Legendary Tamil filmmaker and actor K Bhagyaraj, known for his subtle humour and witty dialogues, well connecting with the audience, died on Saturday following a cardiac arrest, a source in the hospital where he was admitted said.He was 73.
His roles, mostly drawn from the middle class, held a charm as his exquisite screenplay combined with his on-screen persona. In a career spanning over five decades, Bhagyaraj gave numerous hits, and some of his celebrated directorial and action works include – Andha 7 naatkal, Mundhanai Mudichu, Chinna Veedu, and Enga Chinna Rasa.
He is survived by his former actress wife Poornima, and their children, actor Shanthanu and Saranya. Apart from his film career, Bhagyaraj has been the editor of the Tamil weekly magazine Bhagya, and he has authored several novels.
His demise marks the end of an era in Tamil cinema, especially his exceptional storytelling and screenplay abilities. (PTI)
Born as Krishnaswamy Bhagyaraj in Tamil Nadu’s Erode district, he commenced his career as an assistant to legendary filmmaker Bharathiraja (who died recently) and later emerged as a successful director with films such as Suvarilladha Chiththirangal, Darling Darling Darling and Idhu Namma Aalu. He acted in over 75 films, apart from directing about 25 films.
Expressing shocked anguish over the death of Bhagyaraj, AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami described him as a multi-talented film director, screenwriter, actor and music composer.
“Bhagyaraj was a great admirer of M G Ramachandran (AIADMK founder and former Chief Minister). He adapted the scenes from the late leader’s unfinished film ‘Anna Nee En Deivam’ (in 1977) and made a new screenplay based on it, making it a successful film called ‘Avasara Police 100’ (in1990),” Palaniswami said in a statement posted on ‘X’.