Charuhasan

Charuhasan Srinivasan (born 5 January 1931) is an Indian actor, director and retired lawyer who has acted in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada films. He won the National Film Award for Best ActorSubha J Rao,
Entertainment for a cause
, The Hindu, 30 August 2004 and the Karnataka State Film Award for Best Actor for the Kannada film '' Tabarana Kathe'' (1987). Charuhasan is the elder brother of veteran 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-three years older than his youngest brother Kamal Haasan.

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. 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.S.R. Ashok Kumar,
An advocate by profession, an actor by accident
, The Hindu, 26 April 2007

Charuhasan practised law from 1951 to 1981. As lawyer, Charuhasan appeared in many high-profile cases, even 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. Periyar even referred to Charuhasan as his ''sishyan'' (disciple).

In the film industry

Charuhasan was interested in movies since childhood. 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, Charuhasan was his caretaker. Charuhasan eventually made his debut in 1979 Tamil film '' Uthiripookkal'' directed by Mahendran which was based on a short story by Pudhumaipithan. 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 since 1953 and has three daughters Nandhini, Subhasini and Suhasini. Suhasini is an actress and married to film director Mani Ratnam.

Awards

* 1986 – National Film Award for Best Actor for '' Tabarana Kathe''
* 1986 – Karnataka State Film Award for Best Actor for '' Tabarana Kathe''
* 1992 – Filmfare Award for Best Kannada Actor for '' Kubi Matthu Iyala''

Selected filmography

Order based on number of films acted.

;Tamil

* '' Uthiripookkal'' (1979)
* '' Nenjathai Killathe'' (1980)
* '' Nizhalgal'' (1980)
* '' Moondru Mugam'' (1982)
* '' Rani Theni'' (1982)
* '' Agni Sakshi'' (1982)
* '' Oorukku Upadesam'' (1984)
* '' Vikram'' (1986)
* '' Raja Mariyadhai'' (1987)
* '' Meendum Oru Kaathal Kathai'' (1985)
* '' Vedham Pudhithu'' (1987)
* '' Paasa Paravaigal'' (1988)
* '' Andru Peytha Mazhaiyil'' (1989)
* '' Thalapathi'' (1991)
* '' Anbu Sangili'' (1991)
* '' Nattukku Oru Nallavan'' (1991)
* ''Puthiya Thendral'' (1993)
* '' Veera'' (1994)
* '' Thendral Varum Theru'' (1994)
* '' Jai Hind'' (1994)
* '' Rajavin Parvaiyile'' (1995)
* '' Kaadhale Nimmadhi'' (1998)
* '' Velai'' (1998)
* '' Dhill'' (2001)
* '' Thamizhan'' (2002)
* '' Pon Megalai'' (2005)
* '' Karka Kasadara'' (2005)
* '' Yuga'' (2006)
* '' Uthamaputhiran'' (2010)
* '' Sillunu Oru Sandhippu'' (2013)
* '' Saithan'' (2016)
* '' Odu Raja Odu'' (2018)
* '' Dha Dha 87'' (2019)
* '' Haraa'' (2024)

;Telugu

* '' Subhodhayam'' (1980)
* '' Inspector Rudra'' (1990)
* '' Neti Siddhartha (1990)''
* '' Surya IPS'' (1991)
* '' Shanti Kranti'' (1991)
* '' Nirnayam'' (1991)
* ''Nani'' (1992)
* '' Ankuram'' (1993)
* '' Matru Devo Bhava'' (1993)
* '' Mounam'' (1995)
* '' Naa Peru Surya, Naa Illu India'' (2018)
* '' Venky Mama'' (2019)
* '' Jamadagni'' (1988)
* '' Dear Comrade'' (2019)
* '' Gamanam'' (2020)
* '' Popcorn'' (2023)

;Malayalam

* '' Vazhiyorakazchakal'' (1987)
* '' Unni Vanna Divasam'' (1984)
* '' Adharvam'' (1989)
* '' Vachanam'' (1990)
* '' Randam Varavu'' (1990)
* '' Aayushkalam'' (1992)
* '' Gandhari'' (1993)
* '' Kanchanam'' (1996)
* ''Guru'' (1997)
* '' War and Love'' (2003)
* ''Hai'' (2005)
* '' Raghuvinte Swantham Raziya'' (2011)

;Kannada
* '' Tabarana Kathe'' (1987)
* '' Kubi Matthu Iyala'' (1992)
* ''Durga Shakti'' (1999)
* '' Neelambari'' (2001)

;Director
*''Pudhiya Sangamam'' (1982)
*''IPC 215'' (2003)

Books

* His book, ''Thinking on my Feet : Charuhasan Autobiography'' published by LiFi Publications, New Delhi under the imprint ''Biog'' has been released during the New Delhi World Book Fair, 2015.

References

External links

*

Autobiography of Charuhasan


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
* , 26 August 2004, The Hindu

Candour, Charuhasan style
23 August 2012, The Hindu

{{DEFAULTSORT:Charuhasan
Living people
Best Actor National Film Award winners
Male actors in Kannada cinema
1931 births
Male actors from Tamil Nadu
Indian amateur radio operators
Filmfare Awards South winners
People from Ramanathapuram district
Male actors in Malayalam cinema
Indian male film actors
20th-century Indian male actors
Male actors in Tamil cinema
Tamil male television actors