After a two-year hiatus from Indian cinema, Haasan decided against reviving "Marudhanayagam". He directed his second film, "Hey Ram", a period drama, told in flashback, with a fact-based plot centering on the partition of India and the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. Haasan produced and choreographed the film, writing its screenplay and lyrics; it was India's submission for the Academy Awards that year. "Hey Ram" was a box-office failure in India but was successful worldwide. Also in 2000, Haasan appeared in the comedy "Thenali" as a Sri Lankan Tamilian with PTSD who is under a psychiatrist's care. "Thenali", starring Malayalam actor Jayaram, was a box-office success. Haasan's next film was 2001's "Aalavandhan", in which he played two roles: For one he had his head shaved and gained ten kilograms. To play the other Army major in "Aalavandhan", he went to the NDA for a crash course. The Hindi version was distributed by Shringar Films. Despite pre-release publicity, the film was a commercial failure.