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Kamal Haasan
Biography
Kamal Haasan is a highly acclaimed Indian actor, director, screenwriter, producer, playback singer, lyricist, and politician who works primarily in Tamil cinema. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors in the history of Indian cinema, renowned for his versatility, dedication, and pioneering technical contributions to filmmaking. Starting his career as a child artist in the 1960 film Kalathur Kannamma, for which he won the President's Gold Medal, he went on to star in over 230 films across Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Hindi, and Bengali languages. He is also the founder and president of the political party Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM).
Career Milestones
Political Entry and MNM Foundation
Formally entered politics and launched his political party, Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM), in Madurai, Tamil Nadu.
Padma Bhushan Award
Honored with the Padma Bhushan, India's third-highest civilian award, recognizing his distinguished service of high order to Indian cinema.
Padma Shri Award
Honored with the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian award, by the Government of India for his contributions to the arts.
First National Film Award for Best Actor
Won the National Film Award for Best Actor for his poignant portrayal of a school teacher caring for an amnesic woman in 'Moondram Pirai'.
Breakthrough as a Lead Actor
Starring role in K. Balachander's romantic drama 'Apoorva Raagangal', which marked his breakthrough as a lead actor in mainstream Tamil cinema.
Acting Debut as a Child Artist
Debuted in the film 'Kalathur Kannamma' as a child actor, winning the President's Gold Medal (Rashtrapati Award) for his performance.
Fun Facts & Trivia
- Kamal Haasan has the distinction of having starred in seven films that were submitted by India as official entries for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
- He is a trained classical dancer, specifically skilled in Bharatanatyam, which he has showcased in several of his films, most notably 'Sagara Sangamam'.
- He has won 19 Filmfare Awards across several regional languages, after which he wrote to the association requesting them not to nominate him further to encourage younger talent.