After a sabbatical, he received his breakthrough with the 1975 drama Apoorva Raagangal, directed by K. Balachander, in which he played a rebellious youth who falls in love with an older woman which earned him his first Filmfare Award.

He earned three National Film Awards for Best Actor for his portrayal of a guileless youth who falls in love with a woman who suffers from retrograde amnesia in Moondram Pirai (1982), an ordinary slum dweller who rises to a position of a highly respected don in Nayakan (1987) and dual roles in Indian (1996).

He further gained immense acclaim for his performances in Sagara Sangamam (1983), Sadma (1983), Saagar (1985), Swathi Muthyam (1986), Pushpaka Vimana (1987), Sathyaa (1988), Apoorva Sagodharargal (1989), Michael Madana Kama Rajan (1990), Gunaa (1991), Thevar Magan (1992), Mahanadhi (1994), Kuruthipunal (1995), Chachi 420 (1997), Hey Ram (2000), Aalavandhan (2001), Anbe Sivam (2003), Virumaandi (2004), Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu (2006), Dasavathaaram (2008), Vishwaroopam (2013), Vikram (2022), Kalki 2898 AD and Indian 2: Zero Tolerance (2024).

[13] Haasan won the Rashtrapati Award (President's gold medal) for his performance in Kalathur Kannamma at age six and starred in five more films as a child.

[24] In 1976, Haasan appeared Balachander's Manmadha Leelai; this was followed by Oru Oodhappu Kan Simittugiradhu (directed by S. P. Muthuraman), which won him his third Filmfare Award.

In 1978 Haasan made his Telugu film debut with a lead role in the cross-cultural romantic Maro Charitra, directed by Balachander.

Haasan made his debut in Hindi cinema with Ek Duuje Ke Liye (1981), the remake of his own acted Telugu-language film Maro Charitra directed by K. Balachander (which earned him his first Filmfare Hindi-language nomination).

[26] After a year of starring in commercial films, Haasan won the first of three National Awards for Best Actor for his portrayal of a schoolteacher caring for an amnesia patient in Balu Mahendra's Moondram Pirai, later reprising his role in the Hindi version, Sadma.

[21] During this period he focused on Bollywood remakes of his Tamil films, including Yeh To Kamaal Ho Gaya and Zara Si Zindagi.

In 1986, Haasan produced the technically brilliant Vikram and collaborated with Kodandarami Reddy for Oka Radha Iddaru Krishnulu and then K. Viswanath in Swathi Muthyam, playing an autistic person who tries to change society and won him his second Nandi Award for Best Actor.

[33] Haasan won successive Best Actor awards for his portrayal of deranged, obsessive protagonists in Gunaa and Thevar Magan (which was remade in Hindi as 1997's Virasat).

A series of films followed: Singaravelan, Maharasan, Kalaignan, Mahanadhi, Nammavar, and Sathi Leelavathi Produced by Haasan, it featured himself alongside Kannada actor Ramesh Aravind and comedian Kovai Sarala.

[36] He chose Shantanu Sheorey to direct the Hindi remake of Avvai Shanmughi, Chachi 420,[37] but after dissatisfaction with five days of shooting Haasan took over as director.

[38][39] In 1997 Haasan began directing an unfinished biopic of Dilip Kumar, Marudhanayagam; a forty five minutes of film and a trailer was shot.

[40] Marudhanayagam was expected to be the biggest, most expensive film in Indian cinematic history and his magnum opus; a number of well-known actors and technicians had been signed, and it was launched at a public ceremony by Queen Elizabeth during her 1997 visit to India.

He directed his second film, Hey Ram,[44] a period drama, told in flashback, with a fact-based plot centering on the partition of India and the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi.

In 2008's Dasavathaaram, he played ten roles; the film was released in a number of languages (including Tamil, Telugu and Hindi) throughout India and overseas.

[59] The film was released in December 2010 to mixed reviews, with Behindwoods calling it "an entertainer, but in parts"[60] and Sify saying it "lacks the punch to captivate the audiences".

[38] He has written many of his films, including Raja Paarvai, Apoorva Sagodharargal, Michael Madana Kama Rajan, Thevar Magan, Mahanadhi, Hey Ram, Aalavandhan, Anbe Sivam, Nala Damayanthi, Virumaandi, Dasavathaaram, Manmadan Ambu and Vishwaroopam.

[81] In his earlier career, he choreographed for MGR in Naan Yen Pirandhen, Sivaji Ganesan in Savaale Samaali and Jayalalithaa in Anbu Thangai[82] In 2010 Haasan said he wanted to do more directing, since young actors wished to work for him.

The album, composed by Ghibran and directed by Haasan, featured Anirudh Ravichander, Yuvan Shankar Raja and a number of other contemporary performers.

[citation needed] Haasan has alluded to his parents in some of his works, notably Unnaipol Oruvan and in the song "Kallai Mattum" in Dasavathaaram.

Charuhasan's daughter Suhasini is also a National Film Award winner married to director (and fellow award-winner) Mani Ratnam, who collaborated with Haasan on 1987's Nayakan.

[129] He was mistaken to be Muslim because of his Arabic-sounding name, most notably when he was denied preclearance to travel to the United States by Customs and Border Protection authorities at Toronto Pearson International Airport in 2002.

In a BBC interview with Karan Thapar, Haasan said that his last name derives from the Sanskrit word hasya, and although the Yaakob Hassan connection was publicised by the media it was only "a story".

[142][143] Haasan, along with his partner Gautami, won ₹ 5 million on Neengalum Vellalam Oru Kodi in March 2013 and donated the prize money to Petral Thaan Pillaya, a nonprofit organization supporting cancer patients.

[152] He unsuccessfully contested the 2021 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election from Coimbatore South and lost to BJP Mahila Morcha President Vanathi Srinivasan by a narrow margin.

Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said the actor was unique, since his films broke regional and language barriers.

[164] He is on the academic advisory council for ISFM (International school of Film+Media),[165] and was the first Indian actor invited aboard an American ship as a special friend of the US.

[192] Haasan has been accused of self-indulgence,[193] and has been criticised for sexually explicit scenes and themes, offending religious sentiments and superficiality on social issues depicted in his films.