#20YearsOfThenali: When Kamal Haasan became Ulaga Nayagan

When Kamal Haasan and KS Ravikumar come together, it’s bound to be a laugh riot. Thenali is no different. The film, which had subtly touched upon mental health issues, stars Kamal as a Sri Lankan Tamil suffering from multiple phobias. With rib-tickling performances from Jayaram, Jyotika, Devayani, Delhi Ganesh, Ramesh Khanna and Madhan Bob, and a soothing soundtrack from AR Rahman, the movie hit screens on 26 October, 2000. As Thenali celebrates its 20th anniversary today, KS Ravikumar talks to us about what went into making the film…