Bharathiraja, the master filmmaker: How the ‘Iyakkunar Imayam’ captured the soul of Tamil Nadu for posterity
Dark clouds have converged over Tamil cinema, but the air holds no petrichor anymore. Tamil cinema on Wednesday (June 10, 2026) lost its revered Iyakkunar
Dark clouds have converged over Tamil cinema, but the air holds no petrichor anymore. Tamil cinema on Wednesday (June 10, 2026) lost its revered Iyakkunar Imayam, as auteur filmmaker Bharathiraja breathed his last in Chennai. He was 84. Widely considered one of the all-time greats of the industry, the director was best known for his nuanced portrayal of life in rural Tamil Nadu. At a time when films were mostly set around urban centres, Bharathiraja ushered in a new era in which frames evoked ‘manvasanai’ (the scent of the soil) in theatre halls. In a career spanning over five decades, the auteur cemented an unshakable legacy as one of the most important Tamil filmmakers of all time — his was a filmmaking voice that not only shook Tamil cinema from the confines of studios, but also made scathing remarks about casteism, gender inequality, female foeticide, urban unemployment, and social norms surrounding gender and age. Here are some of Bharathiraja’s most instrumental Tamil films 16 Vayathinile This is a film that will live in the collective memory of Tamil cinema audiences for posterity. Widely regarded as the film that released Tamil cinema from age-old studio-bound filmmaking sensibilities, 16 Vayathinile signalled the arrival of a new wave of Tamil cinema, one that dared to portray truth with reinforced realism. It tells the story of the trials and tribulations that a 16-year-old named Mayil (played by the ever-radiant Sri Devi) faces in her village. The characters Mayil, Chappani (Kamal Haasan), an outcast who watches over Mayil after her grandmother’s death, and Parattai (Rajinikanth), a village ruffian, continue to be fondly remembered by cinephiles. 16 Vayathinile captured with bewitching clarity the stark reality of life in rural Tamil Nadu. Notably, this was also the film that kick-started Ilaiyaraaja’s long professional association with Bharathiraja; the song ‘Chendoora Poove’ got legendary singer S Janaki a Award for Best Female Playback Singer.
Now here’s a lesser-known trivia about the film: 16 Vayathinile featured one of the first major roles of legendary comedian Goundamani. Nizhalgal Not many films of the 1980s spoke as assuredly about urban employment as Nizhalgal did. A poignant tale about three youths who are caught between aspiration and despair, Nizhalgal transposed to Tamil audiences the crushing weight of unfulfilled dreams in a city that only looks after itself. Many cinephiles believe the film’s story to be loosely inspired by the tale of how Bharathiraja, Ilaiyaraaja and Gangai Amaran made their way to Madras in search of employment, though the similarities stop beyond a point. Ilaiyaraaja’s charbuster album for Nizhalgal singlehandedly bolstered its rightful place in Bharathiraja’s legacy. However, let me leave you with this interesting trivia: it was only a coincidence that Nizhalgal was released alongside yet another affecting study of poverty, youth disillusionment and unemployment — K Balachander’s Varumayin Niram Sivappu Alaigal Oivathillai Long before modern filmmakers delved deep into the social constraints that hinder young love, Bharathiraaja made Alaigal Oivathillai, one of the most powerful films that championed love over hate. Challenging the boundaries of religion and caste, it told the story of how a Hindu Brahmin boy and a Christian girl tackle their inherited social divisions. Starring superb performances by debutants Karthik and Rekha, Alaigal Oivathillai is fondly remembered for many reasons other than its theme, like the lyricism in Bharathiraaja’s rendition of the coastline, the picturisation of the ‘Kadhal Oviyam’ song, and its emotional climax scene. Here’s another trivia: the iconic ‘Putham Pudhu Kaalai’ song — one of the most popular compositions of Ilaiyaraaja — does not actually feature in the film since it was a song composed for a shelved Mahendran-directorial that was thrown into the album of Alaigal Oivathillai Vedham Pudhithu Bharathiraja’s 1987 film Vedham Pudhithu takes off from the spirit of Alaigal Oivathillai.
The BriefWire