In 1973, Kamal landed his first adult role as Thiagu in the film by K. Balachander, whom the actor considers his mentor. He continued to act in minor roles in several films such as "Sollathaan Ninaikkiren" (1973) and "Naan Avanillai" (1974), most of which were directed by Balachander. His breakthrough as an independent lead actor came with the 1974 Malayalam film "Kanyakumari". His work in it won him the Filmfare Award for Best Actor (Malayalam). Following that, he starred in a series of films in both languagesTamil and Malayalam. His breakthrough in Tamil cinema came with Balachander's "Apoorva Raagangal" (1975); the film earned him a second Filmfare Award, his first in Tamil. Between 1974 and 1978, he won six Filmfare Awards including four consecutive wins for the Best Tamil Actor. Kamal turned producer for "Raja Paarvai" (1981), in which he played the lead role of a blind musician. The film was produced under the "Hasan Brothers" banner which was later renamed Raaj Kamal Films International.