Parthasarathy Srinivasan (born 7 November 1954),[4] known professionally as Kamal Haasan, is an Indian actor, film director, film producer, screenwriter, choreographer, playback singer, lyricist, television presenter, social activist and politician who works in Tamil cinema. Besides Tamil films, he has also appeared in some Malayalam, Telugu, Hindi, Kannada and Bengali films. Considered as one of the greatest and most respected actors in Indian cinema, Haasan is also known for introducing many new innovations to the Indian film industry.[5][6][7] He has won numerous accolades, including four National Film Awards, nine Tamil Nadu State Film Awards, four Nandi Awards, one Rashtrapati Award, two Filmfare Awards and eighteen Filmfare Awards South. He was awarded the Kalaimamani Award in 1984, the Padma Shri in 1990, the Padma Bhushan in 2014 and the Order of Arts and Letters (Chevalier) in 2016.[8]

Haasan started his career as a child artist in the 1960 Tamil film Kalathur Kannamma for which he won a President’s Gold Medal. After a sabbatical, he received his breakthrough with the 1975 drama Apoorva Raagangal, directed by K. Balachander, in which he played a rebellious youth who falls in love with an older woman which earned him his first Filmfare Award. He earned three National Film Awards for Best Actor for his portrayal of a guileless youth who falls in love with a woman who suffers from retrograde amnesia in Moondram Pirai (1982), an ordinary slum dweller who rises to a position of a highly respected don in Nayakan (1987) and dual roles in Indian (1996). He further gained immense acclaim for his performances in Sagara Sangamam (1983), Sadma (1983), Saagar (1985), Swathi Muthyam (1986), Pushpaka Vimana (1987), Sathyaa (1988), Apoorva Sagodharargal (1989), Michael Madana Kama Rajan (1990), Gunaa (1991), Thevar Magan (1992), Mahanadhi (1994), Kuruthipunal (1995), Chachi 420 (1997), Hey Ram (2000), Aalavandhan (2001), Anbe Sivam (2003), Virumaandi (2004), Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu (2006), Dasavathaaram (2008), Vishwaroopam (2013), Vikram (2022), and Kalki 2898 AD (2024).[9] His production company, Raaj Kamal Films International, has produced several of his films.

For his philanthropic efforts, Haasan received the first Abraham Kovoor National Award in 2004. He was project ambassador for the Hridayaragam 2010 event, which raised funds for an orphanage for HIV/AIDS-affected children. In September 2010, Haasan launched a children’s cancer relief fund and gave roses to children with cancer at Sri Ramachandra University in Porur, Chennai. Haasan was nominated by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Swachh Bharat Mission. On 21 February 2018, Haasan formally launched his political party, Makkal Needhi Maiam (lit. People’s Justice Centre).[10]