I had been observing the decline in his [Bharathiraja’s] health up close for over a year. I couldn’t help but think of the times when he was full of energy and authority. At the same time, it was quite depressing to see him in pain. To watch a man who used to talk in that majestic voice of his, talk with pain...
So, when news of his passing reached me, I wasn’t overcome by sadness; I was more relieved that he was finally free from pain. I felt somewhat at ease, it was as though I was the one who was freed from pain. Ever since it dawned on me that he is no more, the many memories I shared with him have been playing in my mind like a movie, particularly when I am in solitude. Memories that were buried deep, ones I may otherwise never recollect, keep surfacing.
I didn’t enter the cinema industry to become an actor or director. I was a painter, and I wanted to become a banner artist. When I couldn’t sustain in the field, I began to tap into another skill: writing. It was my journey to become a writer that eventually brought me to Bharathiraja sir. While working on sets, I became friends with an art director named Devadas, who had been working in his films. It was Devadas who told Bharathiraja sir about this young boy who paints well and works sincerely. That’s how I met him. He then saw the work I had done, and on the very first meeting, asked me to work under him as an assistant director. My bond with Bharathiraja sir started then. And life gifted me the opportunity to share a personal bond with him over the years.
After inducting me as his assistant, he also promoted me to write dialogues for a few of his films. In fact, after I failed as a director, he gave me a new lease of life as an actor in Pudhu Nellu Pudhu Naathu. It was I who asked him for that opportunity, telling him I needed something to sustain myself financially. And to this day, it is acting that sustains my life. I won’t say he gave me that opportunity because I was a talented actor; he had great affection for me, and was dejected that someone he thought would become a successful filmmaker failed. If I am able to make a living as as actor today, it is because Director understood my situation and helped me. For as long as I am alive, I will be grateful for that.
Ponvannan (right) with Bharathiraja | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Acting in Pudhu Nellu Pudhu Naathu was an interesting experience. As dialogue writer and assistant director, I knew every scene in the script, the kind of performance that was needed in each scene, and so on. I played a domestic helper who was very sincere and loyal to his master. In the story, the master would misbehave with this man’s wife, after which the domestic helper would grab a sickle to kill his master. He would be seething, but at the same time, his loyalty would stop him. In that state of mind, he would drop the sickle to the ground and speak a line. This was the first scene he shot for the character, and what surprised me was that he didn’t explain the performance he wanted from me — something he would do to all new faces when they are about to perform.
In fact, he liked my performance so much that he wanted to shoot more close-ups. That scene gave me a lot of recognition as an actor and was the only time he appreciated me for my acting. I wouldn’t say he corrected me or moulded me as an actor; he would accept my performance or offer a few changes here and there. He trusted me, perhaps because I was already an associate director.
Then came Karuththama. I played a brutish character, who, when angered, would break things and push people around. In one scene, this character is out of jail and attacks his father (Janagaraj) with a chair. We brought an old chair from the town for the shoot, and when I swung it at Janagaraj, it broke into pieces. That scared everyone, including the Director, and created an image in the unit that I was so serious as an actor that I would even break chairs for the part.
In a later scene with Saranya (who is now my wife), my character was supposed to throw a rock at her, and she had to dodge it. We had to time it perfectly since it was all in a single shot. Since I had gained this reputation, everyone was scared that I might actually kill her! So when we finished the shot, they all clapped. I still don’t know whether it was for my performance or because this woman escaped with her life (laughs).
Bharathiraja | Photo Credit: Stills Ravi / The Hindu Archies
Bharathiraja was a wild plant, someone who grew roots by himself to take sustenance and sprout branches. That plant moulded itself, and it wouldn’t let anyone else mould it. He was stubborn, and while he gained a lot due to this quality, he also lost a lot.
However, he kept tabs on his victories and losses and was always of the opinion that he won more than he lost. He was stubborn even when it came to something like choosing a location. We would have come across a beautiful spot that was accessible, but he would pick a different location that was rough or raw. He would opt for the latter, even if it cost a lot to access the spot.
He would chop off a beautiful scene in the editing room if he felt it wasn’t right. We would argue with him, but he would defend himself, stating it was he who shot it in the first place. He was someone who only followed his intuition. Because I understood this very early, it became much easier to travel with him. That, in turn, made him like me more — I became someone who would offer what he had in mind, rather than bringing my own ideas to the mix.
I had one of my most memorable conversations with him while making Nadodi Thendral. We had originally decided to make it a period film. I had even introduced acclaimed Malayalam art director J Krishnamoorthy to Director. I wanted this film to be very artistic, and it had the potential to become a unique film in his career. Imagine Lagaan meeting Madrasapattinam, but in Bharathiraja’s style. Because I was already the writer, I researched many novels to understand the atmosphere, costumes and sets. I worked hard, and we were going full steam ahead. Suddenly, Bharathiraja sir said we should drop all grandeur and just make it a love story.
I was disappointed, and fought with him. Filmmakers like Mani Ratnam, Shankar, RK Selvamani, and Aabavanan were making grand films. I told him, ‘Sir, cinema is taking an all-new dimension. Let me work hard for you and bring in all the technicians needed. Let’s make this as economically as possible.’ I even referenced Shyam Benegal’s films. But the moment the songs came in, he fixated on making it a love story. That’s what the film ended up becoming. To this day, I feel disappointed that we missed out on making what could have become one of the most important films of his career.
Bharathiraja. | Photo Credit: THE HINDU ARCHIVES
Of all the films by Bharathiraja sir, I like Kizhakke Pogum Rail the most. It had the silence that I have often observed in Mahendran sir’s films. After that film, a sense of melodrama gradually seeped into the performances of Bharathiraja sir’s actors. Even 16 Vayathinile had established actors, but Kizhakke Pogum Rail had an all-new cast who delivered subtle performances. He even changed his editing pattern after that film. It was only during Muthal Mariyathai that he revisited that editing pattern, that silence in the frames, and the style of acting.
His face always had a certain rugged expression whenever I met him. I have also seen him laugh a lot, behave playfully. But yesterday, when I saw his mortal remains, there were no expressions on his face. I had never seen him like that. It was like a clean slate. I imagined him calling me, ‘Vaa da Shanmugam’, and subconsciously, I had a whole conversation with him right there.
I told him, ‘You have lived a full life, sir. Go well.” Ours was a bond that had love, anger, happiness, and respect. There were times when I would go for months without speaking to him out of spite. He would then ask someone to call me. He even saw a few marital prospects for me. He liked that I used to read a lot, and I fondly remember how I used to take books from his library. He knew that. One day, when he came home, he looked at my library and said with a childish grin, ‘All these are my books!’
We come across many people in our lives. But not all of them would become as important as our parents or siblings. Bharathiraja sir was an integral part of my life. His memories will stay with me for as long as I live.
(As told to Bhuvanesh Chandar)
Published - June 11, 2026 08:11 pm IST
Source: The Hindu - India News
