Meet country’s first pan-India actor who won Filmfare Award in five languages, took Indian cinema to Oscars seven times; his name is...

When you talk about Pan-India stars today, names like Prabhas, Jr. NTR, and more often come to mind. The films of these actors popularised the idea of a single movie appealing to audiences across India, cutting through language and regional boundaries. But long before the term 'Pan-India cinema' became a word, there was one actor who had already achieved it, Kamal Haasan.

Kamal Haasan, along with Rajinikanth and Sridevi, was the first to bring true pan-Indian appeal to Indian cinema. Kamal Haasan is the only Indian actor to have won Filmfare Awards in five different languages: Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, and Hindi. 

Kamal Haasan also holds a rare record; his films have been India’s official entries to the Oscars seven times, more than any other Indian actor. These films represented Indian cinema on a global platform.

Here’s the complete list of the seven Kamal Haasan films that were India’s official Oscar submissions:

1. Saagar (1985)

2. Swathi Muthyam (1986)

3. Nayakan (1987)

4. Thevar Magan (1992)

5. Kuruthipunal (1995)

6. Indian (1996)

7. Hey Ram (2000)

Kamal Haasan’s career spans more than six decades, and he continues to inspire generations of filmmakers and actors.