He won his first regional Filmfare Award in his Malayalam debut film Kanyakumari (1974), in which he played the lead role. After a few more films in Tamil, he did Naan Avan Illai, which was the final supporting role before establishing himself as a lead actor. His first character role was in Aval Oru Thodar Kathai (1974), another female-centric film of K. He played antagonistic characters in Sollathaan Ninaikkiren and Gumasthavin Magal, both co-starring Sivakumar. It was followed by supporting roles in films such as, Annai Velankani for which he was also an assistant director. He re-entered the film industry playing his first adult role in Maanavan (1970), appearing only for a dance sequence. Breakthrough and experimentation: 1970–75įollowing a seven-year hiatus from films, Haasan returned to the industry with the hope of joining the technical crew in films but was selected to appear in supporting roles in several films. He learned acting by watching his guru Shanmugam perform on stage and acquired his interest in make-up from Shanmugam. During this period, he continued with his school education at Hindu High School in Triplicane while still being a prominent part of the theatre troupe. Shanmugam was Kamal's guru in the theatre. On seeing Kamal's interests in arts, his parents supported and helped him join the TKS Nataka Sabha, an old-style theatre.
He acted as a child actor in five other Tamil films in the subsequent few years co-starring with Sivaji Ganesan and M. He was cast along with the veteran Tamil actor Gemini Ganesan, winning the National Film Award for Best Child Artist. Bhimsingh and released on 12 August 1959. Kamal Haasan made his film debut as a four-year-old child artist in Kalathur Kannamma, which was directed by A.
She took him over and introduced to AV Meyyappa Chettiar who was looking for a young boy to play a role in the movie Kalathur Kannamma. The other version is that when young boy Kamal Haasan accompanied a family doctor of Meyyappa Chettiar to his house, producer AVM Saravanan noticed Kamal as a hyperactive child. An impressed Meyyappa Chettiar later provided him an entry into films. Young Kamal Haasan strode up the stairway to ask the noisemaker not to shout over the phone as someone was ill, leaving the person astonished. On hearing loud shouting from a first-floor tenant of the bungalow, the doctor became uneasy.
One version has it that, as a little boy, he accompanied a doctor who went to treat an ill woman at the home of movie mogul A V Meyyappa Chettiar (father of AVM Saravanan). There are two versions regarding his entry into films. As a child, he became interested in dance. 1.2 Breakthrough and experimentation: 1970–75Īfter shifting from Paramakudi with his family for his mother's medical treatment, Kamal Haasan was enrolled at Holy Angels school in T.Since then he has gone on to appear in other notable films such as his own productions, Hey Ram and Virumaandi, as well as the Dasavathaaram, in which he appeared in ten distinct roles. He was particularly noted for his performance in Mani Ratnam's Godfatheresque Tamil film Nayagan (1987), which was ranked by Time magazine as one of the best films of all time. He secured his second Indian National Film Award for his portrayal of a guileless school teacher who tends a child-like amnesiac in 1982's Moondram Pirai. Īfter several projects as a child artist, Kamal Haasan's breakthrough into lead acting came with his role in the 1975 drama Apoorva Raagangal, in which he played a rebellious youth in love with an older woman. In 2009, he became one of very few Indian actors to have completed 50 years in cinema. Kamal Haasan is also a recipient of an Honorary doctorate by Sathyabama University. In 1990, he was awarded the Padma Shri for his contributions to Indian cinema. His film production company, Rajkamal International, has produced several of his films. In addition to acting, screenwriting and directing, he has also featured in films as a songwriter, playback singer and choreographer.
Kamal Haasan has won several Indian film awards, including four National Film Awards and numerous Filmfare Awards, and is known for having starred in the largest number of films submitted by India in contest for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. He is widely acclaimed as an actor and is well known for his versatility in acting. Kamal Haasan ( Tamil: கமல் ஹாசன் born 7 November 1954) is an Indian film actor, screenwriter and director, considered to be one of the leading method actors of Indian cinema. Kamal Haasan at an event organised by FICCIįilm actor, producer, director, screenwriter, songwriter, playback singer, lyricist