Michael Madana Kama Rajan

I might have watched this movie 40+ times, in Telugu and Tamil. Each time it makes me laugh and wonder about the genius of screenplay (Kamalahasan) and direction (Singeetham) behind.

All characters were tightly interwoven including the 4 played by Kamal himself in one of the slickest screenplays ever written for an Indian movie. Take it from the motives of the different characters, their characterization, level of wit, and even small events like a goon getting hit on the hand in the beginning, and appearing all the way through the rest of the movie with a bandage-- are all taken care of impeccably.

And of course, Kamal himself gave a tower of performance -- in fact, make it 4 towers for the 4 roles he played. Very few other actors in the world, and definitely no one in India not only in the contemporary scene but in the entire history itself would have played 4 characters without giving the viewers in such way -- when other actors play even a double role, viewers all the time get confused who is who also -- but here is Kamalahasan playing 4 roles in a movie with no mix up between characters to give you an impression that it might actually be 4 different people from very different backgrounds!! Kudos to his performance.. but for being a comedy or more like a tickling farce kind of one --- this deserves accolades for Kamal's action more than many of his other more serious ventures like Vichitra Sodarulu (Apoorva Sahodarargal), Nayakudu (Nayagan), Vasantha Kokila (Moonram Pirai) and Kshtriya Putrudu (Devar Magan)..

But as he is, Kamal is an entertainer at heart, and he made serious films and entertaining films in tandem throughout this career, this one being the very best of his comedies in terms of both planning and execution. Thanks are due to Rajashri for bringing the original Crazy Mohan dialogues to life in the translated Telugu version. Kamal is also fortunate to have none other than SP Balasubrahmanyam telling his dialogue in Telugu, which made him a superstar in Telugu without even many direct films.. specially this one where there is a great amount of variation in dialogues between the 4 characters he played.

All in all, its my all time favorite in Indian movies and a classic which would be hard to beat for a long time to come. If you think the main purpose of films is entertainment, you should not miss this movie.. But its not a silly story either, even though a very improbable one but who cares? -Ramarao

First of all I am not even Tamil but I really enjoyed the movie. This movie has got to be one of the best comedies ever.

I don't understand Tamil and the movie I watched did not even have subtitles. However, it did not stop me from enjoying the movie. I found it really funny. Kamal Hassan was just awesome in this movie. I think Kamal is one of the best actors in cinema history. I wish he had done some Hollywood movies too.

I am of Indian origin. So, I do watch a lot of Hindi movies too. I have seen a couple of Hindi movies of Kamal's and he was really good in them as well.

I am trying to get my hands on his other movies like Nayagan, Kurudhipunal, Guna, Mahanadhi and Anbe Sivam. Michael Madana Kama Rajan has definitely got to be one of the best performances of Kamal Hassan's in his long career.

Right now, I am waiting for his Vettiyaidu Vilaiayadu. Is it going to be released in the UK, I wonder. I hear it's coming out on Tamil new year but it's so hard to find any information about the UK release dates or whether it's going to be released here or not. If anybody can shed any light on this I'd be grateful...

Agree totally with the above reviews. This is not only the best comedy movies in any language, but perhaps the best movie in any language I feel. Awesome direction, great team work, great dialogues by Crazy Mohan, great acting by Kamal - his best I feel. I was surprised that the story was neither Crazy Mohan's nor Kamal Haasan's. Lovely storyline. You cannot point anything negative in this at all! I wonder why it has not yet been dubbed in any other language. Watch it a 1000 times, and you would not be bored. Kamal as Kameshwaran was amazing! The best family entertainer there can be. I've not seen a better movie. A movie is supposed to be like this - entertainment - nothing else. 100% marks.

Let me start off by saying that this is one of the earliest films I watched, probably when I was five years old, and I liked it instantly. The sheer wit and humor displayed by each character in the film is astounding, to say the least. The plot revolves around the lives of quadruplets separated at birth, and leading seemingly unrelated lives, which intertwine during the course of the film and result in a hilarious comedy of errors. It isn't really the most fantastic plot ever written, and viewers of Indian cinema would know that the premise of brothers or twins separated at birth is an age old pretext for a plot in our movies.

But in this case, it has to be said that the positives by far outnumber the clichés. One huge plus in the movie is obviously Kamal Haasan. He carries off the roles of all the four main characters so convincingly that at times you almost forget it's the same guy. Each of them speaks a different accent, and he seems to bring it out so naturally that all one can do is wonder at the genius of the man. Another factor is the dialogues by Crazy Mohan. The puns and one liners from this creative genius are simply wonderful. The fact that he is from a theatre background only adds to this. And of course, veteran Tamil actors Nagesh and Delhi Ganesh are brilliant in supporting parts which are acted out so naturally, that it makes one feel if acting is easier than a stroll in the park for these people.

Above all this, it is the performances from the smaller characters which really elevates this film from a good comedy to a masterpiece. The villain's henchmen, the hero's friends, his bodyguard,all play their part to perfection, and these small nuances really add to the spirit of the film.

If you haven't yet watched this film, please do so, it is highly recommended. If you have already, I'm sure you'll agree with me when I say, it will never fail to make you laugh.

I agree with one of the previous posters!! Undoubtedly one of the best comedies ever made in any language!

I have seen some of the great comedies like "Some Like it Hot":AFI's #1, "The Producers", "Annie Hall", etc. but this movie will just hold its own, if only audiences can understand the language/ethnicity, if only...

Yes, it is completely unknown outside of South India/Tamilnadu and unfortunately, no amount of sub-titles will ever convey the comic timing of its script.

The screenplay and the script is just too good! I have lost count on the number of times I have seen it but this is one movie I can never get tired of!

Unless & otherwise you were actually born & brought up in that area (urban TamilNadu) it would also be an exercise in futility to explain to an outsider, some of the characterizations in the movie (obviously "Kameshwaran" the cook).

It is a pity that this movie can be cherished only by an esoteric group. That group knows what I am talking about.