Lilliput reveals Kamal Haasan got him role in Saagar, claims actor-filmmaker used his love story in Apoorva Sagodharargal | Entertainment News
3 min readMumbaiUpdated: Mar 6, 2026 09:29 PM IST
Actor Lilliput, known to the current generation as the no-nonsense gangster from Mizapur, has actually been working in the film industry since the 1980s. Over his more than five-decade-long career, he has collaborated with several big stars and directors. In fact, one of his first recognized on-screen performances came in Ramesh Sippy’s Saagar, which co-starred Rishi Kapoor and Kamal Haasan. In a recent chat with Siddharth Kannan, Lilliput revealed that it was Kamal who recommended him for the film.
‘Need someone slightly smaller’: Kamal Haasan
Lilliput recalled how Kamal Haasan noticed his performance in a previous project and remembered him when Saagar was about to be made. “One day I went to Prithvi Theatre, and people told me, ‘Kamal Haasan is looking for you,’” Lilliput said, chuckling at the memory, still thinking it might be a prank. Soon after, he received an invitation from the superstar himself to meet him at his hotel room.
Recounting the meeting, he said, “‘Come, come,’ he told me. ‘We are making a film called Saagar. There is a role, which is parallel to mine. It won’t work if it’s equal to my character. So I need someone slightly smaller. Go and meet Ramesh Sippy.’” Soon after meeting Ramesh Sippy, Lilliput was cast and began working on the film.
In the same conversation, Lilliput also reflected on his experience working with Kamal Haasan on the set of Saagar. “He enjoys a lot, he used to sit with me, we shared laughter. He would listen to me talk, try to understand my psychology, click my photos, and later went on to make Appu Raja,” he said.
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‘He took my love story’: Lilliput
When asked if one of Kamal Haasan’s characters in Apoorva Sagodharargal was inspired by him, Lilliput said, “He took my love story.” When asked if the superstar ever credited and acknowledged him publicly. He said, “No,” adding further, “That track of love and heartbreak was something I told him, but after a point, I didn’t tell him everything. But he kept that situation, and the way in one of the scenes he expressed it… Oh my God, it’s brilliant.”
Previously, Lilliput had revealed that he believed he was unlucky for Amitabh Bachchan, as projects he was supposed to do with the superstar never materialized, until 2005, when Bunty Aur Babli finally happened. Even then, when director Shaad Ali approached him for the caper-comedy, he was hesitant. Scarred by past experiences, he warned Shaad, “I am unlucky. Films with Amitji and me don’t get made. Yours might not either.” Shaad, however, was unfazed. “I don’t believe in superstitions,” he said, and went ahead with the film.
