Age, Biography, and Wiki
Kamal Haasan was born in Paramakudi, Madras State (now Tamil Nadu), India. He began his acting career at the age of four and went on to win numerous awards, including several National Film Awards and Filmfare Awards. Haasan's career has been marked by iconic roles in films like "Moondram Pirai," "Nayakan," and "Hey Ram" .
| Occupation | Film Producer |
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| Date of Birth | 7 November 1954 |
| Age | 70 Years |
| Birth Place | Paramakudi, Madras State, India |
| Horoscope | Scorpio |
| Country | India |
Height, Weight & Measurements
While specific details about Kamal Haasan's height and weight are not widely reported, he is known for his slender build and has maintained a youthful appearance throughout his career.
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Dating & Relationship Status
Kamal Haasan has been married twice: first to Vani Ganapathy and then to Sarika. He is the father of two daughters, Shruti Haasan and Akshara Haasan, both of whom are involved in the film industry .
Srinivasan, who was a lawyer and freedom fighter, and Rajalakshmi, who was a housewife. His native place is Paramakudi. Haasan was initially named as Parthasarathy. His father later changed his name to Kamal Haasan. His brothers, Charuhasan (born 1931) and Chandrahasan (1937–2017), have also acted. Haasan's sister, Nalini (born 1946), is a classical dancer. He received his primary education in Paramakudi before moving to Madras (now Chennai) as his brothers pursued their higher education. Haasan continued his education in Santhome, Madras, and was attracted towards film and fine arts as encouraged by his father.
When a physician friend of his mother, visited A. V. Meiyappan (AVM) to treat his wife, she brought Haasan with her. Apparently impressed by his demeanor AVM's son, M. Saravanan, recommended him for their production Kalathur Kannamma. Haasan won the Rashtrapati Award (President's gold medal) for his performance in Kalathur Kannamma at age six and starred in five more films as a child. He debuted in the Malayalam film industry with Kannum Karalum (1962). Upon his father's encouragement, he joined a repertory company (T. K. S. Nataka Sabha) headed by T. K. Shanmugam. In the meanwhile, he continued 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.
Srinivasan and Rajalakshmi, a housewife. During 2013 his daughter Shruti Haasan appeared on an episode of Neengalum Vellalam Oru Kodi, where "phone a friend" option is availed to Shruti and when she called her father Kamal, he stated that his parents named him Parthasarathy before he was called as Kamal Haasan and his mother always used to call him by that name. In an interview with Karan Thapar, Haasan said his father was literate in Sanskrit. Haasan was the youngest of four children; his siblings are Charuhasan, Chandrahasan and Nalini (Raghu). His two older brothers followed their father's example and studied law. Haasan continued his education in Sir M.Ct. Muthiah Chettiar Boys Higher Secondary School and Hindu Higher Secondary School in Madras (now Chennai).
Haasan has alluded to his parents in some of his works, notably Unnaipol Oruvan and in the song "Kallai Mattum" in Dasavathaaram. His oldest brother Charuhasan, like Haasan, is a National Film Award-winning actor who appeared in the Kannada film Tabarana Kathe. Charuhasan's daughter Suhasini is also a National Film Award winner married to director (and fellow award-winner) Mani Ratnam, who collaborated with Haasan on 1987's Nayakan. Chandrahasan has produced several of Haasan's films and was an executive with Raaj Kamal Films International, he died in March 2017. Chandrahasan's daughter Anu Hasan has had supporting roles in several films, including Suhasini's Indira. Haasan's sister, Nalini Raghu, is a dance teacher for whom he named an auditorium (Nalini Mahal). Her son, Gautham, played Haasan's grandson in "Hey Ram".
In Sanskrit Kamal means "lotus", but it was rumoured that his name originated with a friend of his father (Yaakob Hassan, a Muslim freedom fighter who was imprisoned along with Kamal's father by the British). In a BBC interview with Karan Thapar, Haasan said that his last name derives from the Sanskrit word hasya, and although the Yaakob Hassan connection was publicised by the media it was only "a story". Haasan is considered left-leaning or independent. Although he initially abstained from politics, he entered regional politics in Tamil Nadu in 2018. He also said that his entering politics would result in his death within a year.
