Before Rajinikanth was a superstar and Revathi was a name, Bharathiraja saw them. He had a gift not just for stories but for people. Tamil cinema’s family tree has his name at almost every root.
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Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay visited the residence of legendary Tamil film director Bharathiraja in Neelangarai, Chennai, on Wednesday morning to pay his last respects. The Chief Minister arrived at the director’s residence and paid homage after Bharathiraja passed away in the early hours of Wednesday.
Chief Minister Vijay announced that the state government will bestow State honours at the funeral of Bharathiraja. This decision followed a request from the Tamil Film Active Producers Association (TFAPA), which advocated for recognition of Bharathiraja’s contributions to cinema during his last rites.
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Bharathiraja, born on July 17, 1941, passed away on June 10, 2026. He had been admitted to the Intensive Care Unit at MGM Hospital about six months ago after suffering from age-related ailments and a severe lung infection. After recovering, doctors advised him to take rest at home. Bharathiraja had also been deeply affected since March 2024, when his son Manoj died of a cardiac arrest at the age of 48.
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Bharathiraja was an Indian film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor who worked mainly in the Tamil film industry. He made his directorial debut in 1977 with ’16 Vayathinile’. He was born Chinnasamy to Periya Mayathevar and Meenakshi Ammal alias Karuthammal in Alli Nagaram in Theni district.
The film ’16 Vayathinile’ marked a turning point in Tamil cinema. Its rural setting, naturalistic performances, and emotional honesty stood apart from many mainstream productions of the time. The film featured Kamal Haasan, Rajinikanth, and Sridevi in the lead roles. Bharathiraja won the Tamil Nadu government’s state award for best direction for that very first film.
The filmmaker directed more than 40 films during a career spanning five decades. Through his movies, he highlighted social issues while blending them with commercial storytelling. His filmography includes ‘Kizhakke Pogum Rail’, ‘Sigappu Rojakkal’, ‘Nizhalgal’, ‘Alaigal Oivathillai’, ‘Mudhal Mariyathai’, and ‘Kizhakku Cheemaiyile’.
His final directorial work came in 2023 with a segment in Amazon Prime Video’s anthology series ‘Modern Love Chennai’.
Bharathiraja won six National Film Awards, four Filmfare Awards South, six Tamil Nadu State Film Awards, and a Nandi Award. The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri award in 2004 for his contribution to the film industry. He was widely popular by the title Iyakkunar Imayam, meaning the Himalaya of directors.
The demise of Bharathiraja plunged the Tamil film industry into gloom, with several film stars, directors, and industry professionals expressing grief and shock.
Actress Revathi, who was introduced to Tamil cinema by Bharathiraja, wrote on Instagram: “RIP Bharathiraja Sir, the reason that I am here as an Actor and did the films I did.”
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Actor Shanthanu paid tribute on social media, calling him “the legend who put Tamil soil on the silver screen forever.”
Music director G.V. Prakash Kumar described Bharathiraja as “the stalwart who changed cinema and inspired so many filmmakers.”
Actor Sibi Sathyaraj wrote on X that Bharathiraja brought the soul of rural Tamil Nadu to the screen and changed the course of Tamil cinema forever, calling it a monumental loss to cinema.
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