Charuhasan

Charuhasan (born 5 January 1930) is an Indian film and television actor, director and retired lawyer who has acted in Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam and Hindi films. He won the National Film Award for Best Actor and also the Karnataka Government's Best Actor Award for the Kannada movie Tabarana Kathe, directed by Girish Kasaravalli in 1987. Charuhasan is the elder brother of veteran film actor Kamal Haasan.

Early life

Charuhasan was born on 5 January to lawyer and Indian independence activist D. Srinivasan and his wife Rajalakshmi. He was the eldest son of the couple and more than twenty-four 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.

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 even in his childhood days. 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, Charu Hasan 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 the father of Indian actress Suhasini Maniratnam as well as Nandhini and Subhasini. Suhasini is married to film director Maniratnam. Actresses Shruti Haasan, Akshara Haasan and Anu Hasan are his nieces. He has also acted for a short time in Sun TV's serial Chithi and Anandham. Charuhasan is an avid amateur radio operator (callsign – VU2SCU). He lives in Chennai.

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

Kannada

• Tabarana Kathe
• Kubi Matthu Iyala
• Neelambari
• Durga Shakti

Malayalam

• Vazhiyorakazchakal
• Unni Vanna Divasam
• Adharvam
• Vachanam
• Randam Varavu
• Aayushkalam
• Gandhari
• Kanchanam
• Guru
• War and Love
• Raghuvinte Swantham Raziya

Tamil

• Udhiripookkal
• Nenjathai Killathe
• Nizhalgal
• Moondru Mugam
• Rani Theni
• Agni Sakshi
• Vikram
• Raja Mariyadhai
• Meendum Oru Kaathal Kathai
• Vedham Pudhithu
• Paasa Paravaigal
• Thalapathi
• Anbu Sangili
• Nattukku Oru Nallavan
• Veera
• Thendral Varum Theru
• Jai Hind
• Rajavin Parvaiyile ... Shanthi's father
• Kaadhale Nimmadhi
• Velai
• Dhill
• Thamizhan
• Karka Kasadara
• Yuga
• Uthamaputhiran
• Sillunu Oru Sandhippu
• Saithan
• Odu Raja Odu
• Dha Dha 87

Telugu

• Mathru Devo Bhava
• Subhodayam
• Surya IPS
• Neti Siddhartha
• Nirnayam
• Ankuram
• Subhodayam
• Mounam
• Naa Peru Surya, Naa Illu India
• Dear Comrade

Books

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