When Kamal Haasan’s ex-wife Vani Ganapathy called him out for saying alimony left him bankrupt: ‘Why does he behave like a man obsessed..’ | Hindi Movie News
Kamal Haasan, the legendary actor, has wowed us with his incredible performances in films like ‘Chachi 420’, ‘Ek Duuje Ke Liye’, ‘Sadma’, ‘Dashavatar’, ‘Indian’, and ‘Pushpak’. His versatility and charm have kept him in the spotlight for decades. But beyond the silver screen, his personal life has also created a lot of buzz, especially his marriage and bitter breakup with Vani Ganapathy.
A love story that ended in divorce
Kamal and Vani first met through mutual friends and later worked together in the film ‘Melnaattu Marumagal’ in 1975. Vani, a renowned Bharatanatyam dancer, wasn’t comfortable with a live-in relationship, so they tied the knot in 1978. Their marriage lasted over a decade before they parted ways in 1988. Years after their divorce, Kamal shocked many by claiming that the alimony he paid to Vani had left him nearly bankrupt. His words did not sit well with Vani, who had stayed silent about their separation for years. But this time, she decided to speak up.“Why does he behave like a man obsessed?”
In a 2015 interview with Deccan Chronicle, Vani strongly denied Kamal’s bankruptcy claims. She stated that she had never spoken about their failed marriage because she considered it a private matter. However, she found his accusations absurd and felt the need to respond, “For 28 years we have been divorced, I have always refrained from mudslinging because it’s a very private affair… but we have both moved on now. Why does he behave like a man obsessed?”
“He even refused to give me used appliances!”
Vani was upset that people assumed her wealth came from alimony. She clarified that she built her success through her own hard work. Though she admitted alimony was part of the settlement, she refused to discuss the details, saying, “He even refused to give me used appliances from the flat we shared. What could I expect from a man like that?”
Kamal had claimed that paying alimony had drained him financially, but Vani was quick to call this out as an exaggeration. According to her, no legal system in the world would allow alimony to bankrupt someone. She believed that his wounded ego was the real reason behind his statement, “In what court in the world has alimony been allowed to drive someone to bankruptcy? I was completely shocked when I read it. His ego must have been hurt when I walked out of the marriage, but so much has happened since. He could have said financial crisis and let the subject pass.”
“Kamal knows how to fake a smile”
Being married to Kamal for 12 years, Vani revealed how he could dodge uncomfortable situations and use his charm to avoid tough questions, “He doesn’t answer a question if he doesn’t want to. Kamal knows better than anyone how to fake a smile and charm his way out of a situation.”
After splitting from Vani, Kamal got into a relationship with actress Sarika. Together, they had two daughters, Shruti and Akshara Haasan, who are now actresses. His relationship with Sarika eventually ended, and later, he was in a long-term live-in relationship with actress Gauthami, which also ended after a few years.
