physical violence, but anger need not be martial.

You have to appreciate the finer points of your work; criticise, too, if needed. I am also my own worst and most honest critic. I can say things which nobody will ever dare say. Even the best of friends will stop at a point, whereas I can go beyond.

The creation of God itself, I deduced, came from our primal fear.

Acting ceases to be work because I enjoy it. But it feels like working when I do bad work, especially when I know it is bad.

People keep saying Balachander discovered me. I differ. He invented me. When a stalwart like him suggests that I act in films, who am I to refuse?

I'd like to keep updating myself. That's the only way to make life interesting. And because I am a performer, I like to do it deliberately and with purpose.

Would I get into politics? I'll just say what I tell people when they ask me this: Pray that everyday citizens like me aren't pushed to that corner.

Entering politics would be like donning a crown of thorns.

If it doesn't reach the last poor man, your constitution is wrong.

As a principle, I will never react to film criticisms. As long as they are part of film fraternity, whatever they say will be beneficial to cinema.

If reality TV is bad, so is Colosseum, so are the gladiators, so are sports. I think cricket is bad. But that's a point of view.