Happy Birthday Kamal Haasan: Five best performances of the versatile actor
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As the thespian turns a year old today, we take a look at five best performances of Kamal Haasan that make him what he is.
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India Today
Hailing from a small town called Paramakudi in Tamil Nadu, a six-year-old child made his acting debut with the film Kalathur Kannamma (1960). Back then, who would've thought that the same kid would go on to become one of the most legendary actors in Indian cinema! Kamal Haasan first caught the attention of movie-lovers on August 12, 1960, when his Kalathur Kannamma hit the screens.

Kamal Haasan in Kalathur Kannamma

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In a career spanning five decades, the world witnessed Kamal Haasan as an artist, filmmaker, choreographer, singer, lyricist and what not. He has left no stone unturned in cinema. Shepherded by Dadasaheb Phalke awardee director K Balachander, Kamal Haasan has now been conferred with the prestigious Chevalier award by the French government. Haasan is only the second Tamil actor after late Sivaji Ganesan to have accepted the recognition.

We take a look at five of Kamal Haasan's career-defining roles:

Moondram Pirai (1982):

Moondram Pirai

Directed by trailblazer Balu Mahendra, the film left the audience awestruck when it hit the theatres. The disturbing climax had people in tears and one couldn't stop empathising with Kamal Haasan's character. Upon release, critics couldn't stop raving about Haasan's performance as Cheenu, who falls in love with an amnesiac patient Bhagyalakshmi (Sridevi). The way Haasan emotes in the film, goes without saying, makes it a top-notch performance. Kamal Haasan received his first National Award for Moondram Pirai. Apart from the climax, what stands out in the film is the sequence where Cheenu narrates the story of The Blue Jackal to Bhagyalakshmi, which turns ironical in the end.

Salangai Oli (1983):

Kamal Haasan in Salangai Oli

Initially released in Telugu as Sagara Sangamam, the film was dubbed in Tamil as Salangai Oli. The film is based on Balakrishna, a trained Kuchipudi dancer, and Kamal Hassan had to learn Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi and Kathak to get a hang of it for his character in the film. Salangai Oli received the National Award for the Best Feature Film and it was screened at the International Film Festival of India in 1984. After all these years, the film is still remembered in the industry for the sheer brilliance of a scene where Kamal showcases the various Indian classical dances.

ALSO READ: Happy Birthday Kamal Haasan: A lone wolf of Indian cinema who never compromised

Nayagan (1987):

Nayagan

When Francis Ford Coppola made Godfather (1972), Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam went on record saying that both of them were calling dibs on the film's remake. When Mani Ratnam's Nayagan saw the light of the day, it not only ruffled the traditional audience but also became a landmark film in India. Nayagan made it to Time Magazine's All-Time100 Best Films. While people misrepresent Nayagan as India's reply to Godfather, in actuality, it was based on real-life Mumbai don Varadaraja Mudaliar. Kamal Haasan's portrayal of Velu Naicker's journey still leaves us with goosebumps, especially the confrontation scene with his rebellious daughter Charumathi. When Mani Ratnam tried to bring back Godfather's Marlon Brando in Kamal Haasan, the latter died as Varadaraja Mudaliar in Nayagan.

Hey Ram (2000):

Hey Ram

Hey Ram is probably the most underrated Indian film till date. Kamal Haasan's period drama bombed at the box office upon release. Based on true incidents, Hey Ram is a multi-layered film, whose core is the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi by Nathuram Godse. The film deals with Hindu-Muslim conflicts against the backdrop of the Partition. Haasan also portrayed the emergence of the Rashtriya Shiv Sena (RSS) in a fascinating scene when the Indian flag transforms and turns into a Lotus, which is the symbol of the RSS. Kamal Haasan received flak from Hindu extremists for the volatile content of the film. A ban on the film was also demanded. Haasan's portrayal of Saketh Ram, a Brahmin who is on a mission to assassinate Gandhi, is by far, quite unarguably his best performance. Like many of his films, Kamal Haasan's Hey Ram was also India's official entry to the Oscars, but it couldn't reach the final nominations.

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Anbe Sivam (2004):

Anbe Sivam

Kamal Haasan often claims to be a rational atheist, whose ideologies about religion and caste are often misinterpreted by Sanghis. Anbe Sivam tells the story of an unexpected journey undertaken by Nallasivam (Kamal Haasan) and Anbarasu (Madhavan) - two men with opposing ideologies. Anbe Sivam touches upon several themes, including communism, atheism and altruism, and resonates Haasan's core principle of being a Humanist. Kamal Hassan in the scene where he explains the whole concept of 'Love is God' gives an all-new dimension to the audience's perception of life and divinity. Anbe Sivam incurred heavy losses, a collateral damage of Haasan's intellectualism. Over the years, however, Anbe Sivam has earned a cult status among fans.