Bharathiraja: The Man Who Brought Tamil Villages To Life On Screen

On June 10, the world woke up to the news of the death of legendary director Bharathiraja at the age of 84.

The Tamil film legacy he leaves behind is sans pareil as he changed the language of Tamil cinema and transformed the way in which stories were told on the big screen.

The history of Tamil cinema can be clearly divided into the pre-Bharathiraja and post-Bharathiraja era, and the Tamil film industry and film aficionados reaffirm that he redefined genres and cultures in his 40 plus films.

The beauty of villages

Before Bharathiraja made his debut in Tamil cinema in 1977, Tamil movies were mostly filmed on sets and villages were mere props on screen. With his debut film 16 Vayathinile, the six-time National Award-winning director stunned the audience by beautifully capturing the beauty of rustic Tamil Nadu, the lives of villagers and their relationships. Chappani (Kamal Haasan), the vulnerable, limping innocent man; Parattai (Rajinikanth), the sophisticated outsider; and Mayil (Sridevi), the naive village belle, are characters that became timeless. Films like Kizhakke Pogum Rail, Puthiya Vaarpugal, Alaigal Oivathillai and Mann Vasanai followed, among others. He even highlighted social evils in his films like Karuthamma (female infanticide) which prompted the state government to enact various laws.

Thanks to him, the villages and their natural environs (like the smell of wet earth in Mann Vasanai) became living breathing entities that flourished on screen and their joys, sorrows, conflicts and social rituals were captured descriptively in Bharathiraja's films. The Thiruchitrambalam actor went on to focus more on villages and being born in the small town of Theni Allinagaram himself, his innate understanding of the pulse, politics, prejudices and problems of villagers was unparalleled.

Bharathiraja's love for the elements of nature like rain, the greenery, the fields, the small houses, the rivers, the wind, the dust sunsets and sunrise, and so on, changed storytelling in Tamil cinema as well. For him, nature wasn't a backdrop to a scene but integral to the scene and story. He used elements of nature to highlight emotions and add depth to his rural stories, something that had never been done before. Technically, the colour palettes and settings in his films revolutionized the way in which films had been shot as well.

If one talks about Bharathiraja's films, one has to talk about music director Isaignani Ilaiyaraaja's music. The two legends of Tamil cinema collaborated on many films and Ilaiyaraaja's music brought life to the vivid canvas that the director painted. The BGM and songs composed by Ilaiyaraaja for the director's films became the heartbeat of his films and the songs even now evoke strong emotions in the listener. Numbers like Poongatru Thirumbuma (Mudhal Mariyadhai), Aayiram Malargale (16 Vayathinile), Kodiyile Malliyapoo (Kadalora Kavithaigal), Aanandha Raagam (Alaigal Oivathillai), and Poovarasampoo Poothachu (Kizhakke Pogum Rail), among others are evergreen and showcase how rural motifs were also captured in the lyrics.

The forbidden love

What was perhaps the biggest strength of the Vedham Pudhithu director was his authenticity and ability to take the lives of ordinary people like school teachers, workers and young women, and give them dignity through his compelling narratives that highlighted caste, religion and social issues. Love was a central theme in many of his movies and in each story, they took a different shape and form – if in the masterpiece Mudhal Mariyadhai he speaks about the forbidden love between a married village headman and a lower-caste boat woman, in Kadalora Kavithaigal, it's about a man who has served time understanding love and falling for a schoolteacher. Alaigal Oivathillai is about Hindu boy who falls in love with a Christian girl and the conflicts that arise, while Vedham Pudhithu is about a Thevar boy falling in love with a Brahmin girl.

Love in his movies was filled with conflict, tension and restricted by societal norms – and that perhaps is why the characters in his films remain unforgettable. The characters and dialogues in his love stories weren't loud and brash but simple and subtle. In Mudhal Mariyadhai, for instance, love is shown through the conversations and looks between Sivaji Ganesan and Radha, and how she prepares food for him. For Bharathiraja, love wasn't a happily-ever-after fairytale but an emotion that impacted a whole society and its culture. His love stories made the audience sit up, think and question the morals and prejudices of society - and that was no mean feat.

New talent to the fore

Another important aspect of the Padmashri director's legendary career is his introduction of new talent to Tamil cinema and reinventing actors who had made a name for themselves already. Where actresses were concerned, he introduced an entire brigade that went on to rule Tamil cinema – Radhika, Radha, Ambika, Revathi. He gave them all strong layered characters with agency on screen and didn't use them just as arm candy. Women anchored many of his stories and these films changed how women were portrayed on screen in Tamil cinema. He made actors who had already established themselves, like Sivaji Ganesan and Kamal Haasan, push themselves in his films and break out of their stereotypes.

In his later years, Bharathiraja stepped out from behind the camera to act and thus began his second innings in Tamil cinema. He brought a certain gravitas and seriousness to the roles he took on whether it was Pandavar Bhoomi (2001), Aayutha Ezhuthu (2004) or Thiruchitrambalam (2022). Even in his acting roles, he showcased characteristics similar to the characters he wrote – there was a simplicity, honesty and a restrained approach that earned him much love from the audience.

Bharathiraja's legacy is immeasurable and cannot be captured by the number of awards he has won or box office numbers. The director's place in Indian cinema is unparalleled and his work – in front or behind the camera – will remain deeply respected, valued and a blueprint for future generations.