TNIE online desk
Veteran filmmaker, screenwriter, and actor P Bharathiraja (84), fondly known as 'Iyakkunar Imayam' in Tamil cinema, passed away on June 10 due to age-related illness in Chennai.
Born as Chinnasamy on 17 July 1941 in Allinagaram in Theni, Bharathiraja shot to fame in his very first directorial venture, '16 Vayathinile' featuring Kamal Hassan, Sridevi, and Rajinikanth.
Over a remarkable career spanning nearly five decades, Bharathiraja effortlessly helmed more than 40 feature films in various genres -- from rural dramas to psychological thrillers.
Bharathiraja won six National Film Awards, four Filmfare Awards (South), and six Tamil Nadu State Film Awards.
His critically acclaimed films include 'Karuthamma', a hard-hitting movie themed on the menace of female infanticide; 'Sigappu Rojakkal, a gritty psychological thriller; 'Alaigal Oivathillai', a romantic picture addressing caste and religious barriers; 'Mudhal Mariyathai', an engaging narrative on platonic love featuring Sivaji Ganesan.
Bharathiraja also won praise for his strong on-screen appearance. He recently appeared in Mohanlal starrer 'Thudarum'. Notably, he also won hearts playing Dhanush's charming grandfather role in the super-hit 'Thiruchitrambalam'.
He even played one of the lead roles in 'Margazhi Thingal' directed by his late son Manoj Bharathiraja.
"My characters were not from an alien world. They were just you and me portraying life’s agonies and ecstasies," Bharathiraja once said. And it was all that made him a towering figure, then, now, and forever!