Legendary Tamil actor-filmmaker Bhagyaraj dies at 73

• Legendary Tamil filmmaker and actor K. Bhagyaraj passed away on June 27. He was 73.

• He acted in over 75 films, apart from directing about 25 films.

• In a career spanning over five decades, Bhagyaraj gave numerous hits, and some of his celebrated directorial works include — ‘Andha 7 Naatkal’, ‘Mundhanai Mudichu’, ‘Chinna Veedu’, and ‘Enga Chinna Rasa’.

• His roles, mostly drawn from the middle class, held a charm as his exquisite screenplay combined with his on-screen persona. 

• He broke away from the typical heroic image of cinema stars and instead portrayed everyday characters that audiences could easily relate to.

• Born on January 7, 1953, in Erode, Tamil Nadu, he married actor Poornima Jayaram, and their children, Shanthnu and Saranya Bhagyaraj, also entered the film industry.

• 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.

• He made his directorial debut with Suvarilladha Chithirangal (1979).

• His other notable films include ‘Darling Darling Darling’, ‘Idhu Namma Aalu’ and ‘Oru Kaidhiyin Diary’.

• Apart from his film career, Bhagyaraj has been the editor of the Tamil weekly magazine ‘Bhagya’, and he has written several novels.

• His demise marks the end of an era in Tamil cinema, especially his exceptional storytelling and screenplay abilities.