The death of veteran director Bharathiraja has left the Tamil film fraternity in deep grief. The iconic director died on June 10 at the age of 84, and fans and celebrities have shared many tributes with him.Many members of the industry visited his residence to pay their last respects. Among them were the legendary composer Ilaiyaraaja and his brother, musician and director Gangai Amaran.
Gangay Amaran’s emotional reaction
During his visit to Bharathiraja’s residence, Gangai Amaran’s grief was palpable. A video clip that appeared on the Internet showed him expressing his suffering near the remains of the late director.According to Money Watch reports, Bharathiraja’s family members were questioned about the director’s final days.
“You left him alone in the end,” he reportedly said. He also claimed that the veteran director died and no one was by his side. Actress Radhika Sarathkumar was also seen asking him to leave the matter aside.Later, while talking to the media, Gangai Amaran spoke about the importance of Bharathiraja in his life and career. He spoke of the close bond that Bharathiraja, Ilaiyaraja and himself shared during their early years.
As quoted by the Hindustan Times, he said: “Don’t you realize the sadness we are experiencing? Bharathiraja is the one who raised us. If he had not come to Chennai, we would not be here. Ilaiyaraja and I worked with him, and we all lived by sharing his salary. He fed us, raised us, made us what we are. He is a great man. Think of the sadness when you realize that such a man is no longer with us. Can you even imagine? ‘Is it possible to describe?’
Ilaiyaraaja struggles to put the loss into words
Ilaiyaraaja also paid his respects at Bharathiraja’s residence.
However, when contacted by journalists for comment, the composer found it difficult to talk about the loss. He said: “What is there to say? There is nothing to say. There is literally nothing to say; we have lost the man. This is not the place for an interview.”He added: “I pray that his soul rests in peace. I always respect this country, its people and its artists. The bond I share with you, my fans, is the bond I share with them as well.”
Radha Ravi remembers Bharathiraja’s personal struggles
Actress Radha Ravi recently spoke about the personal difficulties Bharathiraja faced in recent years. During an interaction with Filmibeat, he recalled the emotional impact of losing his son Manoj.According to Radha Ravi, the tragedy changed Bharathiraja greatly and left a lasting impact on him. “After Manoj’s death, Bharathiraja was never the same. He struggled to come out of that pain. Losing his son at such a young age affected him deeply,” he said.He added: “He felt sad when he thought about Manoj’s wife and children. This thought stayed with him and caused him a lot of psychological stress.”
