India's highest paid superstar quit acting at his peak, became makeup artiste, gave up stardom, lived simple life

Acting in films is a rewarding job, particularly once you have made it past all the struggles. Some of the most successful actors in India live rich, lavish lives and are adored by millions of fans. So it would be odd if someone decides to give all that up. And one superstar did, back in the late-80s, even if only briefly.

The superstar who quit acting to become makeup artiste

After debuting as a child artiste in 1960, Kamal Haasan began his journey as a lead star in Tamil cinema in the 70s. By the late-80s, he was the biggest star of Tami cinema alongside Rajinikanth, and a bankable name in Telugu and Hindi films as well. As one of the most popular actors across India, he was widely respected and adored. Yet, in 1988, the actor gave it all up to go to the US and work as a makeup artiste. The reason was that Haasan wanted a break from the frenzied life of a star and also wanted to learn a new skill.

In 1988, he lived in Hollywood, training under American makeup artist Michael Westmore, best known for his work in the Star Trek films. Haasan then worked as a makeup assistant on Rambo III, working with Sylverster Stallone himself. “I was working in the backlot. I made all the bumps on Mr Stallone's face. I was learning makeup then and I was there for a month-and-a-half, learning prosthetic makeup. I wanted to learn the art because nobody wanted to learn that,” the actor recalled in an old interview.

During this time, Kamal Haasan lived in the US away from screaming fans and even his stardom. “ It was such a pleasure because nobody knew me. I stopped at shops, drank cold drinks and I was walking in the street,” the superstar said.

Kamal Haasan’s return to India and superstardom

But by the following year, the actor was back in India and resumed his film career. In the 1990s, he even used the makeup expertise he had learnt in films like Avvai Shanmugi (Chachi 420) and Indian (Hindustani). For Indian, which was released in 1996, Kamal Haasan reportedly charged Rs 1.40 crore, the highest salary for any Indian actor. This is how he became India’s highest paid actor briefly, before the three Khans zoomed ahead a few years later.

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