Veteran film maker Bharathiraja credited for transforming the Tamil cinema bid adieu to the world at the age of 85 due to illness in Chennai.
Condolences poured in from across the film industry while actors and fellow colleagues paid tributes to his legacy and influence.
The Tamil Film Producers Council confirmed the news of Bharathiraja’s death. A statement read, “We regret to inform you that the legendary director Mr. Bharathiraja, a former president and one of the senior members of our association, died early this morning.”
Actor-politician Khushbu Sundar also extended condolences and mourned his demise.
Bharatiraja began his showbiz career as an assistant to an assistant to Kannada filmmaker Puttanna Kanagal. Later, he assisted P Pullaiah, M Krishnan Nair, Avinasi Mani and A Jagannathan. 16 Vayathinile was his debut as an independent filmmaker in 1977. Popularly known as Iyakkunar Imayam, Bharathiraja had won six National Film Awards, four Filmfare Awards South, six Tamil Nadu State Film Awards and a Nandi Award. He was awarded Padma Shri in the year 2004 for his contribution to the film industry.
Known for shifting Tamil cinema from studio-based film making to rural real life landscapes, Bharathiraja has transformed the cinema experience not only in Tamil industry but also Indian cinemas.
Amongst the new face he launched include Karthik, Radha, Revathi, Radhika, and Vijayashanti. He also gave chance to several prominent supporting stars like Napolean, Janagraj, Chandrasekhar & others.
Bharathiraja shared a close association with composer Ilaiyaraaja and his brother Gangai Amaran even before they had made their mark in the film world. While serving as a health inspector and participating in measles prevention campaigns, he developed a close friendship with Ilaiyaraaja and his brothers. Together, they had produced stage dramas. Hailing from the present day Theni district, in south Tamil Nadu, Bharathiraja (whose original name was Chinnasami) lived with the brothers in Chennai, all of them taking up odd jobs during their early years. He initially joined the Army but convinced the authorities to release him from service.