Charuhasan
Indian actor, director and retired lawyer; National Award winner.
Charuhasan Srinivasan, born on 5 January 1931, is an Indian actor, director, and former lawyer. He has appeared in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada films. For the Kannada film *Tabarana Kathe* (1987), he received both the National Film Award for Best Actor and the Karnataka State Film Award for Best Actor. He is the older brother of noted actor Kamal Haasan and the father of actress Suhasini.
His father, D. Srinivasan, was a lawyer and independence activist; his mother was Rajalakshmi. As the eldest son, Charuhasan was more than twenty-three years older than his youngest sibling, Kamal. An accident kept him from attending school early on, so a private tutor provided his basic education. At age nine, he entered directly into fifth grade. In 1949, he enrolled at Raja Lakhamgouda Law College in Belgaum and qualified as a lawyer in 1951.
Charuhasan practiced law from 1951 to 1981, handling several high-profile cases. He once represented U. Muthuramalingam Thevar in the Immanuvel Sekaran murder case. During this time, the rationalist ideas of Periyar E. V. Ramasamy influenced him deeply; Periyar called Charuhasan his disciple.
His interest in cinema began in childhood. In the late 1940s, he watched two foreign films daily. When his younger brother Kamal started acting as a child, Charuhasan looked after him. He made his own acting debut in the 1979 Tamil film *Uthiripookkal*, directed by Mahendran and based on a story by Pudhumaipithan. Since then, he has acted in over 120 films, often in supporting or villainous roles. His most significant movies include *Vedham Pudhithu*, *Tabarana Kathe*, and *Thalapathi*. He has also directed two films: *IPC 215* and *Puthiya Sangammam*.
Charuhasan married Komalam in 1953. They have three daughters: Nandhini, Subhashini, and Suhasini. Suhasini is an actress and is married to film director Mani Ratnam.
His awards include the National Film Award for Best Actor and the Karnataka State Film Award for Best Actor, both for *Tabarana Kathe* (1986), and the Filmfare Award for Best Kannada Actor for *Kubi Matthu Iyala* (1992). His autobiography, *Thinking on my Feet*, was released in 2015.
Quick Facts
- Birth Date
- 1931-01-05
- Birth Place
- Paramakudi, Madras Presidency, British India
- Occupation
- Actor, Filmmaker, Writer
- Years Active
- 1979–present
- Spouse
- Komalam · 1953
- Children
- 3, including Suhasini
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Charuhasan was born on 5 January 1931 to lawyer and independence activist D. Srinivasan and Rajalakshmi. He was the eldest son, more than twenty-three years older than his youngest brother Kamal Haasan. Due to an accident, he could not attend school for his first few years and was tutored privately, then admitted directly to fifth grade at age nine. He joined Raja Lakhamgouda Law College in Belgaum in 1949 and qualified as a lawyer in 1951. He practiced law from 1951 to 1981, appearing in high-profile cases including representing U. Muthuramalingam Thevar in the Immanuvel Sekaran murder case. During this period he was influenced by the rationalist philosophy of Periyar E. V. Ramasamy, who referred to Charuhasan as his sishyan (disciple).
Charuhasan had been interested in movies since childhood, watching two foreign films a day in the late 1940s. When his younger brother Kamal Haasan began acting as a child, Charuhasan served as his caretaker. He made his film debut in the 1979 Tamil film Uthiripookkal directed by Mahendran, based on a short story by Pudhumaipithan. He has since acted in more than 120 films, often in supporting or antagonistic roles, with notable films including Vedham Pudhithu, Tabarana Kathe and Thalapathi. He also directed two films: IPC 215 and Puthiya Sangammam.
Reader's Guide
Charuhasan's career spans law and cinema, with his legal background informing his disciplined approach to acting. His performance in Tabarana Kathe earned him both the National Film Award for Best Actor and the Karnataka State Film Award for Best Actor, marking a high point in Kannada cinema. He is known for playing supporting and antagonistic roles across multiple Indian languages, appearing in over 120 films. His directorial works include IPC 215 and Puthiya Sangammam. His autobiography, Thinking on my Feet, was released in 2015. As the elder brother of Kamal Haasan and father of actress Suhasini, he is part of a prominent film family, but his own contributions as a character actor and rationalist thinker give him a distinct place in Indian cinema.
Did You Know?
- Charuhasan was directly admitted to fifth grade at age nine after missing early schooling due to an accident.
- He practiced law for 30 years, from 1951 to 1981, and represented U. Muthuramalingam Thevar in the Immanuvel Sekaran murder case.
- Periyar E. V. Ramasamy referred to Charuhasan as his sishyan (disciple).
- He is the father of actress Suhasini, who is married to film director Mani Ratnam.
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