7 Talents Of Kamal Haasan That Prove He Is Truly The Jack Of All Trades

Born on 7 November 1954, Kamal Haasan is a one man cinema, we are immensely fond of. Having been in the industry for over half a century, this legendary actor has proved his stealth as a versatile actor. He knows it all, and he does it all with sheer brilliance.

Following are some of the many talents including his much-talked about acting skills, that makes Kamal Haasan truly a Jack of all trades.

1. An actor par excellence

Kamal Haasan was 4 when he was awarded the prestigious President’s Gold Medal – Rashtrapathi Award for his performance in the movie Kalathur Kannamma. And unlike some other child actors who fade out as they grow old in the business, Haasan grew fine as a wine.

A clever Chachi in “Chachi 420” never gave us a single dull moment, and a serious Saket Ram in “Hey Ram” always kept us at the edge of our seats…That’s how most 90s kids remember this brilliant actor. But adding to this list is a series of performances by Haasan that not only left you feeling unreal when the movie got over, but also brought him critical acclaim and prestigious awards.

Moreover, Haasan has represented India 7 times in Oscars as a performer.

Now while all the movies of this magician of a performer are praiseworthy, here are some besides the 2 aforementioned and the recent Vishwaroopam (and its 2nd part), that every Haasan follower has probably seen, or a cinema fan must see:

• Saagar (1985),
• Nayakan (1987),
• Pushpaka Vimana (1987),
• Ek Duuje Ke Liye (1991), and
• Indian (1996)

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2. A soulful playback singer

Yes, it is not just the celebrity daughter Shruthi Haasan who does the singing. Talking about the daughter, Haasan along with his daughter, has lent his voice for the title song of “Hey Ram”. Some other songs sung by him (solo or with various other artists) are:

• Sanyas Mantra
• Main Radha Tu Shaam
• Chaahe Pandit Ho Chaahe Kaazi Ho
• Koi Kahin
• Jago Gori
• Ek Dafa Ek Junglee Tha
• Mukundha Mukundha
• “Inji Iduppazhagi” for the film Thevar Magan, was one of his popular hits.

Having sung over in 50 films, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and English are some other languages Haasan has lent his voice to. He is also believed to be a student of Carnatic music, learning under the guidance of Dr. Balamuralikrishna.

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3. A passionate writer

Kamal Haasan is a prolific poet. He has written many poems that he never got published fearing that they will invite backlash. Moreover, he is also a lyricist and his contribution towards music is well appreciated by his peers in Tamil film industry.

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4. A skilled director

Haasan desired to become a full-time director around the time of “Hey Ram”, but as a consequence to the film’s failure at the box office, he decided against directing, despite the film being selected as India’s official submission to the Oscars. In 2010, he expressed his willingness to do more directing.

Some of the movies he directed:

• Chachi 420
• Hey Ram
• Virumaandi
• Vishwaroopam
• Vishwaroopam II

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5. A big producer

The first movie produced under the banner “Raaj Kamal Films International” was “Raja Paarvai” that came in 1981. Some of the other movies that were produced under Raaj Kamal Films International are:

• Vishwaroopam
• Vishwaroopam 2
• Hey Ram
• Chachi 420
• Sathya
• Thevar Magan
• Apoorva Sagodharargal

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6. A proficient dancer and choreographer

Kamal Haasan was 12 when he developed an interest for dancing and he grew up a trained Bharatnatyam dancer. Some of his notable works as a dancer can be seen in the movies “Saagara Sangamam” (1983) and the popular hit “Punnagai Mannan”. Haasan also learned Kathak under the guidance of the renowned Kathak maestro Guruji Birju Maharaj for his role of a middle-aged Kathak dancer in the movie “Vishwaroopam”.

Aside from showing his dancing skills on screen, he has also choreographed for the late Tamil actor MGR in “Naan Yen Pirandhen”, Sivaji Ganesan in “Savaale Samaali” and Jayalalithaa in “Anbu Thanga”.

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7. He is also a ventriloquist and a mridangam player

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He learned these arts for the movies “Avargal” and “Apoorva Raagangal”, respectively.

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Some quick facts about Kamal Haasan:

• He is the winner of 19 Filmfare Awards and 4 National Awards. He was awarded the Padma Shri Award in 1990 and the Padma Bhushan Award in 2014.
• Haasan’s film “Marudhanayagam”, was supposed to be the biggest movie ever in the Indian cinematic history. The movie’s inception was also kingsize with Queen Elizabeth launching it in a public ceremony in 1997. Unfortunately for the fans, the film couldn’t be completed due to budget restraints.
• Also a philanthropist and a humanitarian, Haasan has transformed his fan clubs into welfare organizations, and he is the first Tamil actor to have done so.
• He wanted to become a technician. In an interview to DNA, he said, “Film-makers like K Balachnader told me that I won’t be able to make much money by being a technician. So the end result is that the star Kamal funds the technician Kamal in perusing his dreams.”
• In 2002,  Kamal Haasan was denied preclearance by U.S. Customs and Border Protection authorities at Toronto Pearson International Airport because his name sounded Arabic to them. He was also thought to be a Muslim apparently because of this incident.

Well Mr. Kamal Haasan, what can we say, take a bow, sir.

You absolutely rock!

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