Wealthy Actors

Kamal Haasan (born 7 November 1954) is an Indian film actor, producer, director, screenwriter, playback  singer, Choreographer  horeographer, Iyricist  who works mainly in the Tamil film industry,  He is widely acclaimed as an actor, his versatility in cinema is legendary. “Kamal Haasan is a Universal Star whose popularity transcends all boundaries and language barriers.”(The Hindu). Haasan has won several Indian film Awards, including four National Film Awards, the most number of national awards for any actor, a record 19 Filmfare and is known for having starred in the largest number of films submitted by  India in contest for the Academy Award for Best Foreign language Film. In 2009, Dr. Kamal Haasan completed 50 glorious years in Indian cinema.
After several projects as a child artist, Kamal Haasan’s breakthrough into lead acting came with his role in the 1975 drama Apoorva Raagangal, in which he played a rebellious youth in love with an older woman. He secured his first Indian National Film Award for his portrayal of a guileless school teacher who tends a child-like amnesiac in Moondram Pirai. He was particularly noted for his performance in Mani
Ratnam’s Godfatheresque Tamil film Nayagan (I987), which was ranked by Time magazine as one of the 100 best films of all time. Since then he has gone on to appear in other notable films such as Thevar Magan, Indian, Anbe Sivam, Dasavatharam, as well as his own productions, Hey Ram, Virumaandi, Vishwaroopam.
Early life and entry into films
Kamal Haasan was born in 1954 into a Tamil Brahmin family at Paramakudi now a part of Ramanathapuram district, Tamil Nadu His father D. Srinivasan, a lawyer by profession, was also a freedom fighter. Being the youngest child of his family, his brothers Charuhasan (b. 1930) and Chandrahasan (b. 1936) are both lawyers; Charuhasan would go onto become an established actor in the I 980s. Kamal Haasaii also has a sister named Nalini (b. 1946), who is a trained classical dancer. He had his primary education in Paramakudi, but later shifted to Madras (now Cheimai) as his brothers pursued their higher education in the city. He was enrolled at a school in Santhome Madras, and continued his schooling there. As a child, Haasan was more attracted towards films, fine arts and was constantly encouraged by his father. When a doctor, a friend of Haasan’s mother, had to visit the house of’ Avichi Meiyappa Chettiar (AVM) to treat his wife, she took Haasan along with her. Impressed by the behaviour and mannerisms of young Kamal Haasan, M. Saravanan (AVMs son) recommended Hassan for a role in their upcoming production titled Kalathur Kannamma. Baby Daisy Rani was originally chosen for the role. Since AVM felt she was a part of too many projects he decided to replace her with Haasan.
Career
Kamal Haasan won the President’s Gold Medal – Rashtrapathi Award for his performance in Kalathur Kannamma at the age of four. Following his debut, Haasan starred in five mote films as a child actor. He debuted in the Malayalani film industry in the film Kannum Karcilun (1962). Haasans father was very supportive of his interest in arts. Haasan joined a theatre repertory, T.K.S Nataka Sabha, that was headed by T.K. Shanmugam. He continued his school education at the Hindu High School in Triplicane. The time spent as part of the theatre company shaped Kamal Haasan’s craft and was instrumental in his interest in makeup.
1970-1975
Following a seven-year hiatus from films, Haasan returned to the industry to be a part of the technical crew of films. However, he played a few supporting roles instead. As an adult, his first film role was in the 1970 film Maanavan in which he appeared in a dance sequence. He also did a supporting role in the film Annai Velankani in which he was the assistant director. He appeared in K.Balachander 1973 film Arangetram He played the antagonist in Sollathaan Ninaikkiren and Gumasthavin Magal His first serious role was in K. Balachander’s Aval Oru Thodar Kathai (1974). His last role as a supporting actor was in 1974, in the film Naan Avanlllai
His second Malayalam movie was the 1974 film Kanyakumari He won his first regional Filmfare award for this film. He appeared in the Malayalam film industry with kanyakumari and Raasaleela, He played the lead actor in the Tamil film Apoorva Raagangal, directed by K. Balachander, for which he also won his first Filmfare award in Tamil. The plot of the film revolved around a young man in love with an older woman and won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil Haasan learned to play the mridangam for this role.
1976-1980
The late 1970s was a period that saw Haasan’s continued collaboration with K. Balachander who cast him in many of social –themed films. In 1976, Balachander cast him as a womaniser trying to woo many women in Manmadha Leelai which was followed by Oru Oodhappu
Kan Simittugiradhu which won him his second consecutive Regional Filmfare (Tamil) Best Actor Award. Later, Kamal Haasan appeared in the drama Moondru Mudichu another Balachander film. Avargal (1977) was a film about women’s liberation, for which he learnt the art of ventriloquism. The film was also remade in Telugu as Idi Katha Kaadu (1979) with Haasan repeating his role. 16 Vayathinile won him his third consecutive best actor award, where he appeared as a village bumpkin. In 1977, he starred in his first Kannada film, Kokila which was the directorial debut of another friend and mentor, Balu Mahendra The same year, he acted in a Bengali film, Kabita a remake of the Tamil film Aval (Oru Thodar Kathai. In 1978, he debuted in the Telugu film industry as a lead actor with the cross—cultural romantic film, Maro Charithra directed by K. Balachander His fourth consecutive Filmfare award came with Sigappu Rojakkal au anti-hero thriller in which he played a psychopathic sexual killer,
In the Telugu film Sommokadidhi Sokkadidhi he played dual roles. He also appeared in Ninaithale  Inlickum, a musical entertainer, snake horror film Neeya and Kalyanaraman.
