When Kamal Haasan made a shocking revelation on why he left Bollywood: ‘Underworld connections, threats…’ |

Kamal Haasan is a versatile talent in the entertainment world—an actor, director, producer, screenwriter, choreographer, and politician. While he mainly works in Tamil cinema, he has also acted in Hindi, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada, and Bengali films.
Kamal Haasan debuted in Bollywood with Ek Duuje Ke Liye in 1981 and has since acted in over 230 films across languages. He recently appeared as the antagonist Supreme Yaskin in Kalki 2898 AD alongside Amitabh Bachchan. However, there was a time when he stepped away from Bollywood, citing a specific reason.

Kamal Haasan has impressed fans with his talent for over six decades. After working briefly in Bollywood, he decided to leave the industry. In a 2017 interview with India Today, he revealed that he left Bollywood because of its connection with the underworld.

In the interview, Kamal Haasan explained that another reason for leaving Bollywood was its underworld connections, which he neither wanted to challenge nor give in to. He mentioned that he stayed away from black money, following the example of cameraman Vincent, who also avoided such practices. Kamal and his brother made a conscious decision to follow the same path, proving that success is possible without engaging in corruption.
In the same interview, Kamal Haasan reflected on the times back then, describing himself as the “poorer cousin” of Hindi cinema, where others seemed “rich and spoilt.” He felt that the lack of balance in the industry—either a flood of movies or none for years—hindered character development. This inconsistency was one of the factors behind his decision to leave Bollywood.
Amitabh Bachchan and Kamal Haasan have worked together on multiple projects. During the 1980s, while shooting Khabardar with Sridevi and Jaya Prada, reports suggest Amitabh felt insecure about Kamal stealing the spotlight. Directed by T Rama Rao, Amitabh allegedly left midway, and Kamal was paid half his fee. Later, they collaborated again in Geraftar.