Kamal Haasan reveals missed opportunity to collaborate with Satyajit Ray on music for cult film Pushpak
In a surprising revelation that has left film fanatics and cinephiles intrigued, veteran actor-filmmaker Kamal Haasan has opened up about what could have been one of the most iconic collaborations in Indian cinema history.
Haasan disclosed that the team behind Pushpak - the cult silent film released in 1987 - was on the verge of reaching out to the legendary auteur Satyajit Ray to compose its music.
Speaking candidly about the behind-the-scenes deliberations with India Today, Kamal Haasan reflected on the lost opportunity with unmistakable regret.
'We were on the very edge of contacting Mr Satyajit Ray to do music for Pushpak. We missed it and we still regret it. But then market pressures and we had to settle down and get the film done,' he said.
While Pushpak is famously known for being a silent film, its background score and musical cues play a pivotal role in storytelling. Haasan revealed that Satyajit Ray, a maestro not just of film but also of music, would have not only contributed artistically but taken the project to another level.
'But that would have taken us places. He would have advised us and the fact that he didn't know this was happening out of earshot and he mentions about Pushpak is that it truly is a missed opportunity. He would have worked,' Haasan shared.
'We were thinking he 'could have', but he would have worked because of the way heard him talk about that one scene in Pushpak. He would have liked it and we missed an opportunity. This industry is full of lost opportunities like that,' Haasan added.
Pushpaka Vimana, also known as Pushpak (in Hindi) is a black comedy film, written and directed by Singeetam Srinivasa Rao. The film released in 1987. The film, which has no dialogue, stars Kamal Haasan leading an ensemble cast that includes Samir Khakhar, Tinu Anand, KS Ramesh, Amala, Farida Jalal, Pratap Potan, Lokanath, PL Narayana and Ramya.
It revolves around an unemployed graduate who encounters a drunk rich man unconscious and takes over his lifestyle after keeping him prisoner.
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