At the Lead25 Rotary Leadership Conclave, Rajya Sabha MP and movie icon Kamal Haasan was recognised with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his ‘service to humanity through art’. Kamal Panpaattu Maiyam, the social and cultural foundation led by Haasan, signed an MoU with Rotary to empower youth with leadership and vocational skills, and encourage innovation, entrepreneurship and environmental stewardship.
Haasan thanked Rotary and the audience for their warmth. “My education has been extramural, so I am not used to much formality. But I admire the remarkable service that Rotary, this great international family, is doing.” He drew a parallel between the Rotary Wheel and the Ashoka Chakra. “Rotary’s wheel is not just symbolic; it is a virtuous cycle. Like the wheel of Dharma, it must always keep turning in the right direction, without breaking the axle between virtue and vice.”
Quoting Jawaharlal Nehru’s famous “tryst with destiny” speech, Haasan said, “That midnight of 1947 is long past. Today, in 2025, it is dawn. Our nation is ready to fulfil its destiny.” For him, true progress is not measured by money, but “by how wisely it is invested — in education, service and in building a virtuous cycle of growth.”
He believes that the next revolution for India must be in skill development. “Skilling India is extremely vital, and Rotary is already leading this change,” he noted. He praised the country’s industrial pioneers like G D Birla, J R D Tata, and Ratan Tata for giving back to society, alongside freedom fighters, observing that their legacies endure because of their sense of responsibility.
Cinema had been his tool for social change, he noted. “In every script I write, society, not just one hero, is the protagonist. My fan clubs transform into volunteers for social service. I learnt this from Rotary,” he said, recalling with pride his connection as a Paul Harris Fellow.
“Talent in India is equally distributed. But opportunities are not,” he said. The pact being signed at the conclave was “an effort to balance that equation, to incubate innovation, nurture ethical leaders and create civic solutions. When service-minded people collaborate, the impact multiplies exponentially.”
Turning to the subject of awards, Haasan wryly commented: “I get worried whenever people call something a Lifetime Achievement Award. Does that mean my life is already over? But I see it differently. Life is divided into quarters. This is just my quarterly report. I am in my second quarter, and I hope to come back for another report in the next phase too.”
He recalled a song in one of his films where he was referred as Ulaganayagan (hero of the world), and said that true heroes are not on the screen. “Each of the 40 million people who leave home in search of a livelihood is an ulaganayagan,” he said. He also reflected on being called Vinveli Nayagan (hero of space) in another song, and pointed out to ISRO chairman V Narayanan who was also a speaker at the conclave; “He is the true hero of space, considering the monumental milestones in space explorations that are making our country proud.”
Referring to the logo of his party (Makkal Needhi Maiyam) which depicts six hands holding onto one another, he concluded, “Thank you for reaching out and shaking hands with me. I want more hands to join. No one man can do it alone. It must be together, with people like you.”
In conversation
After his keynote address, Kamal Haasan engaged in a lively Q&A session with RI Director M Muruganandam.
You have reinvented yourself many times in cinema. What is your mantra for staying relevant across the years?
Where do I belong? That is the question I have asked myself throughout my life. To belong, I must prepare, and be worthy. That is what I keep striving for. The true measure of life is in its depth, not its duration. Love, too, is the biggest business in life; it needs no money. It is a barter system where love is exchanged freely.
How do you define leadership?
Leadership is an opportunity, a delegation. People entrust you with responsibility because they believe you deserve it. In Rotary, you can see how even the smallest wheel makes the larger wheel move. A clock cannot show the right time without its tiniest parts. Leadership works in the same way.
How do you deal with stress?
Stress is something that presses you, compresses you, compels you. The way to overcome it is by moving with time, not getting trapped in vested interests. That has been my principle in life and in work. Like the Archimedes principle, it keeps you afloat.
What is your advice for young Indians?
“Young Indians” is a temporary phase. Soon, they will be the elders of this country. I never imagined I would sit on that list myself! So it’s not advice, but perhaps a warning: time moves faster than you think. Prepare for it.
Looking back, is there any decision you would want to change if you could turn the clock around?
That would be regret. If I say, I wish I had done that, it is regret. But if I say, I will do that, it is about the future. What matters can still be achieved with perseverance. As Dr Abdul Kalam said, “A dream is not something that comes when you are asleep. A dream is something that doesn’t let you sleep.”
What still motivates Kamal Haasan every morning?
Every morning I look in the mirror — for not more than 10 seconds. That is the narcissist in me. Then I look into my own eyes and tell myself: Go mind your business. Ideals remain constant. So go execute them. Don’t waste time in the mirror. That is why I prefer the camera; it shows me how others see me. And that keeps me going.