Legendary Tamil Filmmaker Bharathiraja Passes Away At 84

Bharathiraja, a veteran Tamil movie director considered among the country’s finest, passed away on June 10 in Chennai at the age of 84 after months of age-related illnesses. He is often cited as the person who “took Tamil cinema out of the studios” for creating real-life stories and characters that emerged out of Tamil Nadu’s hinterland.

He hailed from the southern district of Theni; his classics include films such as Sigappu Rojakkal (1978), Kizhakke Pogum Rail (1978), Karuthamma (1994), 16 Vayathinile (1977), Tik Tik Tik (1981) and, most recently, Meendum Oru Mariyathai in 2020. He won the State Award for Best Film Director for his debut film 16 Vayathinile, and he was also the winner of the Padma Shri Award. At the time of his passing, he was also the founder and president of the Tamil Film Active Producers’ Association. 

His collaborations with Maestro Ilaiyaraaja, Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth are said to have changed the course of Tamil cinema, ushering in a new wave in the late 70’s. He has also remade his Tamil films into Hindi and Telugu. He has also directed Tamil television serials and individual segments in anthologies such as Amazon Prime Video’s Modern Love. 

His health is said to have deteriorated after the death of his son, 48-year-old Manoj Bharathiraja, in March last year. He too was an actor-director and has acted in his father’s films such as Taj Mahal (1999). 

Tributes have started to pour in from across industries for the legend. Telugu superstar Chiranjeevi was among the first to post on X. He wrote, “Indian cinema has lost one of its greatest storytellers, #Bharathiraja garu."

"He transformed the fragrance of village soil, the beauty of human relationships, the innocence of love, and the emotions of ordinary people into timeless cinematic poetry. His films touched millions of hearts and inspired generations of filmmakers. A recipient of the prestigious Padma Shri and several National Film Awards, Bharathiraja garu’s contribution to Indian cinema is immeasurable. I was fortunate to work under his direction as Puliraju in ‘Aradhana’. His passion for cinema, simplicity and dedication to his craft left a lasting impression on me,” the Telugu star wrote.   

Actor-filmmaker Prakash Raj, who memorably worked with Bharathiraja in Thiruchitrambalam (2022) in recent years, posted about the legend also.

Actor-politician Khushbu Sundar wrote, "Devastated to know that our most beloved, loved and respected Director, the legendary #Bharathiraaja avl is no longer with us. His demise is a gloomy cloud in tamil cinema. His films have been bench marks and shall continue to be the actual school of film making. He leaves behind a huge legacy for every cinema lover. He always said let’s do a film with me in 2 pigtails. That shall remain an unfulfilled dream. Will miss you a lot Sir."