Kamal Haasan Marriage : A 13 Year OId Relationship Falls Apart

Kamal Haasan is one actor whose acting prowess will be nearly impossible to articulate in a mere string of words. Since his debut as a child actor way back in 1962, he has donned the roles of characters that have been funny, tragic and outright awe-inspiring. He is often touted to be the most talented actor in Indian cinema. It is no wonder his work has inspired several film makers from world cinema. Apart from his acting, much has been reported and written about his tumultuous love life, like with his contemporary Amitabh Bachchan’s married life. From two failed marriages to having a live-in at the age of 50, what exactly has been his love life like? We take a close look at the two Kamal Hassan marriage episodes that didn’t work too well, and his tryst with love.

Making Of The Actor

Kamal Haasan was born as Parthasarathy in 1954 to a lawyer father, and a housewife mother. Kamal didn’t have any lineage from the world of cinema and gradually started developing an inclination towards performing arts. His talent was noticed by M. Saravanan, the son of legendary Tamil film producer Avichi Meiyappa Chettiar (known for AVM), and he cast him for the role of a child artist for the movie Kalathur Kannamma. The young Kamal Haasan went on to win President’s Gold Medal (Rashtrapathi Award) for his performance. From 1970s onwards, Kamal started portraying lead or supporting roles, and since that day and today, has acted in, directed and produced several critically acclaimed films.

The Young Love

Kamal Haasan Marriage - Kamal And Srividya

Kamal Haasan’s first breakthrough as a lead actor came with the 1975’s Tamil classic Apoorva Raagangal. He shared screen space in this film with Srividya, a popular South Indian actress who eventually fell in love with Kamal by the end of the making of the film. Their affair was a subdued one with none of them talking about it much. It is said though that the 22-year old Srividya was madly in love with Kamal who was two years younger to her. In spite of all the apprehensions, Kamal was not keen on taking their relationship to the next level, and soon broke-up. Srividya went on to marry George Thomas, an assistant director in Malayalam films in the year 1976 but divorced in 1980. She passed away in the year 2006 after a prolonged illness and it is said Kamal visited her when she was on her deathbed. All through this mini episode, no tales of a Kamal Hassan marriage popped up.

Kamal Haasan Marriage - Apoorva Raangangal

[Read More: Yuvan Shankar Raja Marriage ]

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The Second Calling Of Love

Kamal Haasan Marriage - Kamal Haasan And Vani Ganapathy

Around the year 1977, Kamal Haasan started seeing the popular dancer Vani Ganapathy. Not much is known about their first meeting but it is said that they were introduced to each other through common friends. Their courtship was brief since the Vani Ganapathy Kamal Hassan marriage happened in the year 1978 mainly at the behest of Vani since Kamal was mostly interested in a live-in kind of relationship. The couple had a smooth run with their wedding but then things started going downhill. It is rumoured that one reason for the split was because Vani couldn’t conceive.

[Read More: Rajinikanth Marriage]

Kamal Haasan Marriage – Kamal Hassan And Vani Ganapathy.The Illicit Affair

Kamal Haasan Marriage - Kamal Haasan And Sarika Thakur

Kamal began distancing himself from Vani, and by early 1980s he started seeing an upcoming Bollywood actress Sarika. Their affair was an infamous one; something that they did not bother to keep under wraps. The news of this liaison reached the ears of Vani, and it is said that the couple started living separately by 1983. With this separation, Kamal started growing more close towards Sarika, and it became pristine to everyone that the first Kamal Hassan marriage was in trouble. But what came as a major surprise was Sarika’s pregnancy out of wedlock. In 1986, she gave birth to her first daughter Shruti Haasan, while Kamal was still married to Vani. It sent ripples down the media and industry but Kamal stayed unabashed about it since he was very happy with his live-in. Societal pressure soon caught up though and in 1988 Kamal divorced his wife Vani to formally marry Sarika. Sarika and Kamal went on to have another daughter, Akshara Haasan, in the year 1991, the second Kamal Hassan marriage to date.

