Mohanlal calls Bharathiraja, "a director who found poetry in soil, truth in silence, and soul in every frame"
Chennai, June 10
Actor Mohanlal on Wednesday paid rich tributes to legendary Tamil filmmaker Bharathiraja, calling the late pioneer "a director who found poetry in the soil, truth in silence, and soul in every frame."
Taking to his X timeline to pen his condolences, Mohanlal wrote, "A director who found poetry in the soil, truth in silence, and soul in every frame. Sharing screen space with Bharathiraja Sir in 'Thudarum' was an honour I will cherish forever. Rest in peace, Sir. Your legacy will continue to inspire generations, and your presence will be deeply missed."
Tharun Moorthy, the director of the blockbuster Malayalam film 'Thudarum' too, penned his tribute on social media. Taking to his Instagram page to share pictures of himself with Bharathiraja, he wrote, "Thank you, Master. Memories #Thudarum forever."
Condolence messages are pouring in from across the country, with several stalwarts expressing their grief and sorrow over the demise of the iconic filmmaker.
Megastar Chiranjeevi, in his condolence message, 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."
Chiranjeevi went on to say, "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. Though he is no longer with us, his legacy will live on forever through his remarkable films. Rest in peace, "Iyakkunar Imayam" Bharathiraja garu. My heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and admirers. Om Shanti."
One of Tamil cinema's iconic directors, Bharathiraja, passed away in Chennai in the early hours of Wednesday. He was 84. The veteran director, who is a Padma Shri Awardee and who is considered to be a trendsetter in Tamil and Indian cinema, had been battling health issues for sometime now.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay was among the first to pay homage to the late director at his residence in Neelangarai on Wednesday. Several other celebrities too have expressed grief over the demise of the veteran director, who has won six National Awards, and delivered several films considered to be cult-classics in Tamil.
— IANS
Reader Comments
While I respect Bharathiraja's immense contribution to Indian cinema, I feel we need to also acknowledge that some of his films portrayed women in stereotypical roles. That said, his visual storytelling and bringing rural life to the mainstream was unmatched. A complex legacy, but an important one.
Mohanlal's tribute is beautiful, but let's not forget how Bharathiraja's work transcended language barriers. I'm a Malayali who grew up watching his Tamil films with subtitles—the emotions, the soil, the raw human connections... they spoke a universal language. What a loss for Indian cinema. 😢
The man who made 'Mouna Ragam' and 'Sindhu Bhairavi'—just thinking about those films gives me goosebumps. His collaboration with Ilaiyaraaja was pure magic. Indian cinema has truly lost a giant. Hope the younger generation discovers his work. 🎬
I appreciate the tributes, but I wish more attention was paid to his later works that didn't get the same acclaim. Films like 'Kizhakku Cheemayile' showed his evolution as a filmmaker. We tend to only remember the hits, but Bharathiraja's entire body of work is worth studying.
As someone who studied filmmaking, Bharathiraja's work is a masterclass in visual storytelling. The way he used natural lighting, real locations, and non-actors was revolutionary for Indian cinema. His legacy will continue to inspire filmmakers like
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.