Kamal Haasan

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Kamal Hasan)

Kamal Haasan
Kamal Haasan in 2022
President of the Makkal Needhi Maiam
Assumed office
22 February 2018
Preceded byPosition established
General Secretary of Makkal Needhi Maiam
In office
25 December 2020 - 26 February 2023
Preceded byArunchalam
Succeeded byArunchalam
Personal details
Born
Parthasarathy Srinivasan

(1954-11-07) 7 November 1954 (age 69)[1][2]
Paramakudi, Madras State, India[3]
Political partyMakkal Needhi Maiam (2018–present)
Spouses
(m. 1978; div. 1988)
(m. 1988; div. 2004)
Domestic partnerGautami (2005–2016)
Children
RelativesSee Haasan family
Occupation
  • Actor
  • filmmaker
  • playback singer
  • television presenter
  • politician
Awards

Kamal Haasan (born Parthasarathy Srinivasan on 7 November 1954)[4] is an Indian actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, playback singer, television presenter, social activist and politician who works mainly in Tamil cinema. Besides Tamil, he has also appeared in some Malayalam, Hindi, Telugu, Kannada and Bengali films. Considered as one of the finest actors in Indian cinema, Haasan is also known for introducing many new film technologies and film making techniques to the Indian film industry.[5][6][7] He has won numerous accolades, including Four National Film Awards, Nine Tamil Nadu State Film Awards, Four Nandi Awards, One Rashtrapati Award, Two Filmfare Awards and 17 Filmfare Awards South. He was awarded the Kalaimamani Award in 1984, the Padma Shri in 1990, the Padma Bhushan in 2014 and the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Chevalier) in 2016.[8]

Haasan started his career as a child artist in the 1960 Tamil film Kalathur Kannamma at the age of 6, for which he won the President's Gold Medal. His breakthrough as a lead actor came in the 1975 drama Apoorva Raagangal, directed by K. Balachander, in which he played a rebellious youth who falls in love with an older woman. He won his first National Film Award for his portrayal of a guileless school teacher who cares for a woman who suffers from retrograde amnesia in Moondram Pirai (1982). He further gained immense acclaim for his performances in Sagara Sangamam (1983), Swathi Muthyam (1986), Nayakan (1987), Pushpaka Vimana (1987), Sathyaa (1988), Apoorva Sagodharargal (1989), Gunaa (1991), Thevar Magan (1992), Nammavar (1994), Mahanadhi (1994), Indian (1996), Hey Ram (2000), Aalavandhan (2001), Anbe Sivam (2003), Virumaandi (2004), Vettaiyadu Villaiyadu (2006), Dasavathaaram (2008), in which he played ten roles, Vishwaroopam (2013), and Vikram (2022). His production company, Raaj Kamal Films International, has produced several of his films.

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).[9]

Early life and family[edit]

Haasan was born as Parthasarathy on 7 November 1954,[10] in a Tamil Iyengar Brahmin family, to D. Srinivasan, who was a lawyer and freedom fighter,[11] and Rajalakshmi, who was a housewife.[12] Haasan was initially named as Parthasarathy. His father later changed his name to Kamal Haasan.[13] His brothers, Charuhasan (born 1931) and Chandrahasan (1937–2017), have also acted.[14] Haasan's sister, Nalini (born 1946), is a classical dancer.[15] He received his primary education in Paramakudi before moving to Madras (now Chennai) as his brothers pursued their higher education.[12] Haasan continued his education in Santhome, Madras,[12] and was attracted towards film and fine arts as encouraged by his father.[12]

Film career[edit]

1960–1963[edit]

When a physician friend of his mother, visited A. V. Meiyappan (AVM) to treat his wife, she brought Haasan with her.[16] Apparently impressed by his demeanor AVM's son, M. Saravanan, recommended him for their production Kalathur Kannamma.[12] 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.[15] 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.[17][18]

1970–1975[edit]

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.[19] 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.[20] 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.[21] For this character portrayal, Haasan learned to play the mridangam.[22] The role won him his second Filmfare Award.[23]

1976–1979[edit]

In 1976, Haasan appeared Balachander's Manmadha Leelai; this was followed by Oru Oodhappu Kan Simittugiradhu (directed by S. P. Muthuraman), which won him his third Filmfare Award. Haasan later appeared in the Balachander drama Moondru Mudichu. Avargal (1977) concerned the women's movement and, for this role, he learned ventriloquism.[24] It was remade in Telugu as Idi Katha Kaadu (1979), with Haasan reprising his role. 16 Vayathinile, in which he played a village bumpkin, which won him a fourth 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 Maro Charitra, directed by Balachander. His fifth consecutive Filmfare Award resulted from Sigappu Rojakkal, a thriller in which he played a psychopathic sexual killer. He appeared in the Malayalam film Eeta, for which he won his sixth Filmfare Award. He first played opposite to the Sridevi in the 1977 Malayalam movie Satyavan Savithri directed by P.G. Viswambharan, this combination was later on well-accepted and celebrated. In the 1979 Telugu film Sommokadidi Sokokadidi, Haasan played two parts. This was also his first collaboration with director Singeetam Srinivasa Rao. He appeared in the musical Ninaithale Inikkum, a snake-horror film Neeya and Kalyanaraman. At the end of the 1970s he had six regional Best Actor Filmfare Awards, including four consecutive Best Tamil Actor Awards.[citation needed]

1980–1989[edit]

Kamal with Art Director M. Prabhaharan

Haasan's films during the 1980s included 1980 Tamil-language Varumayin Niram Sivappu, the film was simultaneously shot in Telugu as Aakali Rajyam, in which he played an unemployed youth and earned him a first Filmfare Award in Telugu. In 1980 he appeared in the drama film Ullasa Paravaigal, Guru and Maria My Darling. Haasan made his debut in Hindi cinema with Ek Duuje Ke Liye (1981), the remake of his own acted Telugu-language film Maro Charitra directed by K. Balachander (which earned him his first Filmfare Hindi-language nomination). He made his 100th film appearance in 1981 in Raja Paarvai, debuting as a producer. Despite the film's relatively poor box-office performance, his portrayal of a blind session violinist earned him a Filmfare Award.[25] After a year of starring in commercial films, Haasan won the first of three National Awards for Best Actor for his portrayal of a schoolteacher caring for an amnesia patient in Balu Mahendra's Moondram Pirai, later reprising his role in the Hindi version, Sadma.[20] During this period he focused on Bollywood remakes of his Tamil films, including Yeh To Kamaal Ho Gaya and Zara Si Zindagi. In 1983 he appeared in Sagara Sangamam, directed by K. Viswanath. His portrayal of an alcoholic classical dancer won him his first Nandi Award for Best Actor and his second Filmfare Best Telugu Actor Award.[citation needed]

After 1984's multistarrer Raaj Tilak, Haasan appeared in Saagar (released 1985), winning the Filmfare Best Actor Award and nominated for the Best Supporting Actor award. The film was India's representative for the Best Foreign Language Oscar in 1985.[20] He left Bollywood temporarily after Geraftaar[26] and Dekha Pyar Tumhara to feature in Japanil Kalyanaraman (a sequel to his 1979 Kalyanaraman).

