Top News

Kamal Haasan has spent 67 years in cinema, but the veteran actor does not see all those years as a measure of experience. In a candid note shared on X, Haasan reflected on his extraordinary journey, saying that only about two decades of it could be counted as genuine learning. “Out of those 67, I think I can only salvage about 20 years as my actual learning,” he wrote, describing the remaining years with a striking metaphor: “The rest was going with the flow of the wastewater.”

What Did Kamal Haasan Say About His 67-Year Cinema Journey?

Haasan’s post was prompted by the wishes he received on completing 67 years in the film industry. Rather than simply celebrating the milestone, he used it to reflect on how an artist grows within an industry that is constantly changing. He compared cinema to an “unchannelled sea”, suggesting that everyone involved, from actors and filmmakers to audiences, is ultimately moving towards the same vast collective medium.

For Haasan, even decades of experience are not enough to stop the process of learning. He said whatever experience he has managed to “salvage” can still be improved before the industry begins counting his years differently. The thought is particularly striking given the sheer length of his career. Haasan entered films as a child artiste in Kalathur Kannamma, released in 1960, and went on to become an actor, filmmaker, writer and producer whose work has crossed languages and generations.

From Kalathur Kannamma To Thug Life

Haasan’s 67-year journey has taken him from a six-year-old performer to one of the defining figures of Indian cinema. His performance in Kalathur Kannamma earned him the President’s Gold Medal, setting the tone for a career that would repeatedly challenge conventional ideas of acting and filmmaking. His most recent release was Mani Ratnam’s Thug Life in 2025, marking another chapter in a career that has continued to evolve across generations.

And perhaps that is the real point behind Haasan’s reflection: 67 years may be a remarkable number, but for an artist, the work of learning is never finished.