Veteran Tamil filmmaker Bharathiraja dies in India at 84

Veteran Tamil filmmaker Bharathiraja, a six-time National Award winner credited with pioneering rural storytelling in Tamil cinema, died in Chennai on June 10 after a prolonged illness. He was 84, News.Az reports, citing The Star. Born Chinnasamy Periyamaya Thevar on July 17, 1941, in Theni Allinagaram, then part of the Madurai District in the Madras Presidency, Bharathiraja went on to become one of the most acclaimed and influential directors in the history of Tamil cinema. Throughout his distinguished career, he earned widespread recognition for bringing rural life and culture to the forefront of Indian filmmaking, winning six National Film Awards and leaving a lasting impact on the industry. Bharathiraja is survived by his wife, Chandraleela, whom he married in 1974, and their daughter, Janani. Bharathiraja was born to parents Periyamaya and Karuthammal in Theni Allinagaram. He grew up far from the film industry, but his path into cinema began with work as an assistant director. He started his film career as an assistant to Kannada filmmaker Puttanna Kanagal, and later assisted P. Pullaiah, M. Krishnan Nair, Avinasi Mani and A. Jagannathan. These years of apprenticeship shaped his understanding of storytelling. When he finally made his own film, the result was unlike anything Tamil cinema had seen at the time. Bharathiraja made his directorial debut in 1977 with ’16 Vayathinile’, for which he also wrote the script. The film broke existing conventions and created a new genre of village cinema. It is now regarded as a milestone in the history of Tamil cinema. About the film, Bharathiraja said it was meant to be a black-and-white art film produced with the help of the National Film Development Corporation but turned out to be a commercially successful colour film and a starting point for several important careers. When the old era was dominated by films shot inside studios, Bharathiraja directed village-themed films that inspired Tamil cinema to capture live locations. A wave of village films in Tamil cinema started after ’16 Vayathinile’. He also changed the visual language of Tamil films by depicting male leads simply and without heavy cosmetics, and casting dusky-looking women in lead roles at a time when fair-skinned actresses dominated. After the success of his debut, Bharathiraja demonstrated that he was not limited to one register. His next film ‘Kizhake Pogum Rail’ produced similar results but drew criticism that he was capable of catering only to village audiences. This led him to make ‘Sigappu Rojakkal’, about a psychopathic woman-hater that was entirely westernised in terms of conception and production. He confirmed his versatility with the experimental film ‘Nizhalgal’ in 1980 and the action thriller ‘Tik Tik Tik’ in 1981. His biggest hits in the 1980s were ‘Alaigal Oivathillai’ (1981), ‘Mann Vasanai’ (1983), and ‘Muthal Mariyathai’ (1985), strong love stories set in village backdrops. ‘Muthal Mariyathai’ starred Sivaji Ganesan as a middle-aged village head. ‘Vedham Pudhithu’ dealt with the caste issue in a stronger manner and starred Sathyaraj as Balu Thevar. The film made a revolutionary statement about caste discrimination in Tamil Nadu. The commercial success of ‘Kizhakku Cheemaiyile’ and the awards won by ‘Karuththamma’ stand as testimony to his ability to connect with younger audiences as well. He helmed nearly 40 films over his career, earning the title Iyakkunar Imayam (Pinacle of Directors). As of 2017, Bharathiraja had won six National Film Awards, four Filmfare Awards South, six Tamil Nadu State Film Awards, and a Nandi Award. His National Film Awards came across multiple categories and decades. He won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu for ‘Seethakoka Chilaka’ in 1982, the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil for ‘Mudhal Mariyathai’ in 1986, the National Film Award for Best Film on Other Social Issues for ‘Vedham Pudhithu’ in 1988, the National Film Award for Best Film on Family Welfare for ‘Karuththamma’ in 1995, the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil for ‘Anthimanthaarai’ in 1996, and the National Film Award for Best Screenplay for ‘Kadal Pookal’ in 2001. The government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri in 2004 for his contribution to the film industry. In 2005, he received an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from Sathyabama University.