Kamal Haasan

KAMAL HAASAN

Kamal Haasan (Tamil) (Born November 7, 1954 in Paramakudi, Madras State, India) is an Indian film actor, script writer, and filmmaker, considered one of the leading method actors of Indian cinema. Haasan is known for winning several Indian film awards, including National Film Awards and Filmfare Awards, and has the distinction of being the actor with the most number of films submitted by india in contest for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. In addition to acting and directing, he is a screenwriter, Iyricist, playback singer and choreographer. His film production company, Rajkamal International, has produced several of his films.

Kamala 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 women. He secured his first Indian National Film Award for his portrayal of a guileless school teacher who tends a child-like amnesiac in 1982's Moondram Pirai. He was particularly noted for his performance in Mani Rathnam's Godfatheresque Nayagan (1987), which was ranked by Time magazine as one of the best films of all time.

Early career: 1960s - early 1970s

Kamal Haasan made his film debut as a 6-year-old child artiste, in the film Kalathur Kannamma, which was released in 1960, directed by A. Bhimsingh. He was cast along with the Tamil actor Gemini Ganesan in the film. He acted as a child actor in five other Tamil films in the subsequent few years co-starring with Sivaji Ganesan and M.G. Ramachandran

Following a nine year hiatus from film. to concentrate on his education, Haasan returned with a series of low budget films in 1972, in all of which he played supporting roles. These films included roles in Arangetram and Sollathaan Ninaikkiren, both co-starring Sivakumar. His final supporting role before establishing himself as a lead actor was in Naan Avanillai.

Family

Kamal Haasan was born on November7, 1954 to a criminal lawyer named D. Srinivasan and his devout wife Rajalakshmi, both a part of the Tamil lyengar caste, in the village of Paramakudi in the Ramanathapuram district of Tamil Nadu. Kamal Haasan is the youngest of three brothers. the others being Chaaru Haasan and Chandra Haasan. Chaaru Haasan is a National Film Award-winning actor. His daugher Subasini is also a National Film Award Winner and is married to director Mani Rathnam, who collaborated with Kamal Haasan in 1987's Nayayan. Chandra Haasan has appeared as the producer for several of Kamal Haasan's films as well as being an executive of Kamal Haasan's home production company, Rajkamal International.