In 1986, Haasan produced the technically brilliant Vikram and collaborated with Kodandarami Reddy for Oka Radha Iddaru Krishnulu and then K. Viswanath in Swathi Muthyam, playing an autistic person who tries to change society and won him his second Nandi Award for Best Actor. it was India's entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards in 1986.[20] These Tollywood films found him a large audience in Andhra Pradesh, and many of his later Tamil films were dubbed into Telugu.[27]

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,[28] and is on the Time's All-Time 100 Movies list.[29] 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.[20] 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,[20] 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.[27][30][31]

1990–1998[edit]

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.[32] 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 for Best Feature Film in Tamil 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.[33] 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.[citation needed]

'The Week', in its 13 September 1992 edition, reported that Chiranjeevi charged Rs. 12.5 million per a film and which is the highest ever remuneration for any Indian hero then. In 1994, Haasan became the first actor to charge 15 million per film. The highest paid Indian actor from 1970 to 1987 was Rajesh Khanna.[34]

After Indian, Haasan played a woman in the comedy Avvai Shanmughi, which was inspired by Mrs. Doubtfire.[35] He chose Shantanu Sheorey to direct the Hindi remake of Avvai Shanmughi, Chachi 420,[36] but after dissatisfaction with five days of shooting Haasan took over as director.[37][38] In 1997 Haasan began directing an unfinished biopic of Dilip Kumar, Marudhanayagam; a forty five minutes of film and a trailer was shot.[39] Marudhanayagam was expected to be the biggest, most expensive film in Indian cinematic history and his magnum opus; a number of well-known actors and technicians had been signed, and it was launched at a public ceremony by Queen Elizabeth during her 1997 visit to India.[40] Although the film failed to materialise due to budget constraints, Haasan expressed an interest in reviving the project.[41] In 1998, he appeared in Singeetam Srinivasa Rao's romantic comedy, Kaathala Kaathala opposite Prabhu Deva. The film was a commercial success and was dubbed in Hindi as Mirch Masala, which was never released.[42]

2000–2009[edit]

After a two-year hiatus from Indian cinema, Haasan decided against reviving Marudhanayagam. He directed his second film, Hey Ram,[43] 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.[44] 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.[45] The Hindi version was distributed by Shringar Films.[46][47] Despite pre-release publicity, the film was a commercial failure.[48]

After a number of successful comedies[49] 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.[50] 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".[51]

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.[52] In Canada, Dasavathaaram was the first Tamil film distributed by Walt Disney Pictures.[53]

After Dasavathaaram, Haasan directed a film tentatively titled Marmayogi, which stalled after a year of pre-production. He then produced and starred in Unnaipol Oruvan, a remake of the Bollywood film A Wednesday, where he reprised the role originally played by Naseeruddin Shah with Malayalam actor Mohanlal playing Anupam Kher's role.[54][55] It was released in Telugu as Eeenadu, with Venkatesh reprising the role played by Kher.[56] Both versions were critically acclaimed and commercially successful.[56][57]

2010–present[edit]

Filming of Vishwaroopam

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.[58] The film was released in December 2010 to mixed reviews, with Behindwoods calling it "an entertainer, but in parts"[59] and Sify saying it "lacks the punch to captivate the audiences".[60]

Haasan's next film after Manmadhan Ambu was 2013's Vishwaroopam, released in Hindi as Vishwaroop. It won two National Film Awards (Best Production Design and Best Choreography) at the 60th National Film Awards.[61] Muslim groups in Tamil Nadu demanded the ban of the film and claimed, that the film would hurt Muslim sentiments.[62][63] Although the film was cleared by Central Board of Film Certification of India, district collectors in the state of Tamil Nadu gave orders to the theatre owners to not show Vishwaroopam, citing law and order problems. However, the film was released in other states with greater Muslim populations than in Tamil Nadu. A mutual agreement with the Muslims of Tamil Nadu was finally settled on 2 February 2013, when Haasan accepted to mute five scenes. Vishwaroopam was the highest-grossing Tamil film of 2013.[64]

In May 2014, he was appointed as the official Indian delegate to the 67th Cannes Film Festival.[65] As of July 2014, he was working on three films: Uttama Villain, Vishwaroopam II, the sequel of Vishwaroopam[66] and Papanasam.[67] 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[68] was released with positive reviews and became a huge success[69] followed by the bi-lingual Thoongaa Vanam and Cheekati Rajyam,[70] both doing moderate business.

He was set to reprise his role of Balram Naidu (a Telugu RAW Officer) from Dasavathaaram in a spin-off film directed by himself titled Sabaash Naidu. The film was to be made in Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi (as Shabhash Kundu). The film's release date has been delayed owing to Haasan's entry into politics, and he pledged that he focus on working on Indian 2 instead.[71]

Haasan at the 2023 San Diego Comic-Con

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.[72] The film was released on 3 June 2022 and was a huge commercial success grossing 442.45 crore (US$55 million) and went on to become the highest-grossing Tamil film of the year and fourth highest-grossing Tamil film of all time by beating the collections made by other Tamil films like Beast, Valimai, Etharkkum Thunindhavan and Don etc.[73] 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.[74] 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.[75] In August 2022, the filming for Indian 2 resumed, after a break of almost an year. It is now scheduled for release in summer 2024.

