Tamil filmmaker Bharathiraja died on June 10 at the age of 84, and the film industry mourned his loss. Those who worked with him through his long and illustrious career visited his residence to pay their last respects. Ilaiyaraaja’s brother Gangai Amaran, who’s a musician himself, lashed out at the filmmaker’s family and later shared his sorrow with the press.
Gangai Amaran lashes out at Bharathiraja’s family
In a video posted by The Federal, Gangai can be seen lashing out at Bharathiraja’s family as he stood by his body. As people around him cried, he questioned the family for not looking after him well in his final days. “You all left him alone in the end,” he yelled, even as those around him tried to calm him down. He also claimed that Bharathiraja had died with nobody beside him. Radhika Sarathkumar was also seen asking Gangai to let it go.
Says he cannot explain his sorrow after Bharathiraja’s death
Gangai later spoke to the press and said, “Don’t you realise the grief we are in? Bharathiraja is the one who raised us. If he hadn’t come to Chennai, we wouldn’t be here. Both Ilaiyaraaja and I worked with him, and we all lived by sharing his salary. He fed us, raised us, and made us who we are. He is such a great man. Think of the sorrow when you realise such a man is no longer with us. Can you even imagine? Is it possible to describe?”
Ilaiyaraaja expresses sorrow at filmmaker’s death
Ilaiyaraaja, who also visited Bharathiraja’s home, got emotional when the press asked him for a statement. “What’s there to say? There’s nothing to say. There’s literally nothing to say; we’ve lost the man. This is not the place for an interview,” he said, adding, “I pray to God for his soul to rest in peace. I am always respectful of this country, its people and its artists. The bond I share with you, my audience, is the bond I share with him, too.”
Bharathiraja’s association with Ilaiyaraaja
Bharathiraja has a long association with Ilaiyaraaja and his brothers, dating back to before they became giants of Tamil cinema. Ilaiyaraaja would perform with his brothers, Pavalar Varadarajan, Gangai and Bhaskar at Communist Party stages when Bharathiraja was working as a health inspector.
When the filmmaker ventured into theatre, Ilaiyaraaja joined him to compose the music. They eventually moved to Chennai, and success wasn’t immediate. But they stuck together through theatre and other collaborations.
Later, when he ventured into cinema, Bharathiraja worked with Ilaiyaraaja for 16 Vayathinile, Kizhakke Pogum Rail, Sigappu Rojakkal, Puthiya Vaarpugal, Niram Maratha Pookal, Kotha Jeevithalu, Nizhalgal, and Alaigal Oivathillai, among others.