[Read More: Amrita Arora Wedding]

The Ugly Affair

Kamal Haasan Marriage - Kamal Haasan And Simran Bagga

During early 2000s, Kamal appeared in a couple of films with the popular Tamil actress Simran. Their first meeting was most probably in the year 2000, while they became well acquainted with each other in the year 2001 during the making of their film Pammal K. Sambandam. By the end of the making of the film, it is said the two co-actors started developing a certain romantic rapport. Kamal was very much married at that time but that did not stop him from having a fling with Simran who was 22 years younger to him. The duo went on to work in another film, which eventually cemented the affair. Kamal’s philandering ways with Simran didn’t go unnoticed by Sarika, and it is said she was deeply disturbed by it. She even attempted suicide and went into serious depression after that. In 2002, the couple decided to split and filed for a divorce. Their divorce plea was granted in 2004 and they then moved with their individual lives after that. This was quite a shock to fans, as the Sarika Kamal Hassan marriage had actually been a very serious one.

Kamal Haasan Marriage - Pammal K. Sambandam

[Read More: Divyanka Tripathi Marriage ]

Having A Live-in

Kamal Haasan Marriage - Kamal Haasan And Gautami Tadimalla

After his divorce with Sarika in 2004, Kamal went back to his old friend Gautami Tadimalla, the popular Telugu actress with whom he had worked in several film throughout late 1980s and 1990s. It is said that Kamal always had feelings for Gautami, and in fact was always in a relationship with her even while the Sarika Kamal Hassan marriage was on. He would consider Gautami as one of his best friends, and even Sarika shared a pleasant rapport with Gautami. In 2005, Gautami and Kamal decided to move in together and were living-in with their respective children from previous marriages. The duo stated that they do not believe in the institution of marriage, and have been candid about preferring a live-in relationship.

Kamal Haasan Marriage - Papanasam, Yeya En Kottikkaaraa

Irrespective of anything, the duo have always stood by each other. Gautami battled cancer, and Kamal always stood by her side offering his support. The two have stayed with each other since then, and their respective children from their past marriages have also bonded well with each other. And no rumours of a Kamal Hassan marriage to Gautami have been doing the rounds, but we’ll keep a check on that.

Kamal Haasan and Sarika greet each other at a public event

Kamal Haasan Marriage - Kamal Greets Sarika And Shruti

Kamal Haasan and Sarika greet each other at a public event.

Irrespective of everything, the duo have always stood by each other. Gautami has battled cancer, and Kamal has always been stood by her side offering his full support. The two have stayed with each other since then, and their respective children from marriages past have also bonded well with each other. And a Kamal Hassan – Gautami marriage doesn’t really look imminent, but we’ll keep a check on that with further updates as necessary.

Despite tough times and public scrutiny, the duo have stood by each other: a testament to their love and dedication. Kamal stayed with Gautami all through her battle with cancer, through which she has had a complete recovery. Thereafter, it was understood that the two would continue to be there for one another. But perhaps even the most perfect relationships have their own flaws, which may surface over a period of time and lead to discord.

The Surprise Breakup

Kamal-Haasan-and-Gautami-breakup

On the night of November the 1st, 2016, Gautami stunned the world when she shared a post on her blog stating that she has terminated her 13-year relationship with Kamal Haasan. According to her, things between the couple had reached a point that they had to “either compromise with their dreams for life,” or “accept the truth of their solitude and move ahead.” She seemed reserved, and it was clear from the write-up that the breakup was not easy for her.

“After almost 13 years together, it has been one of the most devastating decisions that I have ever had to make in my life. It is never easy for anyone in a committed relationship to realise that their paths have irreversibly diverged…”

– Gautami about her breakup with Kamal Haasan

While the couple never detailed the reasons for their split, sources close to them shared that Kamal and Gautami had been going through a rough patch in their relationship for many months prior. Apparently, the two were facing intense differences, which although not specifically known, pertained to their differing lifestyles. Since things had reached the verge of making a choice (even echoed by Gautami in her blog), the once in love pair decided to split paths. It was unexpected, and maybe even Kamal and Gautami would have never dreamt of it. For now anyway, it is quite upsetting to see a long-standing couple separate, especially considering the duo in question once championed the modern social trend of living together without being married.

Life Ever Since

It is quite likely that Kamal will continue to share a cordial relationship with Gautami – exactly the way he shares a good relationship with his ex-wives Sarika and Vani Ganapathy. Kamal has always considered Gautami’s daughter Subbalakshmi as his own, and it is quite likely he will continue to shower her with paternal care. We hope that they are able to think of a solution to their differences and come back together. For now we wish them best with life and all of its pursuits.