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| Husband | Vani Ganapathy (m. 1978-1988) Sarika Thakur (m. 1988-2004) |
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Net Worth and Salary
Kamal Haasan's net worth is estimated to be around $70 million (approximately ₹450 crore), according to some reports, while others place it at $100 million . His annual income is reported to be approximately $29.5 million. He charges between ₹100 to ₹150 crore per film, making him one of the highest-paid actors in India .
Haasan received the first Abraham Kovoor National Award for his humanist activities and secular life in 2004. He was project ambassador for Hridayaragam 2010, which raised funds for an orphanage for HIV/AIDS-affected children. In September 2010 Haasan launched a children's cancer relief fund and gave roses to children with cancer at Sri Ramachandra University in Porur, Chennai. He has pledged his product-endorsement income to social causes. Haasan, along with his partner Gautami, won ₹ 5 million on Neengalum Vellalam Oru Kodi in March 2013 and donated the prize money to Petral Thaan Pillaya, a nonprofit organization supporting cancer patients.
Known for refusing any kind of brand endorsement, Haasan endorsed Pothys for the first time in 2015. His daughter, Shruti has previously endorsed Pothys. In the past, Haasan has stated that should he ever act in commercials, the revenue earned from them would be donated to HIV affected children.
Haasan has been accused of self-indulgence, and has been criticised for sexually explicit scenes and themes, offending religious sentiments and superficiality on social issues depicted in his films. There have also been complaints about his obsession with perfection, which may have caused some of his films to run over budget. He was also accused of kissing actress Rekha Harris without her consent in a scene during the shooting of Punnagai Mannan. Many, including singer Chinmayi Sripaada, consider it as sexual harassment. His former partner Gautami had said that Kamal Haasan hasn't paid her salary dues since 2016. She also accused Haasan of hurting her film prospects by preventing her from working with others. In November 2017, Haasan said that right-wing Hindus have started employing extremism to propagate their communal agenda.
Career, Business, and Investments
Haasan is not only an actor but also a successful producer and director. He founded Raaj Kamal Films International, which has produced many of his films, including "Hey Ram" and "Virumaandi" . His career spans multiple languages, with notable films in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Hindi. Besides acting and production, Haasan earns from brand endorsements and television ventures .
Haasan started his career as a child artist in the 1960 Tamil film Kalathur Kannamma for which he won a President's Gold Medal. After a sabbatical, he received his breakthrough with the 1975 drama Apoorva Raagangal, directed by K. Balachander, in which he played a rebellious youth who falls in love with an older woman which earned him his first Filmfare Award. He earned three National Film Awards for Best Actor for his portrayal of a guileless youth who falls in love with a woman who suffers from retrograde amnesia in Moondram Pirai (1982), an ordinary slum dweller who rises to a position of a highly respected don in Nayakan (1987) and dual roles in Indian (1996). He further gained immense acclaim for his performances in Sagara Sangamam (1983), Sadma (1983), Saagar (1985), Swathi Muthyam (1986), Pushpaka Vimana (1987), Sathyaa (1988), Apoorva Sagodharargal (1989), Michael Madana Kama Rajan (1990), Gunaa (1991), Thevar Magan (1992), Mahanadhi (1994), Kuruthipunal (1995), Chachi 420 (1997), Hey Ram (2000), Aalavandhan (2001), Anbe Sivam (2003), Virumaandi (2004), Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu (2006), Dasavathaaram (2008), Vishwaroopam (2013), Vikram (2022) and Kalki 2898 AD (2024). His production company, Raaj Kamal Films International, has produced several of his films.
