Kamal Hassan

Ever since Kamal hassan burst on the scene as a
Precocious child,the cinematic world knew that a
Talent both rare and exceptional was upon it.One
Of the then great actors recalled that many of his
Directors had once told him the little man had a
‘gift from above’,Great things were foretold then,
and his 50 years old career has been an inexorable
journey towards acting immortality.So when he had

the record for acquiring the maximum number of Nati-
nal awards,no one was surprised,In this lack of su-
rprise lies the nub of Hassan’s greatness.

In an era of the hyperbole,’greatness’ – conferred upon too
many too easily – has lost its meaning.Many a you-
ng talent has been spotted in the cinema’s rich hist-
ory and nailed to the cross of greatness.But no one
has fulfilled every prediction,however seemingly fa-
ntastic,and constantly forced others to rethink their
perceptions and definitions of greatness as Hassan
has.His first movie was a baptism of fire .when
he acted on despite no experience his crew saw the f-
irst portents of greatness.

On acquiring his first national award, Hassan spoke of the discipline he has needed in life. It's an aspect that is often forgotten during talk of his special ability. Top-flight acting is a jealous spirit, demanding single-point focus and total devotion. The path to success is beset with pitfalls that test character and spirit. There are few sadder sights in cinema than a talent squandered either for want of desire or an inability to remain grounded in reality — the mercurial footballer George Best, who left us, was one such. Hassan's successes on the field have also been a function of how well he has managed them off it.

Those who posit a genius with flaws as being more romantic choose to ignore the sacrifices that total commitment entails; the denial of romance and flair, however, is just as piquant. The man from paramakudi has been able to marry his amazing zest for cinema with the rigour essential for the pursuit of acting Nirvana. Through it all, he has carried the expectations of millions with grace and humility. The 50-years-old has transcended limits that shackle and stereotype a cinema celebrity. He is an icon, representative of a new, vibrant India and intensely proud of his Indianness.if hassan’s legacy has already been scripted,then its only because he has
acted it out to Perfection.