Actor, filmmaker, writer
Charuhasan (born 5 January 1931) is an Indian film and television actor, director and retired lawyer who has acted in Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam and Hindi films. He won the National Film Award for Best Actor[1] and the Karnataka State Film Award for Best Actor for the Kannada film Tabarana Kathe (1987). Charuhasan is the elder brother of veteran film actor Kamal Haasan and father of Indian actress Suhasini.
Early life
Charuhasan was born on 5 January 1931 to lawyer and Indian independence activist D. Srinivasan and his wife Rajalakshmi. He was the eldest son of the couple and more than twenty-four years older than his youngest brother Kamal Haasan.[2][3]
Charuhasan had a different schooling to other children his age; due to an accident he was unable to attend school for the first few years of his life and had a private tutor give him a basic education.[4] He was directly admitted to fifth grade at the age of nine. In 1949, Charuhasan joined the Raja Lakhamgouda Law College in Belgaum and qualified as a lawyer in 1951.[1][3][5]
Charuhasan practised law from 1951 to 1981.[3] As lawyer, Charuhasan appeared in many high-profile cases, even representing U. Muthuramalingam Thevar in the Immanuvel Sekaran murder case.[3] During this period, he was influenced by the rationalist philosophy of Periyar E. V. Ramasamy. Periyar even referred to Charuhasan as his sishyan (disciple).[3]
In the film industry
Charuhasan was interested in movies even in his childhood days. During the late 1940s, he used to watch two foreign films a day. When his younger brother Kamal Hasan started acting in movies as a child actor, Charu Hasan was his caretaker.[3] Charuhasan eventually made his debut in 1979 Tamil film Uthiripookkal directed by Mahendran which was based on a short story by Pudhumaipithan.[3] Since then, he has acted in more than 120 films often playing supporting or antagonistic roles, his most important movies being Vedham Pudhithu, Tabarana Kathe and Thalapathi. He has also directed two films, IPC 215 and Puthiya Sangammam.
Personal life
Charuhasan is married to Komalam and has three daughters Nandhini, Suhasini, and Subhasini. Suhasini is married to film director Maniratnam.
Awards
- 1986 – National Film Award for Best Actor for Tabarana Kathe[6]
- 1986 – Karnataka State Film Award for Best Actor for Tabarana Kathe
- 1992 – Filmfare Award for Best Kannada Actor for Kubi Matthu Iyala
Selected filmography
Kannada
- Tabarana Kathe
- Kubi Matthu Iyala
- Neelambari
- Durga Shakti
Malayalam
- Vazhiyorakazchakal
- Unni Vanna Divasam
- Adharvam
- Vachanam
- Randam Varavu
- Aayushkalam
- Gandhari
- Kanchanam
- Guru
- War and Love
- Raghuvinte Swantham Raziya
Tamil
- Uthiripookkal
- Nenjathai Killathe
- Nizhalgal
- Moondru Mugam
- Rani Theni
- Agni Sakshi
- Oorukku Upadesam as Justice Vedalingam
- Vikram
- Raja Mariyadhai
- Meendum Oru Kaathal Kathai
- Vedham Pudhithu
- Paasa Paravaigal
- Thalapathi
- Anbu Sangili
- Nattukku Oru Nallavan
- Veera
- Thendral Varum Theru
- Jai Hind
- Rajavin Parvaiyile as Shanthi's father
- Kaadhale Nimmadhi
- Velai
- Dhill
- Thamizhan
- Pon Megalai
- Karka Kasadara
- Yuga
- Uthamaputhiran
- Sillunu Oru Sandhippu
- Saithan
- Odu Raja Odu
- Dha Dha 87
Telugu
- Mathru Devo Bhava
- Subhodayam
- Surya IPS
- Neti Siddhartha
- Nirnayam
- Ankuram
- Subhodayam
- Mounam
- Naa Peru Surya, Naa Illu India
- Dear Comrade
- Venky Mama
- Jamadagni
- Dear Comrade
- Gamanam
Director
- Pudhiya Sangamam (1982)
- IPC 215 (2003)
Books
- His book, Thinking on my Feet : Charuhasan Autobiography published by LiFi Publications Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi under the imprint Biog has been released during the New Delhi World Book Fair, 2015.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Subha J Rao, "Entertainment for a cause", The Hindu, 30 August 2004
- ↑ Candour, Charuhasan style. The Hindu(23 August 2012).
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 The actor in the shadows. Madras Musings({Template:Date).
- ↑ Metro Plus Chennai : Late bloomers(28 February 2005).
- ↑ S.R. Ashok Kumar, "An advocate by profession, an actor by accident", The Hindu, 26 April 2007
- ↑ Charu Hasan gets best actor award. The Indian Express(2 May 1987).
External links
- Template:IMDb name
- Autobiography of Charuhasan
- 27 October 1998, Rediff
- 9 April 2009, The Hindu
- 9 July 2002, The Hindu
- Journalists' forum call to combat campaign against actresses, 24 November 2005, The Hindu
- When the living was easy, 1 April 2009, The Hindu
- Legal actor, 26 August 2004, The Hindu
- Candour, Charuhasan style, 23 August 2012, The Hindu
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