In June 2023, he was cast in Kalki 2898 AD as the antagonist, marking his comeback in Telugu cinema. It was the first film in Indian cinema to attend the San Diego Comic-Con, in July 2023. Along with the director and producers of the film, Nag Ashwin, C. Aswani Dutt, and Swapna Dutt, he presented the panel of the film with Prabhas and Rana Daggubati. In October 2023, he gave voice-over for his role in Vijay's film Leo.[76] After Indian 2, he will be collaborating with H. Vinoth, for his 233rd film.[77][78][79]

Off-screen contributions[edit]

In addition to acting, Haasan is noted for his involvement in other aspects of filmmaking.[37] 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.[80] In his earlier career, he choreographed for MGR in Naan Yen Pirandhen, Sivaji Ganesan in Savaale Samaali and Jayalalithaa in Anbu Thangai[81] 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 end result is that the star Kamal funds the technician Kamal in pursuing his dreams".[82] Haasan attended workshops for makeup technicians in the US for several years, and trained as a makeup artist under Michael Westmore.[83]

Haasan has written songs for his films. He wrote the lyrics for a single in Hey Ram, songs in Virumaandi and Unnaipol Oruvan and the album for Manmadhan Ambu. Haasan's musical work has been well received by his peers in Tamil film.[84] He is also a playback singer,[85] singing in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam and English.[86] Haasan also wrote the lyrics for a song about the COVID-19 pandemic in India and released its music video, "Arivum Anbum". The album, composed by Ghibran and directed by Haasan, featured Anirudh Ravichander, Yuvan Shankar Raja and a number of other contemporary performers.[87][88]

In 2021, Haasan featured in a song 'Shades of Blue: A Musical Tribute to Venmurasu' composed by Rajan Somasundaram and released by Director Mani Ratnam in honor of Venmurasu, the longest novel ever written in any language.[89] Earlier, he has spoken in appreciation of Venmurasu and writer Jeyamohan on Bigg Boss during his book recommendations.[90] In 2022, Haasan was the lyricist and the playback singer for the song "Pathala Pathala" from Vikram.[91]

Bigg Boss Tamil[edit]

Haasan made his return on Star Vijay TV, hosting the first season of Bigg Boss Tamil in 2017.[92][93] The show soon went onto become one of the most watched television series in Tamil Nadu and gained positive reviews among audience from season 1 onwards.[94][95][96][97][98][99] Haasan also hosted the second season of Bigg Boss Tamil 2 which started its telecast on 17 June 2018,[100] Bigg Boss Tamil 3 which started its telecast on 23 June 2019[101] and Bigg Boss Tamil 4 which started telecast on 4 October 2020.[102] He hosted Bigg Boss Tamil 5 which started to telecast from 3 October 2021.[103] Then, now he is the host[104] to the Bigg Boss Ultimate (Season 1) which is to be launched on Disney+ Hotstar[105][106] from 30 January 2022.[107] He exited the show after the third week owing to scheduling conflicts with his film Vikram. Later, Silambarasan replaced him as the host from week 4 onwards. Then, Kamal Haasan returned as a host in Bigg Boss Tamil Season 6. Next, Kamal Haasan is returning as a host in Bigg Boss Tamil Season 7.

KH House of Khaddar (KHHK)[edit]

Kamal Haasan launched his personal fashion line brand called KH House of Khaddar (KHHK).[108]

Personal life[edit]

Family[edit]

Haasan was born into a Tamil Iyengar family[109] in the town of Paramakudi, in the Ramanathapuram district of Tamil Nadu, to criminal defence lawyer D. Srinivasan and Rajalakshmi, a housewife.[110] 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.[111] 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.[112] Haasan continued his education in Sir M.Ct. Muthiah Chettiar Boys Higher Secondary School[113] and Hindu Higher Secondary School in Madras (now Chennai).[citation needed]

Haasan has alluded to his parents in some of his works, notably Unnaipol Oruvan and in the song "Kallai Mattum" in Dasavathaaram.[114] 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.[115] Chandrahasan has produced several of Haasan's films and was an executive with Raaj Kamal Films International, he died in March 2017.[116] 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).[117] Her son, Gautham, played Haasan's grandson in "Hey Ram".

Relationships[edit]

Haasan in white, next to daughters Shruti and Akshara, dressed in black
Haasan with daughters Shruti (left) and Akshara (right)

In 1978, at age 24, Haasan married dancer Vani Ganapathy.[118] She acted with Haasan in the 1975 movie Melnaattu Marumagal. After marriage, Vani worked as Haasan's costume designer for several movies. They divorced ten years later.[citation needed]

Haasan and actress Sarika began living together in 1988, marrying after the birth of their first child, Shruti (born 1986). Shruti is a singer and a Tollywood-Kollywood actress. Their younger daughter, Akshara (born 1991), was assistant director for 2013's Vishwaroopam and actress for 2019's Kadaram Kondan. Sarika stopped acting soon after their marriage, Sarika worked as Haasan's costume designer for the movie Hey Ram and won the National Film Award for Best Costume Designer.[119][120] In 2002, the couple filed for divorce, which became final in 2004.[121] After their divorce, Sarika acted in movies and TV serials, winning the National Film Award for Best Actress for the 2005 film Parzania.[citation needed]

From 2003 through 2016, Haasan was in a relationship with actress Gautami, his frequent co-star during the late 1980s and early 1990s.[122][123]

Early in his career, he co-starred in several films with Srividya. Haasan visited Srividya on her deathbed in 2006.[124]

Views[edit]

Haasan is an atheist and has often questioned the existence of God and has highlighted the theme in his films like Anbe Sivam and Dasavathaaram.[125] 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.[126]

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".[112] Haasan is considered left-leaning or independent. Although he initially abstained from politics, he entered regional politics in Tamil Nadu in 2018.[127] He also said that his entering politics would result in his death within a year.[128]

Filmography[edit]

Humanitarian work[edit]

Man with jacket standing with smiling, bespectacled younger man
Haasan with social activist M. B. Nirmal (right) in Chennai

Haasan is the first Tamil actor to convert his fan clubs into welfare organisations[129] and is involved in social-service activities through the clubs under the name Kamal Narpani Iyakkam (Kamal Welfare Association).[130][131] His fan clubs help organise blood- and eye-donation drives, and donate educational materials to students.[132][133][134]

Haasan received the first Abraham Kovoor National Award for his humanist activities and secular life in 2004.[135] He was project ambassador for Hridayaragam 2010, which raised funds for an orphanage for HIV/AIDS-affected children.[136] 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.[137] He has pledged his product-endorsement income to social causes.[138][139] 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.[140]

Haasan was nominated by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Swachh Bharat campaign. He chose to clean the Madambakkam lake in Chennai with the Environmentalist Foundation of India's Arun Krishnamurthy on 7 November 2014.[141][142]

Known for refusing any kind of brand endorsement, Haasan endorsed Pothys for the first time in 2015.[143] 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.[144]

Writings[edit]

Haasan publishes the magazine Mayyam, by the Kamal Haasan Welfare Association (Narpani Iyakkam).His views on cinema, child and drug abuse, and the Kashmir conflict have been published as Thedi Theerpom Va (Come, Let's Find and Solve) by his fan club.[145] He is also interested in Tamil literature.[146][147]

Political career[edit]

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.[9] 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).[148]

He unsuccessfully contested the 2021 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election from Coimbatore South and lost to BJP Mahila Morcha President Vanathi Srinivasan by a narrow margin.[149]

Elections contested[edit]

