Kamal Hassan, who turned 50 Sunday, is exulting over two major hits - "Virumaandi" and "Vasool Raja M.B.B.S." - this year.

He says his life is a lot more comfortable as he is able to see his daughters fairly regularly, following his divorce from Sarika.

"I now have a smile on my face and it's showing in my films," he tells in an interview.

As for the new lady in his life, he said: "I'm very happy and peaceful with her. In fact this is my most peaceful relationship ever with a woman."

Excerpts from the interview:

Q: First "Virumaandi" and now "Vasool Raja", two hits this year.
A: Both very welcome. "Vasool Raja" is even bigger than "Virumaandi", though cinematically it isn't a step ahead. I am not sure if "Vasool Raja" is a regression or just a status quo for me. I've done this sort of a thing before.

As my own critic, I feel I should move ahead. But let's not go into No. 1 or No. 2. I'm looking at the larger picture. Both films have put me in a bargaining position. I want my output to increase. I think I'm a bit slow. There'll be more films from me, and hopefully, they'll take me forward.

Q: Are you looking at a less commercial kind of cinema?
A: All my films, even "Nayakan" and "Thevar Magan", are commercial. Yes, perhaps "Abhay" was a little experimental. But that was my own production. Whenever I do something different, it'll have to come from Raj Kamal Films.

The film that I'm now making in Hindi and Tamil will push the envelope. Bharat Shah will be part of the project. We're getting together again after "Hey Ram". I'm also buying the rights of a romantic Spanish film "Tempus Fugit" by Enrique Folch that I want to remake. When I asked the director for the rights he was surprised. He thought they just re-made films in India without permission.

Q: How do you feel about your life right now?
A: Much much more comfortable. It's like I've taken a vapour elation. I can breathe easy. I feel rejuvenated. I feel relaxed. I am able to meet my elder daughter Shruti who's in Chennai every day. I see my younger daughter Akshara only once a month. She lives in Mumbai with her mother. I was finding it hard to be normal without access to my daughters. I now have a smile on my face and it's showing in my films.

Q: You have a new lady in your life?
A: Yes. Everyone in Chennai knows about her. I'm very happy and peaceful with her. In fact this is my most peaceful relationship ever with a woman. Ever since my mom, who was more than three times my age, I'm used to volatile women in my life.

Gradually, my life is returning to an even keel. "Vasool Raja" seemed fated to be a hit even before it was released. After a long time, I was paid my full amount. But don't worry, I'll pump it back to what I love the most: movies.

Q: How did "Vasool Raja" come to you?
A: My friend Vidhu Vinod Chopra, the producer of "Munnabhai M.B.B.S." was very confident about the remake. He insisted I do the remake. He asked me to do it for him. He has been asking me to do a film from the time he made his first feature "Saza-e-Maut". Somehow it never worked out before. I'd tell him that one set can't hold two eccentrics. I couldn't say no to him this time. But my biggest reason to do "Vasool Raja" was that it became the property of L.V. Prasad's grandson.

Prasadji and I go back a long long way. Among other things, he produced my first Hindi film "Ek Duuje Ke Liye". If I said no to his grandson, I'd have had Prasad's ghost to deal with.

Q: Why were you reluctant to do "Vasool Raja"?
A: Because I've done several such comedies. But I guess nothing succeeds like success. Before I said yes to it I thought a lot about it because I knew "Vasool Raja" wouldn't take me anywhere I haven't gone before. When I returned from a holiday in the US, I said, 'Ok give me the money. I'll do it'.

Q: How did you hit on the language to replace the "Bambaiyya" in "Munnabhai"?
A: Oh, I had to go back to the Madras slang that I'd done in approximately 24 films before. What I've done in "Vasool Raja" is like Nana Patekar doing a Marathi accent. Otherwise, in spirit, the two films remain the same.

I've played my character as a dull, uneducated, slightly dim witted guy, nothing like what Sanjay Dutt has done. I haven't attributed great intelligence to the character. But he has tremendous compassion for the underdogs. "Munnabhai" is a very simple tale. It's like the "Ramayan". Each rendering brings out new relevances. It all depends on where the accents are put.

Q: Is this the first Hindi film that you've done in Tamil?
A: No I've done several. I was in the Tamil remake of Manmohan Desai's "Chacha Bhatija" And the biggest debacle of my career was a Tamil version of Gulzar's "Koshish". I looked like such a wimp in the film! It was like a school play with me playing the dad. It was directed by a late friend of mine D.N. Balu.

We both redeemed ourselves when he remade Raj Kapoor's "Awara" with me in the lead. When he went to ask Raj saab for the rights, the great man replied: "I don't sell my film's rights. You go ahead and make it. I'm sure it'll be different." So sweet. I was so moved. I've always been a great fan of Raj Saab. And we were both fans of Charlie Chaplin. And now a docu-profile on Chaplin being made by an Australian woman will feature me.

Q: Why did the docs in Tamil Nadu get antsy about the title "Vasool Raja M.B.B.S."?
A: Simply for nothing! It was so so silly. The honourable judge told them not to waste the court's time. These are educated people and they should know better. I spoke to some doctor friends and they agreed there was nothing wrong with the title "Vasool Raja M.B.B.S." The minor crisis got blown over soon.

Anyway, this title battle was different from my earlier one where "Sandiyar" had to be changed under pressure to "Virumaandi". Fate has always been fickle and unpredictable mistress in my life. Why should that change?