M. Nassar (born 5 March 1958) is an Indian actor, director, producer, dubbing artist, singer and politician who mainly works in the Tamil and Telugu film industries he has also worked in few Malayalam, English and Hindi films. He is the incumbent president of the

Nadigar Sangam The Nadigar Sangam ( en, Actors' association), officially known as the South Indian Artistes' Association (SIAA), is a union for film, television, and stage actors in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, based in Chennai. Formed in 1952, the grou ...

Early life and education

Nassar was born on 5 March 1958 to Mehaboob Basha and Mumtaz in

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...

, India. He studied in St. Joseph's Higher Secondary School (Chengalpattu). He moved to

Madras Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...

(now Chennai) after school, where he finished his pre-university at Madras Christian College. At Madras Christian College, he was an active member of the Dramatic Society. Later for a brief time, he worked in the

Indian Air Force The Indian Air Force (IAF) is the air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its complement of personnel and aircraft assets ranks third amongst the air forces of the world. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial w ...

. He trained in two acting schools: the

South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce, abbreviated as SIFCC, is a South Indian film producers, distributors and exhibitors association, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It consists of the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce, Karnataka Fil ...

's Film Institute and the Tamil Nadu Institute for Film and Television Technology.

Career

Nassar made his acting debut in

K. Balachander Kailasam Balachander (9 July 1930 – 23 December 2014) was an Indian film maker and playwright who worked mainly in the Tamil cinema. He was well known for his distinct film-making style, and the Indian film industry knew him as a master of un ...

's '' Kalyana Agathigal'' (1985) portraying a secondary supporting role, before moving on to play villainous roles in S. P. Muthuraman's '' Velaikaran'' (1987) and ''

Vanna Kanavugal ''Vanna Kanavugal'' () is a 1987 Indian Tamil-language film directed by Ameerjan and produced by Kavithalayaa Productions. The film stars Karthik, Murali and Jayashree. It is a remake of the 1984 Malayalam film '' Adiyozhukkukal''. The film, ...

'' (1987). He played the protagonist in

Yuhi Sethu Yuhi may refer to: People Japan *, Japanese long-distance runner * Yuhi Sano (born 1965), Japanese professional wrestler * Yuhi Sekiguchi (born 1987), Japanese racing driver * Yuhi (wrestler) (born 1995), Japanese professional wrestler Rwanda ...

's ''

Kavithai Paada Neramillai ''Kavithai Paada Neramillai'' () is a 1987 Indian Tamil-language film directed by Yuhi Sethu, starring Raghuvaran, Amala, Yuhi Sethu and Nassar in lead roles. The film was a remake of the Hindi film ''Ankush''. Cast *Raghuvaran *Amala * N ...

'' (1987), though his breakthrough role came through his performance as a police officer in

Mani Ratnam Gopala Ratnam Subramaniam (born 2 June 1956), known professionally as Mani Ratnam, is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer who predominantly works in Tamil cinema and few Hindi, Telugu and Kannada films. Ratnam has won six ...

's ''

Nayakan ''Nayakan'' (; ) is a 1987 Indian Tamil-language gangster film written and directed by Mani Ratnam. Produced by Muktha Srinivasan, the film stars Kamal Haasan, Saranya (in her feature debut) and Karthika, with Janagaraj, Vijayan, M. V. Vasu ...

'' (1987). He subsequently became a regular in Mani Ratnam and

Kamal Haasan Kamal Haasan (born 7 November 1954) is an Indian actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, playback singer, television presenter and politician who works mainly in Tamil cinema and has also appeared in some Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi, Kannada and Bengali l ...

's ventures, appearing in pivotal character roles in ''

Roja Roja may refer to: * ''Roja'' (film), a 1992 Tamil-language film by director Mani Ratnam * ''Roja'' (soundtrack), a soundtrack album from the film * Roja Selvamani Roja Selvamani (born Sri Latha Reddy; 17 November 1972), also known as R. K. ...

'' (1992), ''

Thevar Magan ''Thevar Magan'' () is a 1992 Indian, Tamil-language drama film written by Kamal Haasan, who also produced the film, and directed by Bharathan. It stars Haasan, Sivaji Ganesan, Revathi, Gautami and Nassar; with Kallapart Natarajan, Kaka Rad ...

'' (1992),'' Ghazal''(1993),''"''

Bombay Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...

'' (1995), '' Kuruthipunal'' (1995) and ''

Iruvar ''Iruvar'' () is a 1997 Indian Tamil-language epic political drama film co-written, produced and directed by Mani Ratnam. The film, inspired by the lives of M. Karunanidhi, M. G. Ramachandran and J. Jayalalithaa is set against the backdrop ...