Election Constituency Party Result Vote % Opposition Candidate Opposition Party Opposition vote
2021 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election Coimbatore South MNM Lost 33.26% Vanathi Srinivasan BJP 34.38%

Awards and honours[edit]

Ang Lee, a grey-haired man, looking at Haasan (who is speaking)
Haasan with Ang Lee

Haasan received, in 1990, the Padma Shri, and, in 2014, the Padma Bhushan for his contributions to Indian cinema.[150] At age six, he won the President's Gold Medal for Best Child Actor for his debut film, Kalathur Kannamma.[151] He is tied with Mammootty for the second most Best Actor National Film Awards with three. He won a National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil for producing the 1992 Tamil film, Thevar Magan. He has a record 19 Filmfare Awards in five languages; after his last award, in 2000, he wrote to the organisation requesting no further awards.[135][152] In 2003, his films Hey Ram, Pushpak, Nayakan and Kuruthipunal were showcased in the "Director in Focus" category at the Rotterdam Film Festival.[153] In 2004, Virumaandi won the inaugural Best Asian film award at the Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival (PiFan).[50][153]

In 2005, Sathyabama Deemed University awarded Haasan an honorary doctorate.[154] He received the Chevalier Sivaji Ganesan Award for Excellence in Indian Cinema at the inaugural Vijay Awards in 2006.[155] He received the Living Legend Award in 2007 from FICCI.[156] 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.[157] That year, the government of Kerala honoured him for 50 years in Indian cinema during statewide Onam celebrations in Thiruvananthapuram.[158]

Haasan received the Kalaimamani Award from the government of Tamil Nadu in 1979.[159] 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.[160] He is on the academic advisory council for ISFM (International school of Film+Media),[161] and was the first Indian actor invited aboard an American ship as a special friend of the US.[162] 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.[163] 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.[164] Recently honoured with S. S. Vasan Award for his lifetime achievement in film industry by Ananda Vikatan.[165]

Public perception and controversies[edit]

Haasan with Rajinikanth

Mani Ratnam who directed Haasan in Nayakan, has said that there are many things he can do that no other actor can.[166] Veteran Tamil actor Nagesh called Haasan the best actor he had ever seen.[167] 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.[168][169][170][171] Younger generation actors (Suriya and Madhavan)[172][173][174] and filmmakers (Bala, Ameer and Gautham Menon) have been inspired by him.[175][176][177][178]

Hollywood filmmaker Barrie M. Osburne called Haasan's knowledge of literature, history and films "encyclopedic",[179] and Ang Lee said he was stunned by his brilliance and knowledge of films.[180] Some of his films were inspiration for some Hollywood films.[181][182]

'The Week', in its 13 September 1992 edition, reported that Chiranjeevi charged Rs. 12.5 million per film, which was the highest remuneration for an Indian actor at the time. In 1994, Haasan became the first Indian actor to charge 15 million per film.[citation needed]

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.[183][184] Haasan was also criticised by Nayakan's producer Muktha Srinivasan for his article in The Hindu taking unnecessary credit for that film.[185] 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.[186] 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.[187]

Haasan has been accused of self-indulgence,[188] and has been criticised for sexually explicit scenes and themes, offending religious sentiments and superficiality on social issues depicted in his films.[189][190][191] There have also been complaints about his obsession with perfection, which may have caused some of his films to run over budget.[192][193][194] 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.[195] 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.[196] In November 2017, Haasan said that right-wing Hindus have started employing extremism to propagate their communal agenda.[197]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Both daughters with Sarika.

