"Clicking selfies at a funeral home": Radhikaa Sarathkumar calls out paparazzi at Bhagyaraj's final rites
Chennai, June 29
Tamil actor Radikaa Sarathkumar has strongly criticised the conduct of sections of the media and onlookers during the funeral of veteran filmmaker and actor K Bhagyaraj.
Sarathkumar expressed disappointment over what she described as an invasion of privacy at a time of grief.
In a social media post, Radikaa reshared a visual of the crowd gathered to pay their final tributes to the late filmmaker and wrote, "Funeral paparazzi and grief onlookers should be booked! This is so sad!!! Zooming in on tears and clicking selfies at a funeral home!!! Heights."
She also shared a long note to voice her thoughts and wrote, "A shocking goodbye, for his family, friends, associates and fans. A place where all needed to digress and mourn in silence, turned into a circus, for all who came to pay their respects. Where and when do we change or rather changed to this callousness."
Bhagyaraj passed away in Chennai on Saturday after suffering a cardiac arrest. He was 73. He was admitted to Apollo Hospital in Chennai's Greenways area following a cardiopulmonary cardiac arrest.
The mortal remains of the filmmaker were brought to his residence, where family members, friends and members of the film industry gathered to bid him a final farewell.
Actors Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan also arrived to pay their last respects.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay visited Bhagyaraj's residence and paid floral tributes to the late filmmaker. He also met Bhagyaraj's wife, actor Poornima Bhagyaraj, and their son, actor Shanthanu Bhagyaraj, and conveyed his condolences to the grieving family.
Born on January 7, 1953, Krishnaswamy Bhagyaraj was regarded as one of Tamil cinema's most respected filmmakers. He earned the title of the "King of Screenplay" for his unique writing style and storytelling. Over a career spanning several decades, he became known for films based on middle-class life, memorable dialogues and emotional stories.
Bhagyaraj started his career as an assistant director to filmmaker Bharathiraja before becoming one of Tamil cinema's leading writers, directors and actors. He acted in more than 75 films, directed over 25 films and also worked as a producer, novelist and magazine editor. He won the Filmfare Best Actor Award for Mundhanai Mudichu.
— ANI
Reader Comments
While I agree with Radikaa's sentiment, I think we also need to consider that many fans genuinely wanted to pay their last respects. The real issue is the lack of organisation—maybe the family and police should have managed crowd control better. But yes, taking selfies is in bad taste. 😔
Exactly why I've been saying that social media has destroyed basic human decency. A funeral is supposed to be a solemn occasion, not a place to get likes and views. Bhagyaraj sir was a legend—he deserved dignity in his final moments, not cameras poking into his family's tears.
What Radikaa said is absolutely correct, but this isn't new. From Rajinikanth's hospital visits to Sushant's case, we've seen this happen repeatedly. The paparazzi and some fans have no boundaries. We need stricter rules about media conduct during funerals. 🕊️
Radikaa ji is absolutely right. It's heartbreaking to see how insensitive people have become. But honestly, the media is just giving the public what they want—sensationalism sells. We as a society need to reflect on why we consume such content. Rest in peace, Bhagyaraj sir. 🙏
I'm from the US but I've lived in Chennai for a few years now. This kind of behaviour isn't limited to India—it happens everywhere. But what struck me was the number of people treating it like a social event. My deepest condolences to the Bhagyaraj family. Such a loss for Tamil cinema.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.