'' (1997). Nassar made his directorial debut with '' Avatharam'' (1995), a film based on the backdrop of a folk art troupe. Starring

Revathi Asha Kelunni Nair (born 8 July 1966), better known by her stage name Revathi, is an Indian actress and director, known for her works predominantly in Tamil & Malayalam cinema - in addition to Telugu, Hindi & Kannada films. She has won several ...

as his co-star, Nassar stated that the idea had come to him as a result of his childhood memories of watching theru koothu being performed on the streets alongside his father. The film won critical acclaim, but failed to become a commercially successful venture. Soon afterwards, he made ''

Devathai ''Devathai'' () is a 1997 Indian Tamil-language fantasy film written, directed and produced by Nassar. The film stars himself, Keerthi Reddy (in her Tamil film debut) and Vineeth, while the film's score and soundtrack are composed by Ilaiyaraaj ...

'' (1997), stating he remembered a story he had first heard as a child, which became the "creative seed for this film" about reincarnation. He stated that his immediate busy schedule had subsequently cost him a role in

Aamir Khan Mohammed Aamir Hussain Khan (; born 14 March 1965) is an Indian actor, film director and producer who works in Hindi films. Through his career spanning over 30 years, Khan has established himself as one of the most notable actors of Indian ci ...

's ''

Lagaan ''Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India'' () is a 2001 Indian Hindi-language sports drama film written and directed by Ashutosh Gowariker. The film was produced by Aamir Khan, who stars alongside debutant Gracy Singh and British actors Rachel Sh ...

'' (2001). He subsequently continued to work in films in the late 1990s, portraying a blind musician in

Rajiv Menon Rajiv Menon (born 20 April 1963) is an Indian filmmaker who has worked as a director and cinematographer in several Indian regional film industries. After making his breakthrough as a film cinematographer with Mani Ratnam's drama ''Bombay'' (19 ...

's ''

Minsara Kanavu ''Minsara Kanavu'' () is a 1997 Indian Tamil-language musical romantic drama film that was co-written and directed by Rajiv Menon. The film stars Arvind Swamy, Prabhu Deva, and Kajol in her Tamil debut, and revolves around Priya (Kajol), a ...

'' (1997), a political leader in

's ''

'' (1997) and as the father of a pair of separated twins in

S. Shankar Shankar Shanmugam (born 17 August 1963), credited as S. Shankar or his mononym Shankar, is an Indian filmmaker who predominantly works in Tamil cinema. He is one of the most prolific and highest paid film directors in India. His films typicall ...

's ''

Jeans Jeans are a type of pants or trousers made from denim or dungaree cloth. Often the term "jeans" refers to a particular style of trousers, called "blue jeans", with copper-riveted pockets which were invented by Jacob W. Davis in 1871 and paten ...

'' (1998). Some of the films that he has acted in Telugu include '' Chanti'' (1992), ''

Seshu ''Seshu'' is a 2002 Indian Telugu-language romantic drama film starring Rajasekhar in the titular role along with Kaveri, directed by Rajasekar's wife Jeevitha Rajasekhar in her directorial debut. It is a remake of the 1999 hit Tamil film '' ...

'' (2002), '' Bhageeratha'' (2005), ''

Athadu ''Athadu'' ( or ) is a 2005 Indian Telugu-language action thriller film written and directed by Trivikram Srinivas. The film stars Mahesh Babu, Trisha, and Sonu Sood while Sayaji Shinde, Kota Srinivasa Rao, Prakash Raj, Nassar, and Brahmananda ...

'' (2005), ''

Pokiri ''Pokiri'' () is a 2006 Indian Telugu-language action thriller film written and directed by Puri Jagannadh. The film was produced by Jagannadh and Manjula Ghattamaneni by their respective production companies Vaishno Academy and Indira Prod ...

'' (2006), '' Golimaar'' (2010), ''

Shakthi In Hinduism, especially Shaktism (a theological tradition of Hinduism), Shakti (Devanagari: शक्ति, IAST: Śakti; lit. "Energy, ability, strength, effort, power, capability") is the primordial cosmic energy, female in aspect, and re ...

'' (2011), ''

Dookudu ''Dookudu'' () is a 2011 Indian Telugu-language action comedy film directed by Srinu Vaitla and written by Vaitla, Kona Venkat, and Gopimohan. It is produced by Ram Achanta, Gopi Achanta, and Anil Sunkara under the banner 14 Reels Entertainme ...