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Kamal Haasan's real name is Kamalahaasan Srinivasan - 59 Years of Kamal Haasan: Lesser known facts about the 'Ulaganayagan' 'Aandavar'". Times of India. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
  2. ^ "Kamal Hassan for film archive facilities in each state". The Indian Express. 7 March 2016. Archived from the original on 26 August 2016. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
  3. ^ "Where Kamal Haasan was really born?". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 9 October 2018. Retrieved 23 August 2018.
  4. ^ Gupta, Priya. "I get devastated at the idea of marriage: Shruti Haasan". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 30 October 2014.
  5. ^ Sumanth (1 June 2022). "10 First Of Its Kind Technologies Introduced By Kamal Haasan To Indian Cinema - Wirally". Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  6. ^ Athimuthu, Soundarya (27 April 2022). "Vishwaroopam to Vikram: Kamal Haasan & Tech Innovation in His Films". TheQuint. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  7. ^ "61 years of Kamal Haasan: Ten remarkable techniques that were introduced by Ulaganayagan to Tamil or Indian cinema". The Times of India. 12 August 2020. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  8. ^ Desk, Internet (22 August 2016). "Tamil film actor Sivaji Ganesan Dead Kamal Haasan to get prestigious French honour". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 21 August 2016. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
  9. ^ a b "Kamal Haasan Live: The six hands in my flag stands for the six south Indian states". The Times of India. 21 February 2018. Archived from the original on 29 June 2018. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
  10. ^ "Inside Kamal Haasan's birthday trip to Paramakudi with Charu, Shruti and Akshara: All pics". India Today. 7 November 2019. Archived from the original on 6 June 2020. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  11. ^ "Actor Kamal Haasan unveils bust of freedom fighter father D. Seenivasan in Thelichathanallur". The Hindu. 7 November 2019. Archived from the original on 21 June 2020. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  12. ^ a b c d e "வரலாற்றுச்சுவடுகள் – திரைப்ப வரலாறு 929 – "உலக நாயகன்" கமல்ஹாசன்". Daily Thanthi (in Tamil). 4 September 2008.
  13. ^ Yamunan, Sruthisagar (27 March 2017). "Despite columnist's gaffe, Kamal Haasan wasn't born Muslim – his original name was Parthasaraty". Scroll.in. Archived from the original on 8 June 2020. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  14. ^ Sudha G Tilak (2017). "Is Kamal Haasan India's next movie star-turned-politician?". BBC. Archived from the original on 23 July 2018. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  15. ^ a b "His classical odyssey". The Hindu. 14 August 2014. Archived from the original on 1 October 2014. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  16. ^ V. S., Srinivasan (19 December 1997). "Chachi comes a-visiting". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 25 August 2013. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
  17. ^ Prem Panicker (2003). "The Kamal I know – Prem Panicker". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 22 June 2011. Retrieved 22 January 2011.
  18. ^ Gupta, Sekar (2010). "I'm a reluctant actor". ScreenIndia.com. Archived from the original on 23 January 2010. Retrieved 9 October 2009.
  19. ^ Guy, Randor (26 November 2016). "Kasi Yathirai (1973) TAMIL". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 27 November 2016. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  20. ^ a b c d e f "Kamal Haasan Awards (till 2000)". BizHat.com. 2009. Archived from the original on 3 June 2011. Retrieved 22 January 2011.
  21. ^ "Kamal Haasan Celebrates Birthday Today, 'Vishwaroopam 2' Actor Turns 59". International Business Times. 11 November 2013. Archived from the original on 11 November 2013.
  22. ^ "The Kamal Haasan phenomenon". Rediff. 8 November 2005. Archived from the original on 22 October 2013.
  23. ^ Padmanabhan, Mukund (1997). "We are capable of making films for people worldwide". Retrieved 19 October 2009.[permanent dead link]
  24. ^ "Kamal hasan's significant ten". Screen India. 1997. Archived from the original on 4 June 2009. Retrieved 22 January 2011.
  25. ^ K. Jeshi (2004). "No stopping him". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 25 April 2011. Retrieved 19 October 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  26. ^ "15 films to thank Kamal Haasan for". Hindustan Times. 6 November 2013. Archived from the original on 4 December 2015. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  27. ^ a b BVS Prakash (14 November 2010). "I'm capable of love: Kamal Haasan". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 2 June 2017. Retrieved 22 January 2011.
  28. ^ "List of Indian submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film". Film Federation of India. p. 2. Archived from the original on 6 December 2013. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
  29. ^ "All-TIME 100 Movies". Time. 12 February 2005. Archived from the original on 17 July 2014. Retrieved 5 October 2013.
  30. ^ "Focus on a Filmmaker". Rediff.com Courtesy. Stardust. 8 November 2002. Archived from the original on 22 June 2011. Retrieved 22 January 2011.
  31. ^ Meghna George (2010). "Kamal Haasan's special place in the Malayali heart". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 13 November 2010. Retrieved 22 January 2011.
  32. ^ Adhiraj, Vijay (22 July 2004). "Each medium has its own USP". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 29 June 2011. Retrieved 19 October 2009.
  33. ^ "Kamal Haasan, Tabu win national awards". The Indian Express. 1997. Archived from the original on 26 October 2009. Retrieved 19 October 2009.
  34. ^ "kamal-haasan-first-bollywood-actor-to-get-paid-rs-1-crore-for-a-film". Archived from the original on 4 April 2018. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  35. ^ V. S. Srinivasan (1998). "Aunty vs Chachi". Rediff. Archived from the original on 7 June 2011. Retrieved 19 October 2009.
  36. ^ Suparn Verma (1997). "Kamal Hasan returns to Bollywood". Rediff. Archived from the original on 5 May 2008. Retrieved 19 October 2009.
  37. ^ a b "The importance of being Kamal Haasan". ScreenIndia. 1997. Archived from the original on 15 August 2010. Retrieved 22 January 2011.
  38. ^ Deepa Deosthalee (1998). "The great Bollywood rip-off". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 25 June 2010. Retrieved 19 October 2009.
  39. ^ "'Marudanayagam' resurfaces". IndiaGlitz.com. 2008. Archived from the original on 26 November 2009. Retrieved 19 October 2009.
  40. ^ V. S. Srinivasan (1998). "Marudhunayagam, Making of an epic". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 7 June 2011. Retrieved 19 October 2009.
  41. ^ "Don't let mediocrity be the standard:Kamal". The Times of India. 10 March 2009. Archived from the original on 25 January 2011. Retrieved 19 October 2009.
  42. ^ Housefull, a remake of Kaathala Kaathala? Archived 19 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com (11 May 2010). Retrieved 19 May 2015.
  43. ^ "Hey Ram review". Planet Bollywood. Archived from the original on 28 August 2010. Retrieved 19 October 2009.
  44. ^ "Wide acclaim for Indian films in US festival". The Times of India. 2001. Archived from the original on 7 June 2011. Retrieved 19 October 2009.
  45. ^ "The Kamal I know – Panicker". Rediff.com. 2003. Archived from the original on 22 June 2011. Retrieved 21 January 2011.
  46. ^ Subhash K Jha (2001). "Fear becomes him! Getting under Kamal's skin". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 22 June 2011. Retrieved 24 January 2011.
  47. ^ Vivek Fernandes (2001). "Abhay sings a fearless tune". Archived from the original on 15 July 2011. Retrieved 24 January 2011.
