The record Kamal Haasan held since age 6 has been broken by a 4-year-old: Meet Treesha Thosar, who made Indian cinema history more than 6 decades after Kalathur Kannamma

For most four-year-olds, a big day might mean a birthday party, a school performance or simply staying awake a little later than usual. For Treesha Thosar, it meant walking onto one of India’s biggest film award stages and receiving a National Film Award from President Droupadi Murmu.

The four-year-old Marathi child actor has made history as the youngest recipient of the National Film Award for Best Child Artist, earning the honour for her performance as Chimi, also known as Revati, in Naal 2. She shared the award with Sukriti Veni Bandireddi for Gandhi Tatha Chettu, Kabir Khandare for Gypsy, and her Naal 2 co-stars Shrinivas Pokale and Bhargav Jagtap. The official 71st National Film Awards list confirms the five awardees in the category.

What made Treesha’s achievement even more remarkable was the age at which she entered the record books. At four, she became younger than the previous record holder, legendary actor Kamal Haasan.

Who is Treesha Thosar?

Treesha Vivek Thosar is a Marathi child actor who rose to national attention with Naal 2, directed by Sudhakar Reddy Yakkanti and produced by Nagraj Manjule.

In the film, Treesha plays Chimi, also known as Revati. Her performance is at the heart of a story centred on childhood, family relationships and emotions.

Reports say Treesha was only around three years old when Naal 2 was filmed. Her performance eventually earned her the National Film Award, making her one of the youngest actors in Indian cinema to receive the prestigious honour.

Naal 2 itself had a particularly successful run at the 71st National Film Awards. Apart from the Best Child Artist honour shared by its young cast, the Marathi film was also named Best Children’s Film. The film was directed by Sudhakar Reddy Yakkanti, with Nagraj Manjule associated with its production.

Treesha Thosar breaks Kamal Haasan’s National Award record

The biggest talking point around Treesha’s victory was the record she broke.

Before her, Kamal Haasan was widely recognised as the youngest actor to receive the national honour. He won the President’s Gold Medal for his performance in the 1960 Tamil film Kalathur Kannamma when he was six years old.

The award was given under the then-existing system of the President’s Gold Medal; the acting honour later became part of the National Film Awards system. Kamal’s child-artist recognition nevertheless became an important part of the history of the national film honours.

More than six decades later, Treesha surpassed that mark at the age of four. The significance was not lost on Kamal himself.

Kamal Haasan congratulates Treesha Thosar

After Treesha’s National Award win, Kamal Haasan congratulated the young actor and acknowledged that she had broken his long-standing record.

The veteran actor later spoke to Treesha over a video call, turning what was already an unusual piece of cinema history into an even more memorable moment.

According to India Today, Kamal told Treesha that they were both “children of cinema” during their conversation. He congratulated her on the achievement and encouraged the young actor to continue nurturing her talent.

The interaction was subsequently shared by Raaj Kamal Films International, giving fans a glimpse of the meeting between two actors whose National Award journeys began decades apart.

For Treesha, the call was particularly special because the person congratulating her was the very actor whose record she had just surpassed.

Treesha Thosar at the 71st National Film Awards

Treesha’s appearance at the 71st National Film Awards ceremony quickly became one of the memorable moments of the event.

She attended the ceremony at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi, where President Droupadi Murmu presented the awards. Despite being surrounded by some of the biggest names in Indian cinema, including Shah Rukh Khan, Rani Mukerji and Vikrant Massey, the four-year-old attracted considerable attention when she walked up to receive her honour. Her age made the moment particularly striking.

While other winners had spent years building careers in cinema, Treesha was still only four when she stood on the stage to accept one of the country's most prestigious film honours.

Reports from the ceremony noted the applause she received as she collected the award from the President.

What award did Treesha Thosar win for Naal 2?

Treesha won the Best Child Artist honour at the 71st National Film Awards for her performance in Naal 2.

However, she was not the sole recipient of the award. The category was shared by five young performers: Sukriti Veni Bandireddi for Gandhi Tatha Chettu, Kabir Khandare for Gypsy, and Treesha Thosar, Shrinivas Pokale and Bhargav Jagtap for Naal 2.

The official award citation also lists Naal 2 as the winner of Best Children’s Film, making the recognition particularly significant for the Marathi film and its young cast.

Treesha Thosar’s journey from child actor to record-breaker

Treesha’s achievement is remarkable not simply because she won a National Film Award, but because of how early it arrived in her acting journey.

She was reportedly around three when she performed in Naal 2. By the time the film’s achievement translated into national recognition, she had become a four-year-old record-holder.

Her win also connects two very different generations of Indian cinema.

In 1960, a six-year-old Kamal Haasan received the President’s Gold Medal for Kalathur Kannamma. In 2025, a four-year-old Treesha stood on the National Film Awards stage for her work in Naal 2 and became the youngest recipient of the honour.

And perhaps the most fitting part of the story is that Kamal himself was among the first to celebrate the new record-holder.

For now, Treesha’s National Award story begins with Chimi from Naal 2. But her name has already become part of Indian cinema history, alongside that of the actor whose record she broke at just four years old.


Inputs from TOI