Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan announced on Friday that he will contest the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly polls from the Coimbatore South constituency. The Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) president made the announcement in Chennai, along with releasing the second list of 43 party candidates, reported PTI.

Remembering his late father Sreenivasan, Haasan, said his father’s dream was that he would become an IAS officer and then enter politics. 

“Though I could not realise his dream (of becoming an IAS officer), my party comprises many (former) IAS officers. That is a proud moment for us,” he said on Friday.

Haasan has been in film industry for more than 60 years and in this span, he has played diverse roles. Starting off as a child artiste in the film “Kalathoor Kannamma” (1960), he went on to play the romantic lead in films like ‘Punnagai Mannan’ to ‘Virumandi’.

He has starred in nearly 220 films in other major Indian languages – Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi and is considered one of the most versatile actors of all time.  Those who have worked with him, remember him as someone who gets involved in every aspect of filmmaking- from choreographing to writing to the direction.

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He gave cult classics like Rajapaarvai, Sathya, Apoorva Sahotharargal, Kurudhippunal, Avvai Shanmugi, Hey Ram, Pammal K Sambandam, and Panchathanthiram. His most path breaking role also includes Pushpak / Pushpaka Vimaanam / Pesum Padam (1987). 

He has received the President’s Gold Medal at the age of six for acting in his debut film Kalathur Kannamma. As of 2013, Haasan has won four National Film Awards, two Filmfare Awards, and a record 17 Filmfare Awards South.   He is also the recepient of Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan, the fourth and third highest civilian honors awarded by the Government of India respectively.

He has also been awarded Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by French Government in 2016 for his outstanding contribution to Indian cinema.

Hassan floated his political party three years ago, but chose not to contest the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. 

The party released its first list of 70 candidates for the upcoming Assembly polls on Wednesday.

Polling will take place in a single phase on April 6 and votes will be counted on May 2.