Kamal Haasan gets candid about his early life struggles: “I could've died unknown in an auto rickshaw”

Cinema icon Kamal Haasan may be one of Indian cinema’s most revered talents today, but his journey to the top wasn’t paved with certainty—or conformity. In a heartfelt conversation with The Hollywood Reporter India, the actor-filmmaker opened up about his early struggles, the rebellious job he took on to provoke his mother, and how a single piece of advice from legendary filmmaker K Balachander changed the course of his life.

Reflecting on his youth, Kamal revealed that he once worked as a barber—not out of passion, but as an act of teenage defiance. “The person who told me that my best match would be Mr. Balachander was another guru of mine. He was a barber, and he taught me barbering,” Kamal shared. “I worked at a salon mostly to taunt my mother. She thought I was wasting time reading paperbacks and watching films. So, to insult her, I became a barber.”

It was this very anecdote that inspired Balachander to incorporate a similar scene in the climax of his film 'Zara Si Zindagi'. But it wasn’t just inspiration Balachander offered Kamal—he also steered his career with life-altering advice.

At 19, Kamal confessed to his mentor that he dreamed of becoming a director. But Balachander saw something else in him. “He told me, ‘If you become a director, you’ll be riding around in auto rickshaws for the rest of your life,’” Kamal recalled. “Forget riding an auto—I would’ve probably died in one had I not taken his advice.”

The 'Vikram' star didn't hold back when speaking about the devastating paths some of his peers had taken. “Many of my friends, who were more talented than me, died on the streets,” he said somberly. “That’s why I’m grateful to Mr. Balachander. I could’ve gone down that road. Died with my angst, with unfulfilled dreams, and nobody would even know there was a dead body in that auto rickshaw.”

Today, Kamal Haasan stands tall as a multi-hyphenate force in Indian cinema—an actor, writer, director, producer, and visionary. His decades-long career, filled with genre-defining performances and bold cinematic choices, is a testament to talent meeting the right guidance.

Up next, Kamal is set to reunite with another iconic filmmaker—his longtime collaborator and friend Mani Ratnam—for the highly anticipated 'Thug Life'. For a man who once believed he had no conventional skills to land a regular job, Kamal Haasan’s life story proves that sometimes, rebellion, raw talent, and the right mentor can shape a legend.