After a seven-year hiatus from films, Haasan returned to the industry as a dance assistant, apprenticing under choreographer Thankappan. During this time, Haasan made brief appearances in some films including a few uncredited roles. His first appearance came in the 1970 film Maanavan, in which he appeared in a dance sequence. He went on to assist Thankappan in films such as Annai Velankani (1971) and Kasi Yathirai (1973). In the former he had a supporting role and worked as an assistant director. His first full-fledged role came in K. Balachander's Tamil film Arangetram (1973). Balachander cast him as the antagonist in his Sollathaan Ninaikkiren (1973). Haasan went on to do supporting roles in films such as Gumasthavin Magal (1974), Aval Oru Thodar Kathai (1974) and Naan Avanillai. The same year, he played his first lead role in the Malayalam film, Kanyakumari, for which he won his first Filmfare Award. In Tamil cinema, he had his breakthrough as a lead actor in Balachander's Apoorva Raagangal. He played a rebellious young man who falls in love with an older woman. For this character portrayal, Haasan learned to play the mridangam. The role won him his second Filmfare Award.
Following Punnagai Mannan (in which he played two roles, including a satire of Charlie Chaplin as Chaplin Chellappa) and Kadhal Parisu, Haasan appeared in Mani Ratnam's 1987 film Nayakan. He received his second Indian National Award for his performance; Nayakan was submitted by India as its entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the 1987 Academy Awards, and is on the Time's All-Time 100 Movies list. Haasan appeared in his only silent film to date: Pushpaka Vimana (1987) a black comedy film, in which he played an unemployed youth and earned him a first Filmfare Award in Kannada. In 1988 he appeared Unnal Mudiyum Thambi, Malayalam film Daisy and Sathyaa which were his own productions. Haasan's all four films of 1989 were major success, Apoorva Sagodharargal, where he played a dwarf, then Chanakyan, an original Malayalam film, later Vettri Vizhaa (where he played an amnesiac) and finally Haasan played two parts in Indrudu Chandrudu, winning the Filmfare Best Actor and won him his third Nandi Award for Best Actor for his performance. By the end of the 1980s Haasan was successful in the Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu and Hindi film industries, with Filmfare Awards in each industry and two national awards.
In May 2014, he was appointed as the official Indian delegate to the 67th Cannes Film Festival. As of July 2014, he was working on three films: Uttama Villain, Vishwaroopam II, the sequel of Vishwaroopam and Papanasam. After 2 years of Vishwaroopam's release, Uttama Villain was released on 2 May 2015 with exceptional critical reviews and on 3 July 2015, Papanasam a Tamil remake of Malayalam film Drishyam was released with positive reviews and became a huge success followed by the bi-lingual Thoongaa Vanam and Cheekati Rajyam, both doing moderate business.
Haasan received the Kalaimamani Award from the government of Tamil Nadu in 1979. Other honours include Tamil Nadu State Film Awards, Nandi, Screen and Vijay Awards, including four awards for his performance in Dasavathaaram. In 2009 he was appointed chairman of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) Media and Entertainment Business Conclave, organised by FICCI's entertainment division. He is on the academic advisory council for ISFM (International school of Film+Media), and was the first Indian actor invited aboard an American ship as a special friend of the US. In April 2013 he received an award on behalf of Indian cinema from Chris Brown, executive vice-president for conventions and business operations of the National Association of Broadcasters, as part of the New York Festivals International Film & TV Awards. He is one of 20 film celebrities recognised by Coca-Cola India with the launch of the 24th edition of the Limca Book of Records in 2013. Recently honoured with S. S. Vasan Award for his lifetime achievement in film industry by Ananda Vikatan.
Mani Ratnam who directed Haasan in Nayakan, has said that there are many things he can do that no other actor can. Veteran actor Nagesh called Haasan the best actor he had ever seen. His contributions to the film industry have been praised by his contemporaries, including Mammootty, Mohanlal, Prithviraj Sukumaran, Sridevi, Amitabh Bachchan, Venkatesh, Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan. Younger actors (Suriya and Madhavan) and filmmakers (Bala, Ameer and Gautham Menon) have been inspired by him.
Social Network
Kamal Haasan is active on social media platforms, with a significant following on Twitter and other platforms. He often uses these platforms to engage with his fans and share updates about his projects.
