South Superstars Bollywood Debut Was A Blockbuster Yet His Career Didnt Last Long I Was The Poorer

. From the tragic drama Ek Duje Ke Liye to the comic caper Chachi 420, the star had featured in some of the most iconic Bollywood films. Yet his career never really took off. In an interview, the superstar reflected on why his Bollywood innings did not last long.Kamal made his first appearance in Hindi cinema in 1974 with a brief role in his mentor K. Balachander's Aaina, the Hindi adaptation of the director's acclaimed Tamil film Arangetram (1973). Although this marked his introduction to Bollywood audiences, it was only more than five years later that he established himself with a full-fledged entry into the Hindi film industry.He became an overnight sensation with the 1981 romantic drama Ek Duje Ke Liye. The film was a remake of the 1978 blockbuster Maro Charitra which also featured Kamal Haasan. Helmed by the same director K Balachander, Ek Duje Ke Liye had Rati Agnihotri opposite Haasan. The moving tale about two star-crossed lovers became one of the highest grossing films of 1981. Made on a budget of Rs 50 lakh, it earned a whopping Rs 10 crore. Building on his growing popularity, Kamal starred in a string of successful Hindi films, including Sanam Teri Kasam (1982), Yeh To Kamaal Ho Gaya (1982), and Zara Si Zindagi (1983), all of which enjoyed encouraging runs at the box office. He then delivered one of the most memorable performances of his career in Sadma (1983), directed by Balu Mahendra. The Hindi adaptation of the acclaimed Tamil classic Moondram Pirai (1982), the film showcased Kamal reprising the role that had earned him his first National Film Award for Best Actor. His emotionally powerful performance, along with Sridevi’s equally moving portrayal, won immense praise from critics and audiences alike, cementing Sadma as one of the finest films in Indian cinema. His performance as Raja, a rejected suitor of Mona (Dimple Kapadia) in the 1985 Ek Duje Ke Liye also grabbed eyeballs. He also headlined the film Dekha Pyaar Tumhara that same year. It also became his last Bollywood film in a long time. After stepping away from Hindi cinema for several years, Kamal returned to Bollywood in 1997 with Chachi 420, the Hindi remake of K. S. Ravikumar's Tamil hit Avvai Shanmugi (1996). The film marked his successful comeback and remains the last project made exclusively in Hindi in his career. In the years that followed, he continued to reach Hindi-speaking audiences through bilingual productions such as Hey Ram (2000), Abhay—the Hindi version of Aalavandhan (2001), Mumbai Xpress (2005), Vishwaroop (Vishwaroopam, 2013), and Vishwaroop II (Vishwaroopam II), balancing his work across multiple Indian film industries.In the India Today South Conclave in 2017, Kamal Haasan revealed why his Bollywood innings did not last long despite great success. He explained that he was unable to handle multiple projects simultaneously unlike Bollywood stars. Moreover, there was also the lurking danger of underworld gangsters.“I was a poorer cousin of Hindi cinema. I had to do my own laundry and stuff like that. They were spoilt and rich. They could do six films at a time. I thought that was very defeating. Too many underworld connections. I didn’t want to stay there, either to oppose it or to succumb to the threat. I was one of the actors to decide that I would not have anything to do with black money..” he said.