Nassar is a South Indian actor, and director and also is well-known as a producer, dubbing artist, singer, and politician. He was born on 5th March 1958 in Palur, Chengalpattu, Madras State, India. He is known for Master (2021), Ponniyin Selvan: I (2022), The Jengaburu Curse (2023), Miss Shetty Mr Polishetty (2023), Gaandeevadhari Arjuna (2023), Rudhran (2023), Rama Banam (2023), Ponniyin Selvan 2 (2023), Narakasura (2023), Gangs Of Godavari (2024) and Captain Miller (2024). Apart, Nassar also will be a part of the new upcoming Indian Tv series Killer Soup (2024).
Nassar made his acting debut in K. Balachander’s Kalyana Agathigal (1985) portraying a secondary supporting role, before moving on to play villainous roles in S. P. Muthuraman’s Velaikaran (1987) and Vanna Kanavugal (1987). He played the protagonist in Yuhi Sethu’s Kavithai Paada Neramillai (1987), though his breakthrough role came through his performance as a police officer in Mani Ratnam’s Nayakan (1987). He subsequently became a regular in Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan’s ventures, appearing in pivotal character roles in Roja (1992), Thevar Magan (1992), Ghazal(1993), “Bombay (1995), Kuruthipunal (1995) and Iruvar (1997).
Nassar made his directorial debut with Avatharam (1995), a film based on the backdrop of a folk art troupe. Starring Revathi as his co-star, He stated that the idea had come to him as a result of his childhood memories of watching theru koothu being performed on the streets alongside his father. The film won critical acclaim but failed to become a commercially successful venture. Soon afterward, he made Devathai (1997), stating he remembered a story he had first heard as a child, which became the “creative seed for this film” about reincarnation.
He stated that his immediate busy schedule had subsequently cost him a role in Aamir Khan’s Lagaan (2001). He subsequently continued to work in films in the late 1990s, portraying a blind musician in Rajiv Menon’s Minsara Kanavu (1997), a political leader in Mani Ratnam’s Iruvar (1997), and the father of a pair of separated twins in S. Shankar’s Jeans (1998).
Some of the films that he has acted in Telugu include Chanti (1992), Seshu (2002), Bhageeratha (2005), Athadu (2005), Pokiri (2006), Golimaar (2010), Shakthi (2011), Dookudu (2011), Businessman (2012) and among others.
Besides South Indian language films, he has acted in Hindi language films like Chachi 420 (1997), Phir Milenge (2004), Nishabd (2007), Rowdy Rathore (2012), Saala Khadoos (2016), and Serious Men (2020) among others. He played Bijjaladeva, a pivotal role in the films Baahubali: The Beginning (2015) and Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017).
Nassar is married to producer-turned-politician Kameela and they have three sons. The eldest, Abdul Asan Faizal, and the second son, Luthfudeen, made his acting debut in A. L. Vijay’s Saivam (2014) portraying the grandson of the character played by Nassar.
Their third son Abi Hassan is also an actor and featured in Nassar’s Sun Sun Thatha (2012) well as Rajesh Selva’s 2019 action thriller Kadaram Kondan.
