Kamal Hassan (born on November 7, 1954) is a four time National Film Award winning Indian film actor. He began his career as a child artist in many films, while also attending a theatre for stage plays. Kamal Haasan has acted in over two hundred Indian films.
Kamal Hassan has received India's fourth highest civilian honour, the Padma Shri for his services to Indian cinema in 1990. His most popular films include Moondram Pirai (1982), Saagara Sangamam (1983), Nayagan (1987), Michael Madana Kama Rajan (2000), Indian (1996), Hey Ram (2000), Anbe Sivam (2003). In his currently unreleased film Dasavatharam, he attempts to portray ten different characters.
Biography
Kamal is the youngest of four children born to Rajalakshmi and Srinivasan Ayyengar. His father, an attorney by profession, gave all his sons (Charu Haasan Ayyengar, Chandra Haasan Ayyengar, Kamal Haasan ) the suffix of "Haasan" as a sign of his friendship to one Mr. Haasan. Kamal is also a playback singer and sometimes pens the lyrics for the soundtracks of some of his recent films. He is also a Bharatanatyam dancer and has choreographed some of the dance sequences in his films. He is multilingual. He is also a self professed atheist and follower of E. V. Ramasami Naicker. He had two marriages with both of them ending in a divorce. He has been hailed as India's most veteran and versatile actor.[citation needed]
Sixties
In the 1960s, Kamal made his screen debut with Kalathur Kannamma produced by AVM production at the age of six and it won him the first National Award for Best Child Artist.Then he acted in a Malayalam film 'Kannum Karalum"directed by K S Sethumadhavan with Sathyan Ambika and Baby Vinodini.
Seventies
As an actor in adult roles, he received a lukewarm response for his initial few films like Avargal, Aval Oru Thodarkathai, Solla Thaan Ninaikkiren, Maanavan and Kumara Vijayam. In 1972 Ks Sethumadhavan introduced him in the lead role in his film Kanayakumari. He continued acting in Malayalam movied till 1989 .
His first highly popular movie was 16 Vayathinile with Sridevi and Rajini kanth . Kamal Haasan and Sri Devi were a popular acting pair and have acted together in 23 films. The year following his appearance in 16 Vayathinile, Kamal Haasan acted in director K. Balachander's Telugu hit Maro Charithra.
In many of his late 1970s films, he was usually the hero, with Rajinikanth as the villain.
During the 1970s, he has played a host of characters that include:
* a ventriloquist in Avargal
* a village innocent in 16 Vayathinile
* a disco jockey in Ilamai Oonjaladugiradhu
* a psychopath serial killer of women in Sigappu Rojakkal
* a buck-toothed villager in Kalyanaraman
* Aladdin in Alavudheenum Arpudha Vilakkum
Eighties
His first attempt at direction came through an unfortunate turn of events with the demise of director T.N. Baalu during the filming of Sankarlal in 1981.
In this period, he has played amongst other roles:
* a blind violinist in Raja Paarvai at the age of 27 (first screenplay by Kamal)
* a classical dancer in Saagara Sangamam
* a mentally challenged man who falls in love in Swathi Muthyam
* an undercover cop in Kaaki Sattai
* a benevolent underworld don in Nayagan (Leader) at the age of 33 (directed by Mani Ratnam)
* an unemployed youth who chances upon a week of opulence in the silent movie Pushpak
* an honest cop, a dwarf circus clown and a fun-loving mechanic in Apoorva Sagodharargal at the age of 35 (screenplay by Kamal)
* a corrupt mayor in Indrudu Chandrudu, Telugu
* a spy in Vikram
* an illiterate villager in Sakalakala Vallavan
Apoorva Sagodharargal, which released in 1989, was the first Kamal film to gross almost Rs.25 million at the box office.
Nineties
In this period, he has played:
* as a Doctor in the Tamil comedy movie Sathy Leelavathy
* as quadruplets in the comedy Michael Madhana Kamarajan
* as an old and highly-corrupt mayor in Indiran Chandiran
* a mentally-challenged man in the very dark film Guna
* a modern youth-turned-villager in Thevar Magan at the age of 38 (written and produced by Kamal)
* a hapless familyman who lost and re-discovers his family in a metropolis in Mahanadhi
* a revolutionary lecturer in Nammavar
* a special police squad officer against terrorism in Kuruthipunal
* a righteous old revolutionary as well as his corrupt son in Indian
* an old nanny in Avvai Shanmugi
2000 - Present
Again, he has played the following roles in this period:
* an anti Gandhian in Hey Ram
* a fearful Sri Lankan Tamil in the comedy Thenali
* a pair of twins (one of which is a deranged psychopath) in Aalavandhan
* an ardent bachelor-stuntmaster-turned-lover in Pammal K. Sambandam
* a randy pilot in the comedy caper Panchathantiram
* a disabled altruist (Communist) in Anbe Sivam
* a rustic wrongly jailed for the murder of his lover in Virumaandi (directed by Kamal)
* a deaf circus stuntman in Mumbai Express at the age of 51
* an affable mafiaman enrolled in medical school, Vasool Raja MBBS, a remake of Hindi film, Munna Bai M.B.B.S
* as DCP Raghavan, a smart and suave policeman with his "Raghavan instinct" out to trace a serial psychopath killer duo in Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu
Hollywood remakes
Avvai Shanmugi and Chachi 420 were inspired by Mrs. Doubtfire. Anbe Sivam was inspired by Planes, Trains & Automobiles. Sathi Leelavathi was inspired by She-Devil (film).Vetri Vizha was loosely based upon the novel The Bourne Identity and Magalir Mattum was inspired by Nine to Five
Awards
Kamal is the only actor other than Mammootty to receive three National Film Awards for Best Actor in India. He won his National awards for the films Nayagan, Moondram Pirai and Indian. He also won the national award for Best Child Actor for his performance in Kalathur Kannamma. He has also received the best actor award at the Asian Film festivals held in 1983 and 1985 for Saagara Sangamam and Swathi Muthyam respectively. Seven of his movies have been sent as India's official entry to the Oscars. Kamal has won the Filmfare awards 18 times. In fact, he wrote to the FILMFARE committee not to give him any more awards and that be used to encourage the upcoming and promising young actors.[citation needed]
He was awarded the fourth highest recognition given to Indian civilians - the Padmashri in 1990. He was conferred an honorary doctorate by Sathyabama University, Chennai in 2005.[2]
Kamal was also conferred with a unique honour this year(2007) as "Living Legend" in the film business by FICCI,India.[3]
The all awards presented to him were for his artistic talent. He got the first Abraham Kovoor National Award for his Humanist Activities and Secular Life
Kamal Hassan also was conferred the Nandi Award 20 times in his lifetime.
Career as a film producer
Kamal started his foray into film production with 'Raaja Paarvai' in 1981. The film was a commercial failure, though critically well received. A more recent production was the film Virumaandi in 2004. His privately held production house Raj Kamal Films produced several classics like Apoorva Sagodharargal, Thevar Magan, Kuruthipunal etc. His more recent production ventures include the films Virumaandi and Mumbai Xpress.
His magnum opus, Marudha Naayagam' due to many reasons.
In 2005, he launched a new business unit called Raj Kamal Audio in a drive to corporatise all his film commitments. In 2006, he purchased prime real estate for a state-of-the-art multiplex cinema.
Upcoming Films
1) Dasavathaaram in which he dons 10 roles
2) MarmaYogi
PADMASHREE KAMAL HASSAN- Official Thread
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