In 1990, Michael Madana Kama Rajan saw Haasan build on Apoorva Sagodharargal by playing quadruplets. It began as a collaboration with writer Crazy Mohan for future comedy films. Haasan won successive Best Actor awards for his portrayal of deranged, obsessive protagonists in Gunaa and Thevar Magan (which was remade in Hindi as 1997's Virasat). He was credited with the story for the latter. Haasan won his third National Film Award this time as a producer for Thevar Magan. The film was India's submission for the Academy Awards that year. A series of films followed: Singaravelan, Maharasan, Kalaignan, Mahanadhi, Nammavar, and Sathi Leelavathi Produced by Haasan, it featured himself alongside Kannada actor Ramesh Aravind and comedian Kovai Sarala. Haasan resumed his collaboration with K. Viswanath in the Telugu film, Subha Sankalpam, and starred in the police story Kuruthipunal (Tamil) simultaneously shot in Telugu as Drohi with Arjun Sarja and won Filmfare Best Actor. Haasan's success in the latter was followed by his third National Film Award for Best Actor for Indian. Haasan also won Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actor and Filmfare Best Actor for Indian. The film was India's submission for the Academy Awards.
After a number of successful comedies including Pammal K. Sambandam and Panchatanthiram and guest appearances, Haasan directed Virumaandi, a film about capital punishment which won the Best Asian Film Award at the Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival. He also appeared in Anbe Sivam with Madhavan. Priyadarshan, its original director, left and Sundar C completed the film. Anbe Sivam tells the story of Nallasivam, portrayed by Haasan as a communist. His performance was praised by critics, with The Hindu saying that he "has once again done Tamil cinema proud".
In 2004 Haasan appeared in Vasool Raja MBBS, a remake of Bollywood's Munna Bhai M.B.B.S., with Sneha which was a box-office success. The following year, he wrote and starred in the comedy Mumbai Xpress. Released during Tamil New Year, it was a disappointment at the box office despite positive reviews. He appeared Kannada comedy film Rama Shama Bhama with Ramesh Aravind. In 2006 Haasan's long-delayed project, the stylish police story Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu, was a success. Directed by Gautham Vasudev Menon, the film is about a police officer sent to the US to investigate a series of medical murders. In 2008's Dasavathaaram, he played ten roles; the film was released in a number of languages (including Tamil, Telugu and Hindi) throughout India and overseas. Dasavathaaram, written by Haasan and director K. S. Ravikumar, is one of the first modern science-fiction films made in India. Starring Haasan and Asin Thottumkal, it was the highest-grossing Tamil film (as of 2008) and his performance was critically praised. In Canada, Dasavathaaram was the first Tamil film distributed by Walt Disney Pictures.
Haasan collaborated for the fifth time with Ravikumar in Manmadan Ambu, for which he also wrote the screenplay. The story concerns a man who hires a detective to find out if his fiancée is cheating on him. The film was released in December 2010 to mixed reviews, with Behindwoods calling it "an entertainer, but in parts" and Sify saying it "lacks the punch to captivate the audiences".
On 17 September 2020, Director Lokesh Kanagaraj announced through his Twitter handle that his next venture will have Kamal Haasan in lead role with Anirudh handling the music with the movie titled as Vikram. It was Kamal Hassan's 232nd film as an actor. It also Stars Fahadh Faasil, Vijay Sethupathi in the leading roles along with Suriya makes a cameo appearance in the film. The film was released on 3 June 2022 and was a huge commercial success grossing inr 4238000000 and went on to become the 2nd highest-grossing Tamil film of the year and third highest-grossing Tamil film of all time by beating the collections made by other Tamil films like Beast, Valimai, Etharkkum Thunindhavan and Don etc. The first single of Vikram titled "Pathala Pathala" received several million views from Kamal Haasan's fans and was the most viewed song on YouTube. The song also received praise for Kamal Haasan's dance performances which went viral. Despite facing controversies from the song, it became an instant hit. In August 2022, the filming for Indian 2 resumed, after a break of almost a year. The film was released on July 12, 2024 to negative reviews from critics and bombed at the box-office.