During this time, Haasan acted in 23 Malayalam films, Ponni Kuttavum Sikshayum, Satyavan  Savithri  and Nirakudum, Agni Pushpam, Yaetta, Vayanadhan Thamban,
Madanolsavam For the movie “Yeatta he won his second Filmfare Awards, for Best Malayalam Actor Film “Madanolsavam” was dubbed in Hindi as Dil Ka  Saath Dil and in Tamil as Paruva Mazhai. At the end of this period, he had won six regional Best Actor Filmfare Awards including four consecutive Best Tamil Actor Awards
1980s
Haasan’s films in the 80s included the Tamil language Varumayin Niram Sigappu in 1980, where he played an unemployed youth. Haasan also made a guestcameo appearance in the Rajnikanth’s Thillu Mullu He made his Bollywood debut with EK  Duuje Ke  Liye, the remake of his Telugu-language  film, Maro Charithra also by K. Balachander which earned him his first Filmfare nomination in HIndi language category. He made his 100th film appearance in 1981 with Raja Paarvai, which also marked his debut in film production. Despite this film’s relatively poor reception at the cinemas, his portrayal of a blind session violinist earned him a Filmfare Award. Following a year of starring in commercially-oriented films, he won his first of three National wards for Best Actor with his portrayal of a school teacher who looks after an amnesia patient in Balu  Mahendra’s Moondram Pirat later reprising the role in the Hindi version, Sadma. During this time he concentrated more in Bollywood acting in remakes of his Tamil films, most Yeh To Kamaai Ho Gava and Zara Si Zindagi In 1983, he appeared in Sagara Sangamam directed by K. Vishwanath His portrayal as a drunkard classical dancer fetched him his first Nandi Award for Best Actor and second Filmfare Best Telugu Actor Award
After the multi starrer  Raaj Tilak in 1984, he acted in Saagar released in 1985, for which he was awarded both the Filmfare Best Actor Award and was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Award at the same ceremony for this role. The film was India’s representative for the Academy Award for the Best Foreign Language Film in 1985. He appeared in Geraftaar
Later, he featured in Japanil Kalyanaraman, which followed up his previous Kalyanaraman
In 1986, he again collaborated with K. Vishwanath in Swathi Muthyam which portrayed him as an autistic person attempting to change society. The film was India’s official entry for the Best Foreign Language Film for the Academy Awards in 1986. The enormous response to these films in Tollywood helped him capture a strong audience in Andhra Pradesh, and many of his later Tamil films were regularly dubbed in Telugu.
Following Punnagai Mannan, in which he portrayed dual roles including a satire of Charlie Chaplin as Chaplin Chellappa and Vetri Vizha  as an amnesiac, Kamal Haasan appeared in Mani Ratnam’s 1987 film Nayagan He received his second Indian National Award for his performance and Nayagan was nominated by India as its entry for the Best Foreign Language Film for the Academy Awards in 1987. It was included in the Time’s All-TIME 100 Movies list. In 1988, Kamal Haasan appeared in his only silent film to date, Pushpak a black comedy He went on to act in Unnal Mudiyum  Thambi a remake of the critically acclaimed Telugu film Rudraveena and Sathya . In 1 989, Apoorva Sagodharargal He then performed dual roles in Indrudu  Chandrudu winning the Filmfare Best Actor Award and Nandi Awards for his performance. Kamal Haasan ended the decade by starring in his last original Malayalam film as hero to date, titled Chanakyan
The end of 1980s, lie had entered and tasted success in the Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu, and Hindi film industries, with mammootty. kamalhassan had received Filmfare awards at each industry, two national awards and had his performances recognized at international film festivals.
1990s
In 1990, Michael Madhana Kamarajan saw Kamal was Kamal Haasan go one step further from Apoorva  Sagodharargal acting in four different roles as quadruplets. It started an ongoing collaboration with Crazy Mohan a dialogue writer, for future comedy films., Kamal Haasan won successive Best Actor awards for his portrayal of the deranged, obsessive protagonist in Guna Thevar Magan, was remade into Hindi as Virasat  Kamal Haasan was credited for the story and won his third National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil as a producer. The film became India’s submission for the Academy Awards that year. After a series of films such as Singaravelan Maharasan and Kalaignan, Mahanadi
Nammavar, To Sir With Love, Sathi Leelavathi based on the English film She- Devil.  The film, his home production, had Kannada actor Ramesh Arvind and featured him opposite comedienne  Kovai Sarala. He also renewed his collaboration with Kasinadhuni  Viswanath in Telugu film, Subha Sankalpam. Later that year, Kamal Haasan starred in the police story Kuruthipunal, with Arjum Sarja.  His success in Kuruthipunal was followed by his three  National Film Award  for Best Actor, for the film Indian.