  48. ^ "The many faces of success". The Hindu. 3 September 2005. Archived from the original on 5 November 2008. Retrieved 19 October 2009.
  49. ^ "Drop in releases". Screen India. 2001. Archived from the original on 5 October 2009. Retrieved 19 October 2009.
  50. ^ a b "Virumandi wins at Puchon Film Fest". IndiaGlitz. 2004. Archived from the original on 13 June 2011. Retrieved 22 January 2011.
  51. ^ Malathi Rangarajan (2003). "Anbe Sivam". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 22 September 2009. Retrieved 19 October 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  52. ^ "Kamal starts remake of 'A Wednesday'". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 10 April 2009. Archived from the original on 3 December 2011. Retrieved 15 September 2010.
  53. ^ "Walt Disney buys Dasavatharam". Behindwoods.com. 7 June 2008. Archived from the original on 12 October 2012. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
  54. ^ "I was mesmerised by Kamal". Ergo. 2009. Archived from the original on 24 August 2013. Retrieved 3 May 2012.
  55. ^ "Super heroes come together". 2009. Archived from the original on 24 August 2013. Retrieved 3 May 2012.
  56. ^ a b Review: Eenadu is almost like A Wednesday – Rediff.com Movies Archived 11 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Rediff.com (18 September 2009). Retrieved 19 May 2015.
  57. ^ Ranjib Mazumder (2009). "Kamal Haasan admits being a player for the market". Daily News and Analysis. Archived from the original on 12 October 2009. Retrieved 19 October 2009.
  58. ^ "Manmadhan Ambu Tamil Movie Preview". IndiaGlitz. 17 December 2010. Archived from the original on 5 October 2013. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  59. ^ "Manmadhan Ambu Movie Review". Behindwoods. Archived from the original on 2 August 2013. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  60. ^ "'Manmadhan Ambu' lacks the punch (Tamil Movie Review; Rating:***)". Sify. 25 December 2010. Archived from the original on 1 November 2013. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  61. ^ "60th National Film Awards Announced" (PDF). Press Information Bureau. 18 March 2013. Archived (PDF) from the original on 11 June 2014. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  62. ^ "'Vishwaroopam' row ends; Kamal, Muslim groups reach accord". 2 February 2013. Archived from the original on 14 May 2014. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
  63. ^ "No 'bad Muslims' in 'Vishwaroopam', can't paint terrorists white: Kamal Haasan". The Times of India. 31 January 2013. Archived from the original on 19 January 2018. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
  64. ^ Mehta, Ankita (13 March 2013). "'Vishwaroopam' Box Office Collection: Kamal Haasan Starrer Earns ₹220 Crores". International Business Times, India Edition. Archived from the original on 11 March 2020. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  65. ^ "Kamal Haasan to lead official Indian delegation to Cannes". India Today. 14 May 2014. Archived from the original on 17 May 2014. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
  66. ^ Shiva, Prasad (January 2015). "Vishwaroopam 2 confirmed for jan, 2015". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 14 December 2013. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  67. ^ Kamal Haasan to start shooting for Drishyam remake Archived 25 October 2015 at the Wayback Machine. The Times of India. 23 June 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  68. ^ "Papanasam: A faithful remake, a solid thriller". The Hindu. 5 July 2015. Archived from the original on 2 June 2017. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  69. ^ 'Papanasam' (Papanaasam) Movie Review: Live Audience Response Archived 4 July 2015 at the Wayback Machine. Ibtimes.co.in (4 July 2015). Retrieved 14 July 2016.
  70. ^ "Kamal's next titled 'Thoonga Vanam'". IndiaGlitz. 14 May 2015. Archived from the original on 16 May 2015. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
  71. ^ "Official: 'Vishwaroopam 2' and 'Indian 2' are the last two films of Kamal Haasan". Sify. Archived from the original on 2 May 2018. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
  72. ^ "'Kamal Haasan 232' title teaser: Lokesh Kanagaraj presents a fabulous gift to his guru". The Times of India.
  73. ^ "Vikram surpasses Beast Day 2 collection". Times of India. Archived from the original on 15 June 2022. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
  74. ^ "Vikram: Complaint filed against Kamal Haasan's Pathala Pathala for taking on Union Government". Cinema Express. 12 May 2022.
  75. ^ "Police complaint filed against Kamal Haasan's 'Pathala Pathala' song". The Times of India.
  76. ^ K, Janani (8 November 2023). "Kamal Haasan, Vijay's pic from 'Leo' days go viral and Kamal dubbed for his role in Leo". India Today. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  77. ^ "Kamal Haasan's next is with director Mahesh Narayanan". The Times of India.
  78. ^ "Kamal Haasan to join hands with Pa Ranjith for Madurai-based rural film. Exciting combo!". India Today.
  79. ^ "Indian 2 shooting to resume only after Vikram and RC15 are wrapped up". Times Of India. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
  80. ^ "I may slip behind camera – Kamal Haasan". Rediff.com Courtesy. Stardust. 2001. Archived from the original on 28 June 2011. Retrieved 22 January 2011.
  81. ^ "Kamal Haasan – The Complete Actor". IndiaGlitz.com. 7 November 2013. Archived from the original on 10 November 2013. Retrieved 11 August 2013.
  82. ^ Ranjib Mazumder (2009). "I wanted to be a technician: Kamal Haasan". Daily News and Analysis. Archived from the original on 14 January 2012. Retrieved 19 January 2011.
  83. ^ V S Srinivasan (1998). "Making of an epic". Rediff. Archived from the original on 22 June 2011. Retrieved 22 January 2011.
  84. ^ TOI (20 November 2010). "Kamal's lyrics gets thumbs up". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 23 November 2010. Retrieved 19 January 2011.
  85. ^ TOI (27 March 2009). "Tunes from the heart". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 5 October 2013. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
  86. ^ "Kamal Haasan sings in English". Rediff.com. 9 May 2013. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
  87. ^ Madhu, Vignesh (23 April 2020). "Arivum Anbum: Kamal Haasan pens a song of hope during Covid-19 times!". Onlookers Media. Archived from the original on 11 October 2020. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  88. ^ "Arivum Anbum: Kamal Haasan-Ghibran's song on coronavirus is an anthem of hope". India Today. 23 April 2020. Archived from the original on 27 April 2020. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  89. ^ "Director Mani Ratnam Releases Musical Tribute to Jeyamohan's Epic Venmurasu". www.marketwatch.com. Archived from the original on 22 October 2021. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  90. ^ "Book Recommendations by Kamal Haasan". www.NewIndianExpress.com. 4 February 2021. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  91. ^ "Kamal Haasan pens a Kuththu song for 'Vikram'". The Times of India. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  92. ^ "Kamal Haasan all set to host Tamil Big Boss". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 18 September 2018.
  93. ^ "கமல் தொகுத்து வழங்கும், விஜய் டிவியின் 'பிக் பாஸ்'". vikatan.com. Archived from the original on 1 September 2017. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
