Celebrating Kamal Haasan’s birthday with then and now pictures that capture his 65 years of journey in cinema

Kamal Haasan has had an outstanding career in Indian cinema spanning more than 65 years, starting as a child in 1960 with ‘Kalathur Kannamma’, for which he was awarded a President’s Gold Medal. Since then, he has had great accomplishments as an actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, and he has been highly praised for dedication to his craft and versatility. He has played the role of a romantic hero and those who fall somewhere along the spectrum of good or bad, but there is always a goal to try a new direction in this acting ability. He has a strong passion for storytelling and comes up with original concepts to be one of India's greatest cinema legends.

The then shows Kamal as a six-year-old in ‘Kalathur Kannamma’ (1960), where people all over the country loved how touching he was. The now picture shows how different he looks in ‘Thug Life’ (2025), a tough gangster movie directed by Mani Ratnam. They're working together again for the first time in 36 after ‘Nayakan’. Kamal plays Rangaraya Sakthivel Nayakkar, a complex and serious character that shows how he’s grown as an actor. This change from a talented kid to a grown-up performer proves that he’s still important in Indian cinema.

Back in 1975, the actor played a rebellious dude in Apoorva Raagangal, getting into a weird romance that totally changed how movies told stories back then. Jump to 2024, and he's back as Senapathy in Indian 2, a freedom fighter who became a vigilante. He's strong and has this heavy emotional vibe that just clicks. These roles prove how he can get into complicated characters. His dedication to showing real human feelings makes his work unforgettable and original.

Take Panchathanthiram from 2002 – Kamal Haasan has got great comedic timing. He makes leading a bunch of actors in a funny movie look easy. Now, look at Vikram from 2022, and he's this dark, serious guy mixing action with subtle funny bits. Switching from comedy to intense action shows how he can roll with any type of movie and keep you watching. His mix of humor and seriousness still defines him.

When the legendary actor started out, he usually wore classic South Indian clothes that fit the cultural stories he was telling on camera. The old photos of him show that simple, genuine style. But check him out now! He’s gotten pretty stylish with his clothing line, ‘House of Khaddar.’ Kamal's style changed a lot, same with his creative progress, and he’s still got that heritage thing going on. Aside from fashion, Kamal's love for martial arts really shaped how he moves on camera over the years. If you watch Thug Life, his amazing fighting skills and how precisely he does stunts proves that he’s still got it, even after 60 years in the business.