Nassar

This article is about the Tamil actor Nassar. For the former Egyptian president, see Gamal Abdel Nasser. For the former CEO of Ford Motor Company, see Jacques Nasser.

Nassar
Nassar in 2010
Born	(1958-03-05) 5 March 1958 Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu, India
Residence	Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Occupation	Film actor, producer, director
Years active	1985–present
Spouse(s)	Kameela
Children	3

Nassar (also spelled Nasser, Naasar) is an Indian film actor, director and producer, who mainly works in the South Indian film industry. He is the incumbent president of the Nadigar Sangam.

Early life and education

Nassar was born on 5 March 1958 to Mehaboob Basha and Mumtaz in Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu. He studied in St. Joseph's Higher Secondary School (Chengalpattu). He moved to Chennai (then Madras) 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. He trained in two acting schools: the South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce's Film Institute and the Tamil Nadu Institute for Film and Television Technology.

Career

See also: Nassar filmography

Nassar made his acting debut in K. Balachander'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. He played the protagonist in Yuhi Sethu's Kavithai Paada Neramillai, though his breakthrough role came through his performance as a police officer in Mani Ratnam's Nayakan. He subsequently became a regular in Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan's ventures, appearing in pivotal character roles in Roja, Thevar Magan (1992), Bombay (1994) and Kuruthipunal (1995).

Nassar made his directorial debut with Avatharam (1995), a film based on the backdrop of a folk art troupe. Starring Revathi 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 (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's Lagaan (2001). He subsequently continued to work in films in the late 1990s, portraying a blind musician in Rajiv Menon's Minsara Kanavu (1997), a political leader in Mani Ratnam's Iruvar (1997) and a pair of separated twins in S. Shankar's Jeans (1998). He played the role of Ashwin Rao, Chief of the R &AW in the film D Day (2013).

Personal life

Nassar is married to 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, 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 Baasha, made his acting debut in A. L. Vijay's Saivam (2014) portraying the grandson of the character played by Nassar. Their third son Abi Mehdhi Hassan featured in Nassar's independent film Sun Sun Thatha (2012).

External links

• Nassar at the Internet Movie Database