4 min readKochiJun 29, 2026 08:00 PM IST
As much as his professional journey and accomplishments, legendary actor-filmmaker Kamal Haasan’s personal life has also made huge headlines, capturing the public’s attention. However, he once expressed his displeasure at people giving overt attention to his private life, particularly his romantic relationships, rather than focusing on his cinematic career.
Kamal also pointed out that it was high time those around him moved away from discussions about his personal matters, which had nothing to do with others.
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“Kamal Haasan is not famous because of his marriages; he’s famous because he does his job well. Anyone can get married, but performing Kathakali, becoming a producer, directing a movie, or writing is a big deal. I think I should be respected for what I do on-screen, rather than off-screen,” Kamal Haasan shared during an appearance on Manorama News’ Nere Chovve programme.
A look back at Kamal Haasan’s high-profile marriages and relationships
For the unversed, Kamal Haasan has been married twice — first to dancer Vani Ganapathy (1978–1988) and later to actor Sarika Thakur (1988–2004), both of which ended in divorce. He was also in a highly publicised relationship with veteran actor Gautami for over a decade.
Kamal Haasan’s first wife, dancer Vani Ganapathy. (Express archive photo)
Prior to his marriage to Vani, Kamal was in a serious relationship with legendary South Indian actor Srividya; however, they never tied the knot. There have also been many rumours over the decades about his relationships with others, which neither he nor the respective women ever confirmed.
Kamal Haasan on unconventional life choices
Kamal Haasan then explained why the topic of his relationships keeps coming up. “Mostly, men are jealous of my life; that’s why they are trying to talk like that. I did what was right for me, and they (his partners) did what was right for them. I loved both the women (who were in my life), and I’m capable of loving more.” At the time of this Manorama News interview, Kamal was still dating Gautami.
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Kamal Haasan was married to actor Sarika Thakur for about 16 years. (Express archive photo)
“I don’t insist… Monogamy is convenient, polygamy is interesting. But life is about convenience, not all the time about interests. So, I like to lead a convenient life, and I’ve always believed in that. So, that is my way of life,” he said.
The legendary actor-filmmaker added, “I don’t believe in going to a sex worker, and I’ve never done it. And I don’t believe in lying about (anything in my) life. I think we can now talk about Kamal Haasan, the actor, and not an expert on matrimony.”
Kamal Haasan has two children with Sarika: actor-musician Shruti Haasan and actor Akshara Haasan.
Kamal Haasan with his former girlfriend, actor Gautami, at the 15th Mumbai Film Festival. File Photo/Pradip Das)
Kamal Haasan’s legendary cinematic legacy
One of the most celebrated and revered actor-filmmakers in Indian cinema history, Kamal Haasan has appeared in over 230 films across Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi, Kannada, and Bengali. In an illustrious career spanning 66 years, he has won the National Film Award for Best Actor three times — the second-most by any artiste, a record he shares with Mammootty and Ajay Devgn.
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Kamal Haasan was most recently seen in director Mani Ratnam’s Thug Life (2025), which proved a critical and commercial failure.
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