'' (2011), ''

Businessman A businessperson, businessman, or businesswoman is an individual who has founded, owns, or holds shares in (including as an angel investor) a private-sector company. A businessperson undertakes activities (commercial or industrial) for th ...

'' (2012) and among others. Besides South Indian language films, he has acted in Hindi language films like ''

Chachi 420 ''Chachi 420'' () is a 1997 Indian Hindi-language comedy film, co-written, produced and directed by Kamal Haasan. The film is a remake of the 1996 Tamil movie ''Avvai Shanmughi''. The film stars Haasan and Nassar (reprising their roles from the ...

'' (1997), '' Phir Milenge'' (2004), '' Nishabd'' (2007), ''

Rowdy Rathore ''Rowdy Rathore'' is a 2012 Indian Hindi-language action comedy film directed by Prabhu Deva and produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Ronnie Screwvala under the UTV Motion Pictures and Bhansali Productions banners. A remake of the 2006 Telugu f ...

'' (2012), ''

Saala Khadoos ''Irudhi Suttru'' () is a 2016 Indian sports drama film written and directed by Sudha Kongara. Filmed simultaneously in Tamil and Hindi, with the latter being titled as ''Saala Khadoos'' (), the film stars R. Madhavan as boxing coach who is ign ...

'' (2016) and ''

Serious Men ''Serious Men'' is a 2010 drama fiction novel written by journalist Manu Joseph. The story follows Ayyan Mani, a middle-aged Dalit working as an assistant to a Brahmin astronomer at the Institute of Theory and Research in Mumbai. He lives in ...

'' (2020) among others. He played Bijjaladeva, a pivotal role in the films '' Baahubali: The Beginning'' (2015) and '' Baahubali 2: The Conclusion'' (2017).

Personal life

Nassar is married to producer turned politician Kameela and they have three sons. The eldest, Abdul Asan Faizal, was initially reported to be making his acting debut in a film to be produced by

T. Siva T. Siva is an Indian film producer and distributor in Chennai, India. He has produced 23 films including ''Saroja (2008 film), Saroja'' and ''Kanimozhi (film), Kanimozhi''. He owns the production company, Amma Creations. He is best known for ''Ara ...

, but eventually did not do so. In 2014, he was involved in a serious road accident but recovered after being critically injured. Their second son,

Luthfudeen Luthfudeen (born 30 April 1994) is an Indian actor, who has appeared in Tamil language films. The son of actor Nassar, Luthfudeen made his debut as an actor by appearing in A. L. Vijay's ''Saivam'' (2014), before working in Vijay's '' Idhu En ...

, made his acting debut in

A. L. Vijay A. L. Vijay, known professionally as Vijay, is an Indian film director who works in the Tamil film industry. An assistant director with Priyadarshan, he debuted as director with films such as '' Kireedam'' and the critically acclaimed ''Madr ...

's ''

Saivam ''Saivam'' () is a 2014 Indian Tamil-language drama film written, directed and produced by A. L. Vijay. The film features Nassar in the lead role and child actress Sara Arjun plays another pivotal role. The film's cinematography was handled by ...

'' (2014) portraying the grandson of the character played by Nassar. Their third son Abi Hassan is also an actor and featured in Nassar's ''

Sun Sun Thatha ''Sun Sun Thatha'' () is a 2012 Tamil language independent drama film directed by Nassar. The film stars himself in a supporting role with Ahbi and Jamali Shadat in the lead roles. Cast *Ahbi as Abi * Jamali Shadat as Mr. Sun Sun, Abi's go ...

'' (2012) as well as

Rajesh Selva Rajesh M. Selva is an Indian film director and screenwriter, primarily working in Tamil cinema. Career Rajesh began his career in entertainment by being a part of the band, Shenanigans, which was formed in 1999 alongside his school mates Naresh ...

's 2019 action thriller ''

Kadaram Kondan ''Kadaram Kondan'' () is a 2019 Indian Tamil-language neo-noir action crime-thriller film directed by Rajesh M. Selva and produced by Kamal Haasan. The film stars Vikram in the lead role and Akshara Haasan and Abi Hassan in supporting roles. ...

''.

References

External links

* {{authority control Indian male film actors 20th-century Indian film directors Tamil male actors Tamil film directors Indian male voice actors Living people 1958 births Male actors in Kannada cinema Male actors in Tamil cinema Male actors in Hindi cinema Male actors in Malayalam cinema Madras Christian College alumni Tamil Nadu State Film Awards winners People from Kanchipuram district Male actors in Telugu cinema Film directors from Chennai Male actors from Chennai Film producers from Chennai