In addition to acting, Haasan is noted for his involvement in other aspects of filmmaking. He has written many of his films, including Raja Paarvai, Apoorva Sagodharargal, Michael Madana Kama Rajan, Thevar Magan, Mahanadhi, Hey Ram, Aalavandhan, Anbe Sivam, Nala Damayanthi, Virumaandi, Dasavathaaram, Manmadan Ambu and Vishwaroopam. Haasan's production company (Raaj Kamal Films International) has produced several of his films, and he directed Chachi 420, Hey Ram, Virumaandi and Vishwaroopam. He considered directing full-time if Hey Ram was successful, but changed his mind when the film failed at the box office. In his earlier career, he choreographed for MGR in Naan Yen Pirandhen, Sivaji Ganesan in Savaale Samaali and Jayalalithaa in Anbu Thangai In 2010 Haasan said he wanted to do more directing, since young actors wished to work for him. When he played supporting roles early in his career he wanted to become a technician and joked: "Film makers like K. Balachander told me that I won't be able make much money by being a technician. So the result is that the star Kamal funds the technician Kamal in pursuing his dreams". Haasan attended workshops for makeup technicians in the US for several years, and trained as a makeup artist under Michael Westmore.
Haasan is an rationalist and has often questioned the existence of God and has highlighted the theme in his films like Anbe Sivam and Dasavathaaram. He was mistaken to be Muslim because of his Arabic-sounding name, most notably when he was denied preclearance to travel to the United States by Customs and Border Protection authorities at Toronto Pearson International Airport in 2002.
He formed the centrist party Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM), a regional political party in Tamil Nadu. He formally announced the party's formation on 21 February 2018 in Madurai. The party's flag displays six joined hands in a circle in alternate red and white colours with a white star at its centre in a black background. Haasan began his political journey from late President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam's residence and his memorial at Rameswaram. His party contested in 37 seats in 2019 Indian general election and lost. Makkal Needhi Maiam's vote share in the 2019 Lok Sabha election was 3.72% (in the seats it contested).
In 2015, Haasan was criticised by the-then Tamil Nadu Finance Minister O. Panneerselvam, who stated that Haasan was "confused" and had "blabbered", unaware of the ground reality for his statement on the government's response to rain relief efforts. Haasan was also criticised by Nayakan producer Muktha Srinivasan for his article in The Hindu taking unnecessary credit for that film. Directors like Bharathan, who was irked by the unnecessary interferences of Kamal during the filming of Thevar Magan, and Balachandra Menon, who criticized Kamal for making his film, Kanden Seethaiyai, shelved by leaving the project, were some of the filmmakers who had rifts with Kamal. Sibi Malayil was supposed to direct the film Gunaa. But when he understood that Kamal Haasan would take the decisions regarding the making of film, Sibi withdrew from the project.
Education
Kamal Haasan's educational background is not extensively detailed, as he began his acting career at a very young age. His early entry into the film industry prevented him from pursuing formal education beyond a certain level.
In summary, Kamal Haasan is a legendary figure in Indian cinema, celebrated for his talent, versatility, and successful career spanning over six decades. His net worth reflects his standing as one of the highest-paid actors in India, with a career marked by numerous awards and a personal life that includes being a devoted father and husband.
For his philanthropic efforts, Haasan received the first Abraham Kovoor National Award in 2004. He was project ambassador for the Hridayaragam 2010 event, which raised funds for an orphanage for HIV/AIDS-affected children. In September 2010, Haasan launched a children's cancer relief fund and gave roses to children with cancer at Sri Ramachandra University in Porur, Chennai. Haasan was nominated by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Swachh Bharat Mission. On 21 February 2018, Haasan formally launched his political party, Makkal Needhi Maiam (lit. People's Justice Centre).
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.
In 2005, Sathyabama Deemed University awarded Haasan an honorary doctorate. He received the Chevalier Sivaji Ganesan Award for Excellence in Indian Cinema at the inaugural Vijay Awards in 2006. He received the Living Legend Award in 2007 from FICCI. In 2010, the United Progressive Alliance government organised a retrospective of his films. Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said the actor was unique, since his films broke regional and language barriers. That year, the government of Kerala honoured him for 50 years in Indian cinema during statewide Onam celebrations in Thiruvananthapuram.
