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Kamala Hasan
Updated on : 20 May 2015

Kamal Haasan (born 7 November 1954) is an Indian film actor, screenwriter, director, producer, playback singer, choreographer and lyricist who works primarily in the Tamil film industry. Haasan has won several Indian film awards including four National Film Awards and 19 Filmfare Awards. With seven submissions, Kamal Haasan has starred in the highest number of films submitted by India for the Academy Award Best Foreign Language Film. Haasan's production company, Rajkamal International, has produced several of his films. Kamal Haasan received the Padma Shri in 1990 and the Padma Bhushan in 2014.
After several projects as a child, Haasan's breakthrough as a lead actor came in the 1975 drama Apoorva Raagangal, in which he played a rebellious youth in love with an older woman. He won his first National Film Award for his portrayal of a guileless schoolteacher who cares for a childlike amnesiac in Moondram Pirai (1983). Haasan was noted for his performances in Mani Ratnam's crime film Nayagan (1987), rated by Time magazine as one of the best films in cinema history as well as Shankar's vigilante film Indian (1996) which saw him playing dual roles of a father and a son. Since then he has appeared in a number of films including Hey Ram (2000), Virumaandi (2004), Vishwaroopam (2013) which were his own productions and Dasavathaaram (2008) in which he played ten different roles.Kamal Haasan was born into a Tamil Iyengar Family. [4] Haasan's father, D. Srinivasan was a lawyer.[5] Kamal is the youngest child in his family; his brothers Charuhasan (born 1930) and Chandrahasan (born 1936) are also lawyers, and Charuhasan became an actor during the 1980s. Haasan's sister, Nalini (born 1946), is a classical dancer. He received his primary education in Paramakudi, moving to Madras (now Chennai) as his brothers pursued their higher education.[5] Haasan continued his education in Santhome, Madras;[5] attracted by film and the fine arts, he was encouraged by his father.[5] When a physician friend of Haasan's mother visited Avichi Meiyappa Chettiar (AVM) to treat his wife, she brought Haasan with her.[6] Impressed by Haasan's demeanor, M. Saravanan (AVM's son) recommended him for their upcoming productionChild actor (1959–1963)[edit]Haasan won best actor the President's Gold Medal – Rashtrapathi Award for his performance in Kalathur Kannamma at age four, and starred in five more films as a child. He debuted in the Malayalam film industry in Kannum Karalum (1962). With his father's encouragement Haasan joined a repertory company (T. K. S. Nataka Sabha) headed by T. K. Shanmugam, continuing his education at the Hindu Higher Secondary School in Triplicane. His time with the theatre company shaped Haasan's craft, and kindled his interest in makeup.[7][8]
Lead roles, 1970–1975[edit]After a seven-year hiatus from films Haasan returned to the industry as a crew member, playing a few supporting roles. His role as an adult was in the 1970 film Maanavan, where he appeared in a dance sequence. Haasan also had a supporting role in Annai Velankani (where he was assistant director), and appeared in K. Balachander's 1973 film Arangetram. He played the antagonist in Sollathaan Ninaikkiren and Gumasthavin Magal. Haasan's first serious role was in K. Balachander's Aval Oru Thodar Kathai (1974). His last supporting role was in Pattikkaattu Raja, in 1975.
Haasan's second Malayalam film was 1975's Kanyakumari, for which he won his first regional Filmfare Award.[9] Other Malayalam films were Kanyakumari and Raasaleela. He played the lead in the Tamil film Apoorva Raagangal, directed by K. Balachander (for which he won his first Filmfare Award in Tamil).[10] Its plot involved a young man in love with an older woman,[11] and the film won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil. Haasan learned to play the mridangam for his role.[12]
Late 1970s[edit]In 1976, Balachander cast Haasan as a womaniser in Manmadha Leelai; this was followed by Oru Oodhappu Kan Simittugiradhu, which won him his second consecutive Regional Filmfare (Tamil) Best Actor Award. Haasan later appeared in the Balachander drama Moondru Mudichu. Avargal (1977) concerned the women's movement; for this role, he learned ventriloquism.[13] The film was remade in Telugu as Idi Katha Kaadu (1979), with Haasan reprising his role. 16 Vayathinile, in which he played a village bumpkin, won him a third consecutive Best Actor award. In 1977 Haasan starred in his first Kannada film, Kokila, the directorial debut of friend and mentor Balu Mahendra. That year he also appeared in a Bengali film, Kabita, a remake of the Tamil film Aval Oru Thodar Kathai. In 1978 Haasan made his Telugu film debut with a lead role in the cross-cultural romantic film, Maro Charithra, directed by Balachander. His fourth consecutive Filmfare Award resulted from Sigappu Rojakkal, a thriller in which he played a psychopathic sexual killer.
In the 1978 Telugu film Sommokadidhi Sokkadidhi, Haasan played two parts. He also appeared in the musical Ninaithale Inikkum, a snake-horror film (Neeya) and Kalyanaraman. At the end of the 1970s he had a total of six regional Best Actor Filmfare Awards, including four consecutive Best Tamil Actor Awards.

 

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