Kamal Haasan is a one of a kind actor. His range, his versatility, and his perennial need for always stretching the boundaries of his art and craft are unparalleled, at least in Indian cinema. It is sad but true that somehow this actor never got his due in Hindi films, despite reaping laurels and accolades galore down South. Some of it may have been due to his choice of roles, which could never do justice to his phenomenal talent. But even in those handful of Hindi films, one is left with no doubt that one is in the presence of a master craftsman.

Today, the actor turns 55. Fifty of these years have been spent in total devotion to his passion and his craft, that of acting and films. There is nothing else that he has done, besides act, dance and make films. Having recently celebrated his 50 years in films, the actor still thirsts for more. It is interesting to note that as a six year old, he received his first National Award for Best Actor, a child artiste, of course, for his performance in a Tamil film called 'Kallathur Kannamma'. That was how he began his innings and that's how he has played it in these 50 odd years as an actor. 249 films (which includes his Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam, Kannada and Telugu movies) in 50 years, is no mean achievement. He has played every possible role, multiple roles and it almost seems that there is nothing new left for him to explore as an actor.

He won the hearts of the Hindi heartland with 'Ek Duje Ke Liye', following it up with regular masala fare in films like 'Sanam Teri Kasam', 'Zara Si Zindagi', 'Ek Nai Paheli', 'Giraftaar' and of course, 'Saagar'. The last mentioned film was the crowning glory of his career in Hindi films. Even though the movie is known more for being Dimple Kapadia's comeback movie and for the reunion of the Rishi Dimple pair, it was really Kamal who stole the show from under their nose. It is a rare actor who can outshine Rishi, and Kamal was and is that rare actor. He proved how versatile he was with films like 'Sadma', 'Appu Raja', 'Hindustani', 'Chachi 420' and 'Hey! Ram'.

Today, at age 56, the actor, is still raring to go for more. His daughters, too have shown their interest in films, with the elder Shruti, having already made her acting debut in Hindi films. The beauty of Kamal Haasan continues to be the manner in which he keeps pushing his boundaries. It is this thirst for perfection and novelty which has continued to see him grow as an actor. On this occasion, we would like to wish this great actor a very happy birthday. Kamal, you are truly kamaal!