Referred to as the Ulaga Nayagan, Kamal Haasan made his debut as a child actor in 1960 with the Tamil film, 'Kalathur Kannamma'.
You know, when it comes to Kamal Haasan, it's not about the box office numbers anymore - whether a 'Vikram' crosses Rs 500 crore worldwide, or an 'Indian 2' turns out to be a box-office bomb. He is now way bigger than all of that. He is a man who, even at the age of 70, refuses to slow down and is still full of passion and energy. He is taking on one exciting project after another, doing high-octane action on the screen, and is dancing like crazy in his films! And even after achieving the greatest heights of success, he continues to learn new things (for instance, he recently enrolled at a prestigious institute in the US for a 90-day Artificial Intelligence course) and experiment with his work.
Kamal Haasan in and as‘Vikram’
Kamal Haasan turns 70 today; and interestingly, he has been in the industry for 64 years now. Yes, back in 1960, he made his debut as a child artist at the age of 6. And that earned him a President's Gold Medal.
Credit: ikamalhaasan
On the occasion of Haasan's birthday, let's have a throwback to that in this article.
Kamal Haasan was a child prodigy. At the age of 6, he made his debut with the Tamil film 'Kalathur Kannamma'. He played the role of an orphaned child, named Selvam, receiving enormous acclaim from every corner of the country.
For this performance, he received the President's Gold Medal from Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. Later, speaking about achieving the feat, the actor shared in an interview, "Receiving the President's Gold Medal at the age of six was a surreal and humbling experience. I remember being on that stage, trying to comprehend the magnitude of the moment. It was a stepping stone into the world of art and cinema, and it left an indelible mark on my life."
4 year old KAMAL HAASAN receiving the President’s gold medal for his debut performance from Dr Radhakrishnan.
— Film History Pics (@FilmHistoryPic) August 12, 2020
‘Kalathur Kannamma’ - released on this day @ikamalhaasan #61YearsOfKamalism pic.twitter.com/qDFAS5dNpT
Credit: Film History Pics
"Dr. Radhakrishnan's words still resonate with me. He told me that my performance was not just a display of talent but a glimpse into the potential of youth in our country. His words have been a guiding light throughout my career. That moment instilled in me a deep sense of responsibility. It made me realize the power of art to inspire and influence. I was determined to continue down this path and prove that age is no barrier to achievement."
Directed by A. Bhimsingh and written by Javar Seetharaman, 'Kalathur Kannamma' is a romantic drama film inspired by the Chinese film 'Nobody's Child'. Besides Kamal Haasan, the film also stars Gemini Ganesh and Savitri Ganesh in pivotal roles. It follows a couple who are separated due to circumstances, and their son is forced to grow up in an orphanage.
Kamal Haasan with Gemini Ganesan and Savitri in his first film ‘Kalathur Kannamma’#61YearsOfKamalism pic.twitter.com/O79O6HjCkH
— Film History Pics (@FilmHistoryPic) August 12, 2020
Credit: Film History Pics
The film was a major critical and commercial success upon its release. It was later remade in Telugu as 'MoogaNomu', in Hindi as 'Main ChupRahungi', and in Sinhala as 'Mangalika'.
After 'Kalathur Kannamma', Haasan starred in five more films as a child actor.
As an adult, he started his career as a dance assistant to choreographer Thankappan. Meanwhile, he also made small appearances (including many uncredited) in several films.
In 1975, he made his debut as a lead actor in the drama, 'Apoorva Raagangal', directed by K. Balachander. The rest, as they say, is history!
Happy Birthday, Ulaga Nayagan. Thanks For Inspiring Us!
