When Kamal Haasan was shocked to find out Sarika was living alone, facing financial struggle: ‘She found it very insulting’

In a throwback interview, Kamal Haasan spoke about his shock when he found out that Sarika, a beloved star, had walked out of her home and was struggling financially, sarika found his sympathy 'very insulting'.

By: Entertainment Desk

Chennai | Updated: November 10, 2024 05:20 PM IST

3 min read

Sarika and Kamal Haasan married in 1988. (Photo: Indian Express Archives)

Not all child actors become successful when they transition into their adulthood. However, it is beautiful how two of the most notable exceptions to this case — Kamal Haasan and Sarika — found themselves drawn to each other. In an old interview with Simi Garewal, Kamal Haasan and Sarika, opened up about being child actors, understanding emotions too early in their lives, and what independence meant to them.

Talking about her childhood getting chipped away one scene at a time, Sarika said, “For a normal child, losing parents is traumatic, and is an emotion they aren’t quite prepared for. On the other hand, child actors do these scenes when they are 5 or 6, and are rewarded with a biscuit or chocolate for acing it. Of course, you might not understand the gravity of the situation even then, but you have it inside you.” Adding to this stark reality of being a child actor, Kamal Haasan said, “As we grew up in that scenario, both our lives could have gone very wrong.”

Kamal Haasan and Sarika met for the first time during the shooting of the 1984 film, Raaj Tilak, and developed a friendship that turned into a marriage in 1988. Reminiscing about the first time they were getting friendly with each other, Kamal Haasan revealed that he had no idea Sarika had walked out of her home, and was living alone amid a lot of mental and financial struggle. “When I met her, she was a star. Very few people knew where she lived, etc… When I became close to her, I was shocked to see her reality. Of course, I liked her, but there was a sympathy in that admiration,” said a candid Kamal Haasan, soon adding, “She didn’t need that sympathy, and found it very insulting, especially when it came from a friend like me. If we asked her if she needed help, she’d get upset.”

“It was very important to me to hold on to that pride,” said Sarika as Kamal Haasan interjected, “I admired that.”

ALSO READ: Kamal Haasan at 70: Ten filmmakers who best collaborated with the vision of the multi-hyphenate talent

The couple who separated in 2004 have two kids, Shruti Haasan and Akshara Haasan. Sarika won her first National Award for Best Costume Design for her work in Kamal Haasan’s debut Tamil directorial, Hey Ram.

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