Shruti Haasan reveals she pretended to be someone else to avoid father Kamal Haasan’s fame, says, ‘I wanted my own identity’

Actress Shruti Haasan, daughter of legendary actor Kamal Haasan, recently spoke about her childhood struggles with establishing her own identity while growing up in the shadow of her father’s immense fame.  In a candid interview, Shruti revealed that she even resorted to fabricating a new identity to escape the constant comparisons and expectations associated with being Kamal’s daughter.

“People would constantly ask me about him, it was like all the time. I would feel like, I am Shruti, I want my own identity,” she shared.  “People would point at me and say, “Hey, that’s Kamal's daughter.’ If anyone asked me, I would say, ‘No, my father is Dr Ramachandran,’ it was our dentist’s name. ‘And I am Pooja Ramachandran’, a name I made up.”

Shruti acknowledged the uniqueness of her father, stating, “It’s not just that my dad is an actor or a famous person, I knew from childhood that he was different from anyone I met.”

She also described the challenges of growing up in Chennai, where her father’s posters were ubiquitous, making it difficult to escape his towering presence. “I was brought up by two stubborn people and that rubbed off on me and my sister. I moved to Bombay when they separated. I never enjoyed being Shruti here (in Chennai). It’s difficult to separate from his fame when there are appa’s posters all over the place,” she explained. 

However, Shruti’s perspective has evolved over time.  “Today, I don’t even want to imagine Shruti without Kamal Haasan,” she admitted.

Shruti, who made her acting debut in 2009 with the Hindi film Luck, has carved her own path in the entertainment industry.  She has appeared in numerous successful films across various languages, showcasing her talent and versatility.  

She was last seen in Prashanth Neel’s Salaar Part 1 - Ceasefire and is set to appear in its sequel, Salaar Part 2 – Shouryaanga Parvam, and Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Coolie.  Kamal has several projects lined up, including Mani Ratnam’s Thug Life, Shankar’s Indian 3, and an untitled film that is yet to be announced.