Hey Ram

I had heard that Kamal Hassan was a good actor, so I decided to check out Hey Ram. I knew nothing of the plot (best way to see a movie; no expectations...) and I must admit I was emotionally overwhelmed by the end of it.

Kamal Hassan is an amazing actor who is not only passionate about his work but also about his country. And what a pleasure to see Shah Rukh in a minor part.

Hey Ram is a film that every American actor, writer, and director should study. Few American films have had such an effect on me. I highly recommend it.

What an emotional and eye opening journey regarding the dangerous mix of religion and politics. The same dangerous mix we still face today. How can we profess to be products of a creator when we malign and even kill each other for the sake of an interpretation of our creator's being, the love that must have been to create us in the first place. I have just watched the DVD and cannot quite crying for the waste of good lives - the same waste occurring today. Will we ever learn?! Just a note on Shahrukh Khan's role and performance in the film...it was very understated and very moving. Since he his a Muslim, wouldn't it be nice to see him more roles expressing his own beliefs? It's amazing what influence a popular celebrity can have on popular thought. During such a time of religious warfare, it would be nice to see more films such as this that leave one with the conclusion the religious wars are an abomination. That there really is no such thing as a righteous war. Killing in the same of our creator is much the same as killing our siblings in the name of our parents. Can you imagine them condoning such behavior? Not I.

This was an excellent film on several levels including artistry, story line, and acting and direction. For what ever reason one would want to view films, except for simple mindless escapism, this is one to view and digest.

A Real Eye-Opener... and that's what its is. First of all I would like to inform that I haven't yet watched the original version of this movie which claims to be better than this Hindi version.That's the reason I can't compare both movies. This movie has it all,whether its Hard-Core Reality, maturity, direction, special-effects and most of all great acting and true-to-the-core screenplay which provides us with nothing but tough reality which can be bargained for nothing, NOT even for what everybody calls, Religious Tolerance. However one tries to ignore it,one cannot defy the hard truthfulness of the subject of this movie. As far as the plot is concerned it's imaginary but not impossible. The idea that there could have been more than one potential killers of Gandhiji is not impossible.But that is not what the talented Kamal Haasan want to present in front of us.Instead he wants to introduce the ACTUAL circumstances during the times of Indian struggle for freedom. he has truly depicted the life of an average Indian who truly loves his motherland and beautifully depicted the transformations he undergoes from an anti-Muslim, anti-Gandhi to a humanataranian. My personal favourite from the movie though is not Kamal's character but that of Atul Kulkarni's.The way he lives his life as tough as that,his inteligence,his intense love for his motherland which overrides his mind even in the eventuality of facing a physical disorder which he has to suffer and also as a result of which he get bedridden is truly inspirational.And most of all it was TRUE in those days! The visual-effects though not the greatest but are great. This script is what we can call a revolution in (1)typical Indian's thinking standards,(2)expression of hard-core reality. Also as a movie its simply great for its acting,visual effects, direction and most of all its Script. Truly, this movie enjoyed the well deserved nomination from India's part in the category of Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards.And it well could have been the winner if only it could have been possible for Kamal Haasan to put much more necessary efforts in that direction. Finally,though not a completely perfect movie still I would give it a 10 out of 10 due to its TRUTHFULNESS. If the Always Talented Kamal Haasan makes a next movie even half good as this one I would like to watch it. Its unarguably the best of all Indian movies including Hindi ones.

It's my personal Rank One among my top ten Indian (though not international)movies. The future would be great if more individuals would watch more mature movies like this. Also this is my first review of its kind so if possible forgive me for any misgivings.

Gandhiji is said to be the father of the India. A Mahathma who lived his principles instead of just preaching. But why on earth someone would want to kill him? It is something that the politicians and religious fellows wanted to hide from the general public. Kamal Hassan takes a brave step in putting things on the screen for everyone to see. True that the film evoked anger at many sects, but none could stop the film as everything is history and hence cannot be denied. The film supports religious harmony and breaks a lot of myths (including the one that Gandhi said 'hey ram' after being shot). Every Indian should see the film (where he is a Hindu or a Muslim doesn't matter at all). For that India would live in peace.

Kamal Hasan is a truly great actor and with this film he has cemented his status a talented director. This is an epic film which is extremely thoughtful. It shows how a rationale man can turn into a prujudiced extremist. It shows that hatred for past tragic events will not solve feelings of loss of a loved one. It also shows that compassion and sacrifice are needed in politics rather that populist rabble rousing. This film has been criticized in many quarters for many reasons. People have said that the film focuses on Kamal Hasan too much and that it a self indugent vanity fest. This is unfair considering Mr Kamalji is one of the best actors in India. Also the film is about this person and the imapct on his thinking to tragic surrounding events. The film would not have worked without this intense focus. The film's storyline has been labeled inconsistent. It has been cited that the change to a anti-Islamic Hindu fundamenatlist in Kamal Hasan's character was not explained. If a muslim (who was a loyal servant and friend) had murdered your wife I think most people attitudes to your fellow man would change. The film has a consistent plot. The only critisicm is that perhaps the film was too long but overall a great film which is indeed an experiment with truth.