CHENNAI: Veteran Tamil filmmaker, actor, and screenwriter K. Bhagyaraj passed away in Chennai on Saturday after suffering a sudden heart attack. He was 73. Bhagyaraj is survived by his wife, noted actor Poornima Bhagyaraj, and their children, actor Shanthanu Bhagyaraj and daughter Saranya Bhagyaraj. The acclaimed multi-hyphenate creator had remained active in public life until recently and had attended actor-politician Khushbu Sundar’s daughter’s wedding in Goa just days before his demise.
Born Krishnaswamy Bhagyaraj in Tamil Nadu’s Erode district, he began his film career as an apprentice and assistant to the acclaimed maestro Bharathiraja before establishing himself as one of Tamil cinema’s most influential writer-directors. He went on to direct and act in numerous films, earning massive commercial and critical recognition for his distinctive blend of humor, domestic emotion, and socially rooted storytelling that defined the golden era of Tamil cinema in the 1980s and 1990s. Over his illustrious career, he helmed more than 25 films and acted in over 75 movies.
Some of his most celebrated works include seminal box-office hits like Mundhanai Mudichu, Andha 7 Naatkal, Chinna Veedu, Sundara Kandam, Enga Chinna Rasa, and Darling Darling Darling, many of which are regarded as everlasting cultural classics. Bhagyaraj also played a key role in scout-launching and introducing legendary female actors such as Urvashi and Kalpana to Tamil cinema. His profound artistic contribution was widely acknowledged by industry peers, with former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and cultural icon M.G. Ramachandran (MGR) reportedly hailing him publicly as his true cinematic heir. He also made a successful mark in Hindi cinema by directing Aakhree Raasta (1986), starring Amitabh Bachchan in a stellar dual role alongside Jaya Prada, Sridevi, and Anupam Kher, showcasing his expansive commercial storytelling ability across national boundaries.
ലഘു വിവരണം
തമിഴിലെ കുപ്രസിദ്ധ സംവിധായകനും നടനും തിരക്കഥാകൃത്തുമായ കെ. ഭാഗ്യരാജ് (73) ചെന്നൈയിൽ ഹൃദയാഘാതത്തെ തുടർന്ന് അന്തരിച്ചു. ഭാര്യ പൂർണിമയും മക്കൾ ശന്തനുവും ശരണ്യയുമടങ്ങുന്നതാണ് കുടുംബം. എൺപതുകളിലും തൊണ്ണൂറുകളിലും തമിഴ് സിനിമയെ ജനപ്രിയമാക്കിയ മുന്താനൈ മുടിച്ച്, അന്ത 7 നാട്കൾ ഉൾപ്പെടെ 25-ലേറെ ചിത്രങ്ങൾ അദ്ദേഹം സംവിധാനം ചെയ്യുകയും 75-ലധികം ചിത്രങ്ങളിൽ അഭിനയിക്കുകയും ചെയ്തു. എംജിആർ തന്റെ സിനിമാ പിൻഗാമിയായി വിശേഷിപ്പിച്ച ഭാഗ്യരാജ്, അമിതാഭ് ബച്ചൻ കേന്ദ്രകഥാപാത്രമായ ‘ആഖരി രാസ്ത’ എന്ന ഹിന്ദി ചിത്രവും ഒരുക്കിയിട്ടുണ്ട്.
(With inputs from TNIE)
For more details: Navamalayalam.com