Kamal Haasan (born 7 November 1954) is an Indian actor, filmmaker and politician who works primarily in Tamil cinema, and currently serving as a Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha for Tamil Nadu.
Regarded as one of the greatest and most versatile actors of all time, Haasan is renowned for portraying diverse and complex roles, across multiple genres, often involving physical transformations. He is also known for pushing creative boundaries and pioneering many new technologies in Indian cinema. Filmmakers have described Haasan as "cinema encyclopedia" for his immense knowledge and mastery of various aspects of filmmaking as an actor, director, producer, screenwriter, singer, lyricist, and dancer. He has also worked as an assistant director, choreographer, editor, make-up artist, narrator, television host, and a distributor of films. He founded a magazine, Maiam (), which he edited, and has written over 100 poems and some books. In his cinematic career spanning more than 65 years, he has made over 250 films in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi, Kannada and Bengali languages. Haasan has won numerous accolades, including five National Film Awards, twenty-one Filmfare Awards, eleven Tamil Nadu State Film Awards, and five Nandi Awards. He was honoured with the Kalaimamani in 1978, the Padma Shri in 1990, the Padma Bhushan in 2014, and the Order of Arts and Letters (Chevalier) by the Government of France in 2016. He was invited by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2025 to become a member of its actors' branch, for being one of the "exceptionally talented individuals having made indelible contributions to global filmmaking community."
Haasan started his career at the age of 5 in the 1960 Tamil film Kalathur Kannamma, which earned him the National Award for Best Child Artist. After playing a few supporting roles, he progressed to lead role in the 1974 Malayalam film Kanyakumari, for which he won his first Filmfare Award for Best Actor. He then earned three National Awards for Best Actor for Moondram Pirai (1982), Nayakan (1987) and Indian (1996). Haasan has won 21 Filmfare Awards in total, the most for any actor. He holds the record for the most Filmfare Awards for Best Actor, with a total of 18 wins â eleven in Tamil, three in Telugu, two in Malayalam, one in Hindi, and one in Kannada. He has been nominated for 64 Filmfare Awards, the most for any actor. He also holds the record for the most Filmfare Award nominations for acting, with 50 nominations. He is the only actor who has won Filmfare Awards across five different languages. He won his 18th Filmfare Award for Best Actor for Vikram (2022). Besides several acting awards for his acclaimed performances, he has won many other cinematic awards for producing, directing, screenwriting, singing, lyric writing, choreographing and dancing. Haasan is also distinguished for starring in the highest number of films submitted by India for Best International Feature Film at the Academy Awards, with seven films â Saagar (1985), Swathi Muthyam (1986), Nayakan (1987), Thevar Magan (1992), Kuruthipunal (1995), Indian (1996), and Hey Ram (2000) which he directed. He has won many awards at various international film festivals, including the inaugural Best Asian Film Award for his directorial feature Virumaandi (2004) at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, South Korea. Uttama Villain (2015) won six awards, including four for Haasan â Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Screenplay and Best Song at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival, United States. His production company Raaj Kamal Films International has produced many of his films, including Thevar Magan (1992) for which he won the National Award for Best Tamil Film as a producer. He won his 21st Filmfare Award for producing Amaran (2024), which was also nominated for the prestigious Golden Peacock Award.
Haasan's portrayal of an innocent man in Mahanadhi (1994), was selected by Forbes India as one of the 25 greatest acting performances of Indian cinema. Hindustan Times hailed him as "A polymath in the truest sense, Kamal has given silver jubilee films in five languages. If there's one Indian actor who is a one-man industry in himself, it's Kamal Haasan." He was honoured with the French honour, in 2016 and Paidipati Jairaj Award in 2026, for his outstanding contributions to international cinema and Indian cinema respectively. Six of his films received special screening as "Kamal Haasan Focus" at the 2001 International Film Festival Rotterdam, Netherlands â Hey Ram (2000), Kuruthipunal (1995), Mahanadhi (1994), Thevar Magan (1992), Nayakan (1987), and Pushpaka Vimana (1987) which is Haasan's only silent film to date. He received the first Golden Beaver Award at the 2025 Indian Film Festival of Alberta, Canada, for "transforming cinema â bridging cultures, breaking barriers, and inspiring audiences worldwide." He was awarded the "Original Pan-India Superstar" Special Award at the 2022 South Indian International Movie Awards. The Directorate of Film Festivals organised a three-day "Kamal Haasan Film Festival" from 2 to 4 July 2010, and showcased seven of his best films â Sagara Sangamam (1983), Nayakan (1987), Thevar Magan (1992), Hey Ram (2000), Anbe Sivam (2003), Virumaandi (2004), and Dasavathaaram (2008) in which he played ten distinct roles. Nayakan (1987) was chosen as one of the 100 greatest films of all time by the American magazine TIME. Anbe Sivam (2003) was selected as one of the 25 best Indian movies of the 21st century by The Hollywood Reporter India. On October 16, 1997, Queen Elizabeth II publicly launched Haasan's unfinished historical film Marudhanayagam.
