A year after entering the Rajya Sabha, DMK stooge and actor Kamal Haasan has recorded one of the weakest performances among recent members, drawing full taxpayer-funded salaries, allowances and facilities while delivering minimal work in the House.
Official data from the Rajya Sabha website and PRS India show that till 31 July 2026 the 71-year-old had only 51% attendance, took part in a single debate and asked just two questions. He has introduced no Private Member’s Bill.
Critically, he has not attended a single day of the ongoing monsoon session and was absent when the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill — which brings the national song Vande Mataram into its ambit — was passed on 29 July.
Sunday special: 51% attendance, 2 questions, 1 debate. I flag Padma Bhushan Kamal Haasan’s abysmal first-year performance as Member of Parliament. Hasn’t attended a single day of current monsoon session, missed the Vande Mataram Bill passage.
In comparison, first-time DMK and… pic.twitter.com/5fBUzM1d8n— Siddharth Prabhakar (@Sidprabhakar7) August 2, 2026
Instead of being present in Parliament, Haasan has been publicly occupied with Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. The film released in mid-July 2026. On 30 July (Nolan’s birthday) he posted glowing praise on social media, calling it a film that “belongs to the ages” and a “must watch.”
He shared a personal tribute that is now screening in Indian theatres alongside the movie and followed up with further comments on 1 August about how the film “humbled” him and reignited his own directorial ambitions.
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While the monsoon session continues without him, his focus has remained on the cinematic epic.
Session-wise figures show the decline: 80% attendance in the 2025 winter session and 100% in the 2025 monsoon session, falling to 26% in the 2026 Budget session. His only recorded intervention was participation in the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address on 4 February.
The two questions he raised concerned India’s thorium reserves and the transition to E20 fuel. Throughout, he has continued acting and producing films.
The Cost To Taxpayers
Rajya Sabha members receive substantial public resources that continue irrespective of attendance levels:Basic salary: ₹1,24,000 per month for the full term.
Daily allowance: ₹2,500 for every day of actual attendance at sessions or committee meetings.
Constituency and office allowances: Additional monthly funds to run an office and handle public work.
Travel: Free first-class train travel and a set number of domestic flights each year for the member and family.
Housing: Rent-free accommodation (flat or hostel) in New Delhi throughout the term.
Utilities: Free or subsidised electricity and water.
Medical cover: Free treatment for the member and family through central government health facilities.
Even with low attendance the basic pay, housing, travel entitlements, medical cover and office funds remain available. Haasan’s office has not responded to questions about his record or use of these facilities.
Sharp Contrast With Other MPs
Fellow first-time DMK members sworn in on the same day (25 July 2025) have been far more active. Rajathi has participated in 257 debates, maintained 97% attendance and asked 61 questions. SR Sivalingam has asked 50 questions with 53% attendance. Second-term DMK MP P. Wilson has taken part in 856 debates, asked 449 questions, introduced 16 Private Member’s Bills and recorded 96% attendance.
AIADMK MPs from the same period also outperform him: M. Dhanapal (73% attendance, 16 debates, 55 questions) and IS Inbadurai (63% attendance, 8 debates, 68 questions).K. Srinivasan, who runs the Sansad Ratna awards for effective parliamentarians, argues that parties should stop treating Rajya Sabha seats as celebrity rewards. “Getting an MP position through privilege alone is not important. You have to work as well. MPs get several privileges; they can hire research teams. Their interventions on public issues are taken seriously by the government,” he said, pointing to earlier limited engagement by high-profile nominees such as Sachin Tendulkar.
Haasan entered the Upper House with DMK support as president of Makkal Needhi Maiam. The numbers raise a clear question of value for public money: a substantial monthly salary, rent-free housing in the capital, free travel, medical cover and office funds are being provided while the member’s contribution inside the chamber remains minimal and his recent public energy has gone into praising a Hollywood blockbuster rather than attending the monsoon session. Parties, the record suggests, would serve both Parliament and taxpayers better by nominating ground-level workers who treat the seat as a full-time responsibility.
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