1 min readUpdated: Jun 10, 2026 08:00 AM IST
Veteran Tamil actor-filmmaker Bharathiraja passed away on Monday due to age-related complications. He was 84.
Bharathiraja breathed his last at his residence in Chennai.
Over a career spanning several decades, Bharathiraja, regarded as one of the most influential filmmakers in the history of Tamil cinema, directed several landmark movies, including 16 Vayathinile (1977), Kizhakke Pogum Rail (1978), Sigappu Rojakkal (1978), Nizhalgal (1980), Alaigal Oivathillai (1981), Tik Tik Tik (1981), Oru Kaidhiyin Diary (1985), Mudhal Mariyathai (1985), and Kizhakku Cheemayile (1993). Throughout his illustrious career, Bharathiraja worked with some of Tamil cinema’s biggest stars, including Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, and Sivaji Ganesan.
Bharathiraja’s most recent directorial venture was Meendum Oru Mariyathai, released in 2020.
In recent years, Bharathiraja was also active as an actor, having acted in Aayutha Ezhuthu, Pandianadu, Eeswaran, Thiruchitrambalam and Maharaja. His last screen appearance was in director Tharun Moorthy’s Thudarum (2025), starring Mohanlal and Shobana.