Haasan received the CNN-IBN Indian of the Year Special Award, from the Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh, for completing 50 years in cinema in 2009. He was named one of the 50 most powerful Indians by India Today in 2017. He has been conferred two Honorary Doctorates, one by Sathyabama University in 2005, one by Centurion University in 2019. He received the first A. T. Kovoor National Award for the Secular Artist in 2005, in acknowledgment of his humanist and philanthropic activities. He was the first Tamil actor to convert his fan clubs into welfare associations, and has been consistently involved in many social services, including donating food and medicines to the needy, helping with children's education, and promoting blood and organ donation. He was appointed an ambassador by the United Nations in 2007, for its joint campaign with the Tamil Nadu State AIDS Control Society to protect the rights of people living with HIV. On 21 February 2018, Haasan launched a political party, Makkal Needhi Maiam (). On 25 July 2025, he took oath as a member of Rajya Sabha (Council of States), the upper house of the Parliament of India.
Kamal Haasan has been conferred with the following civilian orders:
Kamal Haasan has also been honoured by State governments of India.
Established in 1954, the National Awards are the most prominent awards for films in India. They are awarded by the President of India each year for the films of the preceding year. Kamal Haasan has won five National Awards, including four for acting, and one as a producer.
Kamal Haasan has won 21 Filmfare Awards in total, the most for any actor âÂÂâ category-wise: 18 for Best Actor, 2 for Best Film, and 1 for Best Story; language-wise: 13 in Tamil, 3 in Telugu, 2 in Malayalam, 2 in Hindi, and 1 in Kannada.
He holds the record for the most Filmfare Awards for Best Actor, with a total of 18 wins âÂÂâ 11 in Tamil, 3 in Telugu, 2 in Malayalam, 1 in Hindi, and 1 in Kannada.
He has been nominated for 64 Filmfare Awards, the most for any actor âÂÂâ category-wise: 49 for Best Actor, 10 for Best Film, 2 for Best Director, 1 for Best Playback Singer, 1 for Best Story, 1 for Best Supporting Actor; language-wise: 48 in Tamil, 7 in Telugu, 6 in Hindi, 2 in Malayalam, 1 in Kannada.
He also holds the record for the most Filmfare Award nominations for acting, with 50 nominations âÂÂâ category-wise: 49 for Best Actor, 1 for Best Supporting Actor; language-wise: 35 in Tamil, 7 in Telugu, 5 in Hindi, 2 in Malayalam, 1 in Kannada.
Haasan is the only actor who has won Filmfare Awards across five different languages.
He holds the record for the most Filmfare Awards for Best Actor â Tamil, with a total of 11 wins.
He also holds the record for the most Filmfare Award nominations for Best Actor â Tamil, with 35 nominations.
He holds the record for the most consecutive wins of the Filmfare Award for Best Actor â Tamil, with 4 wins from 1975 to 1978.
He also holds the record for the most consecutive Filmfare Award nominations for Best Actor â Tamil, with 12 nominations from 1985 to 1996.
He remains the youngest nominee and winner of the Filmfare Award for Best Actor â Malayalam, winning at the age of 20.
He also remains the youngest nominee and winner of the Filmfare Award for Best Actor â Tamil, winning at the age of 21.
Though Haasan wrote a letter to the organisation asking them to not give him any more awards after his win for Hey Ram (2000), he won his 18th Filmfare Award for Best Actor for Vikram (2022), and his 21st Filmfare Award overall for Amaran (2024) as a producer.
Awards for Tamil films, awarded by the Government of Tamil Nadu. Haasan holds the record for the most Tamil Nadu State Film Awards, with a total of 11 wins. He also holds the record for the most Tamil Nadu State Film Awards for Best Actor, with a total of 8 wins.
Awards for Telugu films, awarded by the Government of Andhra Pradesh.
