In pictures: Director Bharathiraja, a transformative force of Tamil cinema

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Tamil cinema on Wednesday (June 10, 2026) lost its revered ‘Iyakkunar Imayam’, as auteur filmmaker Bharathiraja breathed his last at a private hospital in Chennai. He was 84.

Tamil cinema lost one of its greatest auteurs. Ailing at 84, and being heartbroken after losing his son Manoj last year, the director, who launched a multitude of actors and directors, was in his twilight.

In a career spanning over five decades, the auteur cemented an unshakable legacy as one of the most important Tamil filmmakers of all time.

Like the title of one of his hits, "Mann Vasanai", Bharathiraja’s films evoked the smell of the soil. A 1980 file picture of Bharathiraja. (Photo published in 'The Hindu' dated November 16, 1980.)

“En iniya Thamizh makkale [My dear Tamil people],” the prefatory line marinated in love and warmth, has now become part of the mists of time. Legendary director Bharathiraja would utter these words as a preamble just before his celluloid offerings commenced.

'16 Vayathinile' signalled the arrival of a new wave in Tamil cinema, one that dared to portray truth with reinforced realism. Bharathiraja with the '16 Vayathinile' team. Also seen are Sridevi, S.A. Rajkannu, P.S. Nivas (cameraman), and K. Bhagyaraj (Assistant Director).

The Rajinikanth-Kamal Haasan duopoly may have its roots in the K. Balachander school, but it was Bharathiraja who offered them the road not taken through his stellar '16 Vayadhinile', also starring a wonderful Sridevi. The 1977 hit, steeped equally in the innocence and misogyny typical of a village, was the stuff of legend, and it yanked Tamil cinema from the stuffy confines of studios, and made outdoor shooting the preferred norm.

Widely considered one of the all-time greats of the industry, the legendary director was best known for his nuanced portrayal of life in rural Tamil Nadu.

Director Bharathiraja receiving the National award for "Karuthamma" from Majrooh Sultanpuri. A towering personality in the film industry, fondly known as Iyakkunar I