K. Bhagyaraj, prominent actor and director, passes away
Actor, director, writer, and screenwriter K. Bhagyaraj, whose mastery of screenplays was widely acknowledged and who was known for creating a storytelling formula that influenced
Actor, director, writer, and screenwriter K. Bhagyaraj, whose mastery of screenplays was widely acknowledged and who was known for creating a storytelling formula that influenced generations of filmmakers, died on Saturday (June 27, 2026). Sources said he suffered a massive heart attack and was rushed to Apollo Hospital. Efforts were made to resuscitate him, but they proved futile.
The 73-year-old actor is survived by his wife, Poornima Bhagyaraj, and their children, actor Shanthanu and Saranya Bhagyaraj. Bhagyaraj directed, produced, and starred in numerous hit films, celebrated for their engaging storylines, memorable songs, and relatable characters. Mounageethangal, Antha Ezhu Naatkal, and Munthanai Mudichu are some films being studied even today. Nearly every film by Mr. Bhagyaraj spoke strongly about an idea that found an echo in Tamil society.
He began his film career as an assistant director to veteran Tamil filmmaker Bharathiraja, who passed away earlier this month, on the 1977 film 16 Vayathinile. Mr. Bhagyaraj forever changed the perception of the Tamil film hero by proving that wit, intelligence, and ordinariness could be as compelling as physical prowess. He uniquely combined the qualities of a hero and a comedian, making his bespectacled appearances as a lead both entertaining and deeply human.
His idea of a hero was not even the ‘man next door’, but one among the many on the streets.
The BriefWire