New Delhi (PTI): The 'Al Pacino' of Indian cinema, Kamala Hasan, who is awaiting the release of his much touted Tamil film, 'Dasavataram', turns 53 on Wednesday.

The four-time National Film Award winner had no public events and preferred to keep his birthday low-profile, said a source close to the actor. "He has flown out of station," the source adds.

In his film career spanning 38 years, Kamal, a big name in the south, has attained stature even in the Hindi film industry and is known for approaching every role with equanimity irrespective of the language of the film.

Whether it is the simple village lad 'Chappani' in Bharathirajaa's 'Pathinaru Vayathinile'(16 years), with pan-greased teeth and undone hair, or the psychopath killer in 'Alavandan' or the quadruplets in 'Michael Madanakama Rajan,' Kamal has been game for experimenting.

Starting his career under celebrated director K Balachander, who carved out some of the most experimental movies in Kollywood, Kamal has come a long way, from being a chocolate boy, to a man whose second name is experiment.

So, it is no exception that now in his much-hyped 'Dasavatharam', he is not only playing ten different roles, but has also dubbed for them in ten different dictions and voices.

Kamal is one of the few actors who did not confine himself to just commercial cinema. His 'Salangai Oli,' a tribute to traditional dance, or 'Thvar Magan', one which portrayed the bloody rivalry among families in rural Tamil Nadu, are a few examples.

From portraying a candy floss romantic hero running around trees in films like 'Ek Duje Ke liye' and 'Sanam Tere Kasam' to delving into the dark side of the human psyche in 'Abhay', or flaunting a saree in 'Chachi 420', he has portrayed every role with equal elan, brilliance and poise and his excellence in role play never fails to leave a mark in audiences' minds.

As a director, his innovative, back and forth narrative style in 'Virumaandi' won accolades from various quarters for the script. Even his role in 'Apoorva Sagot Arargal', where he played a short clown remains his biggest secret till date as nobody knows how he did it.

If superstar Rajnikanth enjoyed his share of international popularity by starring in the Indo-US venture 'Bloodstone', Kamal won hearts with his 'Pushpak', a film sans dialogue, where he portrayed the pain of poverty and the effect of gaining sudden wealth.

A leftist-inclined Kamal also gave screen life to his ideals, in the Sundar C directed 'Anbe Sivam'. A trade unionist, and a painter by profession, the actor sported a scarred face, limped through most of the film, and finally succeeded in winning the hearts of his antagonisers as well as his fans.

Known for his comic timing, the universal hero has tickled many a rib in his comedies such as 'Michael Madana Kama Rajan', 'Pammal K Sambandam', 'Vasool Raja MBBS' and a few other movies which gave ample proof that he could also handle comedy with ease, one quality that he shares with Rajnikanth.