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Nassar (Actor) Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 12, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth5 March 1958

Age67 Years

BirthplacePalur, Chengalpattu, Madras State

ProfessionFilm Actor, Director, Producer, Dubbing Artist, Singer, Politician

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseKameela Nassar

FamilyThree sons: Noorul Hassan Faizal, Luthfudeen Baasha, Abi Mehdhi Hassan; Parents: Mehaboob Basha and Mumtaz

Nassar (Actor) Biography

Veteran Indian actor Nassar is a multi‑faceted film personality — actor, director, producer, dubbing artist and singer — whose career spans several Indian‑

Early life and background

Nassar was born Muhammad Hanif on 5 March 1958 in Palur, Chengalpattu, then part of Madras State. Raised in a family that faced financial difficulties, he worked odd jobs early on to support them, including stints at a five‑star hotel and as a security guard. He completed his schooling at St. Joseph’s Higher Secondary School, Chengalpattu, and did his pre‑university studies at Madras Christian College, Chennai. Soon after college he joined the Indian Air Force for a modest monthly stipend before moving toward dramatic arts and film training.

He adopted the screen name Nassar as a tribute to his idol, Egyptian leader Gamal Abdel Nasser. Nassar is fluent in multiple languages, including Tamil, Hindi, Urdu, English, Arabic, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam.

Career

Nassar’s on‑screen career began in the mid‑1980s with roles across South Indian cinemas. His Tamil film debut came in Kalyana Agathigal (1985), and he also appeared in Kannada and Telugu films in the same decade. Recognition grew after his supporting work in acclaimed films; a notable early turning point was his role in Nayakan (1987).

Over the decades he has acted in hundreds of films across Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Hindi, Bengali and English productions. His Tamil film credits include Aavarampoo, Thamizh, Poi Solla Porom, Deiva Thirumagal, Baahubali: The Beginning and Ponniyin Selvan: I. In Telugu cinema he has been seen in titles such as Dharma Kshetram, Moodu Mukkalaata, Nayakudu, N.T.R: Kathanayakudu and Waltair Veerayya. Malayalam and Kannada projects are also part of his body of work, and he has appeared in Hindi films including Chachi 420, Hey Ram, Rowdy Rathore, Ramaiya Vastavaiya and Ram Setu.

Beyond acting, Nassar has directed several Tamil films — among them Avatharam, Devathai, Maayan, Pop Corn and Sun Sun Thatha — and has produced films as well. He has a substantial record as a dubbing artist, lending his voice to films and web series in multiple languages and dubbing international titles; he also recorded Tamil versions of songs for a number of films.

Nassar has worked in television and digital media, appearing in Sun TV serials and in web series such as Victim and Vadhandhi: The Fable of Velonie. He dubbed the South Korean series Squid Games for the Tamil version of a character in 2021 and in 2023 appeared in the SonyLIV Hindi series The Jengaburu Curse. In 2023 he also provided a dubbed voice for a role in Amazon Prime Video’s Hindi series Farzi.

Awards and recognition

Throughout his career Nassar has received several state and industry honours. Tamil Nadu State Film Awards recognized him across multiple years in categories ranging from special prize to best villain and best character artiste. He won a Nandi Award for Best Villain in Telugu cinema and an Ananda Vikatan Cinema Award for Best Comedian. Festival and lifetime achievement honours include a Norway Tamil Film Festival Award and a Magudam Awards Lifetime Achievement Award; he has also received a Behindwoods Gold Medal. In 2022 he was granted a Golden Visa by the UAE government.

Public profile

Nassar has been publicly active beyond films. He served as president of the South Indian Artistes’ Association (Nadigar Sangam) from October 2015. He joined the political party Makkal Needhi Maiam in 2018. He has appeared in television commercials for brands such as Volgatech Water Tank, Agni Steel and Bandwagon and served as a UNICEF ambassador on sanitation issues.

Personal life

Nassar is married to Kameela Nassar, a producer‑turned‑politician. The couple have three sons — Noorul Hassan Faizal, Luthfudeen Baasha and Abi Mehdhi Hassan — and no daughters. His parents are Mehaboob Basha and Mumtaz. He has at least two brothers, including Jawahar, who is also an actor.

He lists reading, travel and writing poetry among his personal interests. Nassar has been involved in arts education through the Centre for Tamil Arts (Adavu), where he has supported training in folk arts, storytelling, research and documentary filmmaking, and he has organised theatre and acting workshops for students.

Latest updates

In recent years Nassar has continued to work across film, television and streaming platforms rather than retire; he publicly rejected reports of retirement and said he intended to act as long as he could. His more recent screen work includes web series roles and dubbing assignments, and he remains active in multiple regional film industries.
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Recent Work

The Jengaburu Curse

SonyLIV Hindi web series appearance (2023)

2023
Farzi (Hindi web series)

Provided dubbed voice for Amol Palekar's role in Amazon Prime Video's series (2023)

2023
Victim

Tamil web series on SonyLIV (2022)

2022
Vadhandhi: The Fable of Velonie

Tamil web series on Amazon Prime Video (2022)

2022
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Career Highlights

  1. Debuted in Tamil cinema with Kalyana Agathigal (1985)
  2. Acted in around 550 Tamil films including Baahubali: The Beginning and Ponniyin Selvan: I
  3. Directed several Tamil films such as Avatharam and Devathai
  4. Served as president of the South Indian Artistes' Association (Nadigar Sangam)
  5. Received multiple Tamil Nadu State Film Awards and a Nandi Award
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Nassar (Actor) born?

5 March 1958

What is Nassar (Actor) known for?

Film Actor, Director, Producer, Dubbing Artist, Singer, Politician

What is Nassar (Actor)’s marital status?

Married

Who is Nassar (Actor) married to?

Kameela Nassar