  94. ^ "Looking back at Bigg Boss Tamil Season One: Top seven controversies". The Indian Express. 16 June 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  95. ^ Karki, Tripti (29 August 2017). "Bigg Boss Tamil: With 14k retweets, self-evicted contestant Oviya Helen emerges more popular than ever". www.indiatvnews.com. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  96. ^ "Bigg Boss Tamil 2: From Aishwarya Dutta's 'Hitler Task' to Mahat's tantrums, a look at the top controversies of the show". The Indian Express. 30 September 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  97. ^ "'Bigg Boss 2' Tamil in trouble". The News Minute. 26 June 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  98. ^ "Bigg Boss Tamil 3: A look at the top controversies of the season". The Times of India. 6 October 2019. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  99. ^ "Bigg Boss Tamil Season 3 - A look back at the most controversial moments from the show". Cinema Express. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  100. ^ "Kamal Haasan returns to host 'Bigg Boss' 2". The News Minute. 12 May 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  101. ^ "Kamal Haasan all set for Bigg Boss Tamil 3". The Times of India. 8 May 2019. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  102. ^ "Bigg Boss Tamil 4 teaser: Kamal Haasan gets back to work". The Indian Express. 28 August 2020. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  103. ^ "Bigg Boss Tamil 5 teaser is out; Kamal Haasan returns as the host". The Times of India. 31 August 2021. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  104. ^ "Kamal Haasan to host first edition of Bigg Boss Tamil OTT, begins January 30". The Indian Express. 17 January 2022. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  105. ^ "Bigg Boss Ultimate: Kamal Haasan announces OTT version of Bigg Boss Tamil, here's all you need to know". OTTPlay. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  106. ^ "Disney+ Hotstar to stream its first-ever OTT exclusive season of Bigg Boss Tamil from 30th January". MediaNews4U. 17 January 2022. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  107. ^ Janani K. (17 January 2022). "Kamal Haasan to host Bigg Boss Ultimate on Disney+ Hotstar from January 30. Read details". India Today. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  108. ^ Paitandy, Priyadarshini (26 January 2022). "On Republic Day, Kamal Haasan launches the website for his new fashion label KH House of Khaddar". The Hindu.
  109. ^ "I get devastated at the idea of marriage: Shruti Haasan". The Times of India. 17 May 2013. Archived from the original on 30 October 2014.
  110. ^ Kumar, Rajitha (2000). "Kamal, as we know him". Rediff. Archived from the original on 28 July 2011. Retrieved 30 June 2009.
  111. ^ "Kamal reveals his real name!". The Times of India. 5 April 2012. Archived from the original on 21 May 2013. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
  112. ^ a b "Karan Thapar interview with Kamal Haasan". BBC Hardtalk. 2010. Archived from the original on 30 July 2013. Retrieved 26 April 2010.
  113. ^ "Kamal Haasan's reunion with his schoolmates". The Times of India. 1 February 2020. Archived from the original on 11 October 2020. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
  114. ^ Pavithra Srinivasan (2008). "Dasavatharam music is mediocre". Rediff. Archived from the original on 6 June 2009. Retrieved 30 June 2009.
  115. ^ "Married to the medium". The Tribune. 2003. Archived from the original on 13 April 2009. Retrieved 30 June 2009.
  116. ^ "Kamal Haasan's brother and producer Chandrahasan died". The Indian Express. 19 March 2017. Archived from the original on 8 May 2017. Retrieved 19 March 2017.
  117. ^ Ramani, Nandini (21 November 2003). "Married to the medium". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 8 November 2012. Retrieved 13 November 2010.
  118. ^ Indiatimes Movies (31 December 2008). "Kamal Haasan made a flowery entry". The Times of India. Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. Archived from the original on 21 May 2013. Retrieved 31 December 2008.
  119. ^ "47th National Film Awards". International Film Festival of India. Archived from the original on 5 May 2014. Retrieved 13 March 2012.
  120. ^ "47th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 October 2013. Retrieved 13 March 2012.
  121. ^ Jha, Subhash K. (2003). "My main concern is the kids". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 3 February 2009. Retrieved 30 June 2009.
  122. ^ Bhattacharya, Ananya (1 November 2016). "Kamal Haasan and Gautami part ways after living together for 13 years". India Today. Archived from the original on 2 November 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  123. ^ "Gautami opens up on Kamal Haasan: After 13 years together, our paths have irreversibly diverged". India.com. 2 November 2016. Archived from the original on 2 November 2016.
  124. ^ TR (2008). "Wasn't Ranjith telling Sreevidya's tale?". Nowrunning.com. Archived from the original on 26 October 2009. Retrieved 30 June 2009.
  125. ^ Vijayasarathy, R G (2008). "Dasavathaaram is spectacular". Rediff. Archived from the original on 17 June 2008. Retrieved 13 June 2008.
  126. ^ Jha, Subhah K (3 May 2002). "Harrowing time in Toronto". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 4 July 2003. Retrieved 3 May 2002.
  127. ^ "Kamal Haasan sees Red". Rediff. 2003. Archived from the original on 14 September 2012.
  128. ^ Shilpa Jamkhandikar (17 April 2009). "Just A Minute With: actor Kamal Haasan". The Reuters. Archived from the original on 22 October 2012. Retrieved 3 May 2012.
  129. ^ "Kamal Haasan on a noble cause". The Times of India. 7 November 2011. Archived from the original on 21 May 2013. Retrieved 17 December 2011.
  130. ^ "Kamal fires club secretary". cinesouth.com. 2008. Archived from the original on 8 July 2011. Retrieved 17 January 2011.
  131. ^ "I believe in excellence – Kamal Haasan". southdreamz.com. 2009. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 17 January 2011.
  132. ^ "Kamal Haasan launches eye-donation campaign". The India daily. 2010. Archived from the original on 20 April 2011. Retrieved 22 January 2011.
  133. ^ "Kamal Haasan helps 30000 students". extramirchi.com. 2010. Archived from the original on 28 January 2011. Retrieved 17 January 2011.
  134. ^ Special Correspondent (5 September 2010). "Spreading the message of sharing and learning". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 8 September 2010. Retrieved 22 January 2011.
  135. ^ a b "The legend turns 53". Zee News. 2007. Archived from the original on 26 October 2009. Retrieved 30 June 2009.
  136. ^ "Kamal Hasan supports cause of Aids affected kids!". aidsroko.com. 2009. Archived from the original on 5 December 2010. Retrieved 17 January 2011.
  137. ^ "Kamal does it again". BizHat.com. 2010. Archived from the original on 2 April 2012. Retrieved 17 January 2011.
  138. ^ "Kamal pledges support". Behindwoods.com. 2010. Archived from the original on 3 January 2011. Retrieved 17 January 2011.
  139. ^ "Kamal Hassan gets branded". Archived from the original on 24 August 2013. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
  140. ^ "Kamal Haasan would make a great quiz master, says Siddharth Basu". NDTV. 25 March 2013. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  141. ^ "Kamal Calls for 'Sweeping' Change". The Indian Express. 8 November 2014. Archived from the original on 21 December 2014.
  142. ^ Madhavan, T.; Krishnaswamy, G. (7 November 2014). "Kamal Haasan celebrates birthday with a clean up drive". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015.
  143. ^ Udhav Naig (23 September 2015). "In a first, Kamal Haasan to feature in commercial". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015.
  144. ^ "Kamal Haasan to endorse textile showroom brand Pothys". India Today. 21 September 2015. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015.
  145. ^ TOI (2010). "Kamal's Magazine". ScreenIndia.com South Screen. Archived from the original on 1 June 2008. Retrieved 22 January 2011.
  146. ^ Malathi Rangarajan (11 December 2010). "Cupid Calling". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 16 December 2010. Retrieved 22 January 2011.
