Kamal Haasan spotted a vacant Friday in August and rushed in happily with his action drama sequel Vishwaroopam 2. The film releases on Friday, August 10. Perhaps Kamal forgot to take into consideration the fact that Bollywood is already in countdown mode for the showdown between two heavyweight films in August, Akshay Kumar’s sports biopic Gold and John Abraham’s crime thriller Satyameva Jayate. And both films, which have a patriotic flavour, have cashed in on the Independence Day week by deciding to release on Wednesday, August 15. That leaves Kamal with only five days to make an impact with Vishwaroopam 2.

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The South superstar seems undaunted by the Bollywood challenge. He’s more concerned with how his political career is shaping up. Especially now with the Thalaiva, Kollywood God Rajnikanth, also throwing his hat into the Tamil Nadu political ring. Kamal had began preparing for politics way in advance and was accepting fewer acting assignments recently. From one a year it became one in two years. But Rajnikanth, who announced his intention to also play the game on his birthday in December, has been busy shooting and is looking forward to 2.0 – the biggest release of his career this November. Their political careers will mean the actors can no longer work together in one of those dream collaborations that Kollywood producers have been planning in vain. Kamal is certain it won’t happen. “Once we are in politics full time...” he said.

Meanwhile, daughters Shruti Haasan and Akshara Haasan, are understandably not keen on Papa Kamal getting into politics. They are reported to have asked their superstar father what happened to the artiste they were so proud of and whose DNA they shared. Kamal, who is not known to take opposition and criticism nicely, is said to have told his girls that nothing happens to the DNA. They carried it forward. Irrespective of whether they got into politics, died,  changed their profession, or failed. He is also believed to have explained to Shruti and Akshara that politics was his true calling and that he was ashamed he wasted a couple of decades answering it. But first, Vishwaroopam 2.