Awards for South Indian films.
Also called Rajkamal Academy of Cinematic Excellence National Awards.
The European jury of eminent filmmakers said, "Virumaandi successfully manages to combine social and political drama, romance, humour, musical and spectacular action in one story of epic proportions. All the more impressive is the fact that it has been written, produced and directed by one man who also plays the lead role. It is a film that should easily appeal to audiences from all over the world." , filmmaker and a member of the jury gave the Best Asian Film Award to Kamal Haasan and said, "Astounding", even as he appreciated the ethnicity of the film.
Special Jury Award for raising the bar of mainstream Indian cinema to International level.
The Directorate of Film Festivals organised a three-day "Kamal Haasan Film Festival" from 2 to 4 July 2010, presided over by the Minister of Information and Broadcasting of India, Smt. Ambika Soni, and showcased seven of his best films, including Dasavathaaram (2008) in which he played ten distinct roles.
Haasan is distinguished for starring in the highest number of films submitted by India for Best International Feature Film at the Academy Awards, with seven films including Hey Ram (2000) which he directed:
Seven films, starring Haasan, were selected as among the 100 greatest Indian films of all time by CNN-News18:
The Asianet Film Awards are presented by Asianet, a Malayalam language television channel in the Indian state of Kerala. The award ceremony has been held annually since 1998.
Outstanding Achievement in Indian Cinema
Kamal Haasan was awarded the Soman Lifetime Achievement Award by the M. G. Soman Foundation for his cinema and philanthropic activities.
On 2 August 2014, actor Kamal Haasan was presented with Lifetime Achievement Award by Chief guest Governor Dr. K. Rosaiah at a function organised by Tamil Chamber of Commerce as part of its 70th anniversary celebrations.
Kamal Haasan was presented with Hall of Fame award by Hindustan Times at HT India's Most Stylish Awards 2013.
Kamal Haasan was presented with Lifetime Achievement Award by Puthiya Thalaimurai TV at Puthiya Thalaimurai Tamizhan Award function in 2013.
Kamal Haasan was presented with Man of the year 2018 by Outlook Social Media Groups.
Kamal Haasan was presented with Viswa Kala Bharathi Excellence Dance in Tamil Cinama 2009 by Bharat Kalachar, Chennai.
Kamal Haasan was presented with Eenam Swaralaya Bharat Murali Award in 2016 by Eenam Swaralaya International Cultural Organization, Kerala.
Kamal Haasan receives Game Changer of the Year 2018 award.
Kamal Haasan receives Most Talented Hero Award, India Today - Conducted Open Public Survey about Tamil Film Industries (1991-2005) at 2006 .
Kamal Haasan was presented with Best Entertaining Bharatanatyam Dancer 2011 by BIG FM.
A Mumbai based UFO Digital Cinema Company has selected Kamal haasan for the Contemporary Living Legend of Year 2007 award.
Kamal Haasan was presented with Rashtrabhushan Award by FIE Foundation.
The FIE Foundation is a charity trust (NGO) established in 1970, belongs to 'Fie Group of Industries' Ichalkaranji, in Maharashtra State of India. The awards are generally selected form the following fields,- Engineering, Science & Technology, Humanities, Education, Agriculture, Music & Arts, Sports, Literature, Child Artist and Local talents. The highest award conferred is 'Rashtrabhushan Awards'. The awards are given every year in a grand ceremony held in Ichalkaranji in January/February at the hands of eminent dignitaries.
Kamal Haasan was presented with Lifetime Achievement Award by Rotary Club of Madras.
Kamal Haasan was presented with Shifa Al Jazeera Excellence Award by Shifa Al Jazeera Medical Group, Bahrain.
Kamal Haasan was presented with RAI Award at India Retail Excellence Awards, 2019 by Retailers Association of India.
Kamal Haasan was presented with ATMA Award by Amrita Hospitals & Medical Group, India.
Haasan was nominated in Best Entertainment Presenter / Host award at 2019 Asian Television Awards.
Kamal Haasan was presented with Lifetime Achievement Award by NTFF (Norway Tamil Film Festival).
Kamal Haasan was presented with Lifetime Achievement Award at Liff (London Indian Film Festival) by BAGRI Foundation.
Mr. Haasan will receive an award on behalf of the Indian cinema presented by Chris Brown, Executive Vice President, Conventions & Business Operations for the National Association of Broadcasters. The ceremony is part of the New York Festivals International Film & TV awards.