  147. ^ Malathi Rangarajan (26 October 2007). "Now it's the turn of Kamal Haasan ... the writer". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 5 October 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  148. ^ "A great beginning, says Kamal Haasan". The Hindu. 25 May 2019. Archived from the original on 2 June 2019. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  149. ^ "Tamil Nadu: Kamal Haasan Loses to BJP's Vanathi Srinivasan in Coimbatore South". 3 May 2021.
  150. ^ "Kamal Hassan turns 57". India Today. 7 November 2011. Archived from the original on 11 November 2013. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  151. ^ "Directorate of Film Festival" (PDF). Iffi.nic.in. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 October 2015. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
  152. ^ "The next decade will be the best of my career: Kamal Haasan". DNA India. 2 July 2010. Archived from the original on 11 October 2020. Retrieved 30 May 2013.
  153. ^ a b "Director in Focus". The Hindu. 2001. Archived from the original on 25 November 2010. Retrieved 22 January 2011.
  154. ^ "Dr Kamal Haasan!". Rediff News. 2005. Archived from the original on 14 May 2011. Retrieved 17 January 2011.
  155. ^ "Star-spangled it was". Goldentamilcinema.net. 2006. Archived from the original on 8 June 2009. Retrieved 18 January 2011.
  156. ^ "Kamal Haasan to receive Living Legend Award". IndiaGlitz.com. 2007. Archived from the original on 13 June 2011. Retrieved 17 January 2011.
  157. ^ "Retrospective of Kamal Haasan films opens". The Hindu. 3 July 2010. Archived from the original on 8 August 2010. Retrieved 18 January 2011.
  158. ^ "Kerala honours Kamal Haasan". The Hindu News. 22 August 2010. Archived from the original on 25 August 2010. Retrieved 18 January 2011.
  159. ^ "Kamal Haasan to be honoured at Mumbai Film Fest". Hindustan Times. 12 September 2013. Archived from the original on 21 December 2013.
  160. ^ "Kamal Haasan appointed as chairman FICCI Media and Entertainment Business Conclave". The Indian Film Industry Official. 2009. Archived from the original on 25 October 2011. Retrieved 21 January 2011.
  161. ^ "Kamal Hassan and Anushka Shetty join ISFM as academic advisors". 2011. Archived from the original on 17 October 2011. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
  162. ^ "Kamal Haasan in mid-ocean when earthquake stuck". The Times of India. 16 April 2012. Archived from the original on 21 May 2013. Retrieved 3 May 2012.
  163. ^ "Kamal receives award in New York Film Festival". The Times of India. 11 April 2013. Archived from the original on 16 April 2013. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
  164. ^ "Kamal Haasan, Mani Ratnam and Prabhu Deva are the chosen ones". 2013. Archived from the original on 18 April 2013. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
  165. ^ "Ananda Vikatan Awards 2016 ஆனந்த விகடன் விருதுகள் 2016". vikatan.com. 13 January 2017. Archived from the original on 18 January 2017. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
  166. ^ Shiva Kumar (25 August 2006). "Mani misses working with Kamal". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 11 November 2012. Retrieved 21 January 2011.
  167. ^ Malathi Rangarajan (27 July 2007). "Behind that humorous veneer". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 28 March 2016. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  168. ^ "Sridevi calls me sir, says Kamal Hassan". CNN-IBN. 19 August 2009. Archived from the original on 24 August 2013. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  169. ^ Shiva Kumar (25 August 2006). "I wanted to touch him:SRK on Kamal Haasan". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 11 November 2012. Retrieved 21 January 2011.
  170. ^ Shiva Kumar (25 August 2006). "Aamir on Kamal". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 11 November 2012. Retrieved 21 January 2011.
  171. ^ "I want to work with Kamal Haasan again". Southdreamz.com. 1 October 2009. Archived from the original on 21 December 2012. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
  172. ^ "Surya on Kamal". southdreamz.com. 2009. Archived from the original on 9 October 2011.
  173. ^ "Kamal's advise to Surya". southdreamz.com. 2010. Archived from the original on 9 October 2011.
  174. ^ Subhash K Jha (2003). "Maddy on Kamal". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 26 March 2016. Retrieved 22 January 2011.
  175. ^ "Bala says Anbe Sivam inspired him". tamilmovies.ebest. 1 June 2010. Archived from the original on 5 June 2010.
  176. ^ "Second Innings". Ergo. 2009. Archived from the original on 24 August 2013.
  177. ^ "Surya most versatile after Kamal – Gautham Menon". Ergo. 2009. Archived from the original on 24 August 2013. Retrieved 3 May 2012.
  178. ^ Shiva Kumar (2006). "Gautham on Kamal". Archived from the original on 9 October 2011. Retrieved 22 January 2011.
  179. ^ "Kamal Hassan, Barrie M Osborne to work together". India Today. 11 June 2012. Archived from the original on 4 September 2012.
  180. ^ "Ang Lee: Totally stunned by Kamal Haasan's brilliance". IBN Live. 2 November 2012. Archived from the original on 8 December 2013.
  181. ^ "Kamal-Haasan-condoles-Robin-Williams-death – The Times of India". The Times of India. 13 August 2014. Archived from the original on 30 April 2015. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
  182. ^ "uttama villain inspiration woody allens movie kamal haasan". newsmix.in. 3 July 2014. Archived from the original on 19 January 2015. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
  183. ^ "TN Finance Minister slams Kamal Hassan for flaying relief measures". The Hindu. 5 December 2015. Archived from the original on 12 February 2017. Retrieved 14 July 2016.
  184. ^ "Kamal Haasan talking gibberish, not in his senses, says state finance minister O Panneerselvam". The Times of India. 8 December 2015. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015.
  185. ^ "Living in past glory – Visakhapatnam". The Hindu. 28 October 2012. Archived from the original on 25 January 2013. Retrieved 14 July 2016.
  186. ^ "Here's why Balachandra Menon called Kamal Haasan 'insane'". International Business Times. 16 September 2015.
  187. ^ "As 'Manjummel Boys' rocks BO, cameraman Venu offers a flashback into Kamal's daring shoot in Guna caves 3 decades ago".
  188. ^ "The legendary Kamalhassan speaks". Sify. Archived from the original on 5 November 2013.
  189. ^ "Kamal Haasan's Dasavatharam faces ire of Hindu outfits". CNN-IBN. 6 May 2008. Archived from the original on 5 November 2011. Retrieved 24 January 2011.
  190. ^ "கமலுக்கு இந்து மக்கள் கட்சி நோட்டீஸ்". Dina Malar. 10 December 2010. Archived from the original on 10 July 2011. Retrieved 24 January 2011.
  191. ^ Kamala Haasan – Nigazha Marutha Arputham (The Miracle that never happened) by Charu Nivedita, India Today, Jan 2009
  192. ^ Prem Panicker (2003). "The result was a nightmare... – Prem Panicker". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 22 June 2011. Retrieved 22 January 2011.
  193. ^ "As star power wanes." The Hindu. 8 November 2002. Archived from the original on 7 June 2014. Retrieved 24 January 2011.
  194. ^ "When Parvathy slipped in front of Kamal – The Times of India". The Times of India. 3 July 2014. Archived from the original on 10 August 2014. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
  195. ^ "Chinmayi on Rekha's revelation about Punnagai Mannan kissing scene". The Times of India. 25 February 2020.
  196. ^ "Gautami says Kamal Haasan hasn't paid her salary dues since 2016". The Times of India. 25 February 2018.
  197. ^ "Kamal Haasan says right wing Hindus have started employing terrorism". The Times of India. 2 November 2017. Archived from the original on 3 November 2017. Retrieved 2 November 2017.

External links[edit]