Kamal Haasan

<p>Kamal Haasan was born on November 7, 1954, in Paramakudi, Tamil Nadu, to criminal lawyer D. Srinivasan and Rajalakshmi. Entering cinema as a child artist at age four in <em>Kalathur Kannamma</em> (1960), he won the President's Gold Medal. Trained intensely in classical Bharatanatyam dance under master K. J. Sarasa and apprenticing in film direction and makeup techniques, Haasan developed an encyclopedic mastery of all filmmaking crafts.</p><p>Mentored by legendary auteur K. Balachander, Haasan transitioned into mature dramatic roles in the 1970s with groundbreaking classics like <em>Apoorva Raagangal</em> (1975), <em>16 Vayathinile</em> (1977), and <em>Maro Charitra</em> (1978). In 1982, his heartbreaking portrayal of a schoolteacher caring for an amnesiac woman in <em>Moondram Pirai</em> (remade in Hindi as <em>Sadma</em>) earned him his first National Film Award for Best Actor.</p><p>In 1987, Haasan delivered a towering cinematic tour-de-force as Velu Naicker in Mani Ratnam's <em>Nayakan</em>, ranked by TIME magazine as one of the 100 Best Films of All Time. Haasan pioneered sophisticated prosthetic makeup and computer graphics in Indian cinema, famously playing ten distinct roles in <em>Dasavathaaram</em> (2008) and quadruple roles in <em>Michael Madana Kama Rajan</em> (1990). He wrote and directed epochal political dramas including <em>Hey Ram</em> (2000), <em>Virumaandi</em> (2004), and <em>Vishwaroopam</em> (2013). Known for his rationalist worldview, humanitarian philanthropy through the Kamal Narpani Iyakkam, and political leadership of Makkal Needhi Maiam, Haasan represents the supreme artistic standard of Indian cinema.</p>