Dreaded don to dear grandfather: Actor Bharathiraja’s many faces

Filmmakers make for some of the best performers on screen. Tamil cinema has had a long list of filmmakers who made a stellar turn to acting. One of the most enigmatic entrances to the list was Bharathiraja, the ‘Iyakkunar Imayam’ who breathed his last in Chennai on Wednesday.

While enthralling audiences with countless iconic films that Tamil cinema audiences still fondly remember, Bharathiraja made a turn to acting in PS Nivas’ 1980 film Kallukkul Eeram. However, it was only in 2004 that the actor in Bharathiraja would find recognition, thanks to Mani Ratnam’s political actioner Aayutha Ezhuthu. While he did not have a great record as a filmmaker post 2000, the actor in him found umpteen opportunities to shine, so much so that in the late 2010s and early 2020s, the actor had become a much sought-after character artiste in Tamil cinema — and inarguably the best amongst filmmakers. An innings that began with 2017’s Kurangu Bommai grew strong, as many filmmakers saw in him an actor who could stun your heart as a grandfather in despair, as well as scare you as a menacing villain.

Here are a few performances of the ‘actor’ Bharathiraja that reintroduced him to modern audiences:

Kurangu Bommai:

Tamil cinema is truly indebted to director Nithilan Saminathan for bringing out a unique shade of the actor in Bharathiraja. Nithilan’s debut film, the dark thriller Kurangu Bommai, told the story of a desperate father and son who get entangled in a dangerous hunt for a hidden bag of money. Several intricate equations trigger a chain of betrayals, greed, and violence in the film, and Bharathiraja features as a vulnerable old-timer who suffers unspeakable trials due to his friendship with a local don. If there is a showreel of great Bharathiraja performances, it is sure to feature the gut-wrenching scene in which his character breaks down to actor Kumaravel’s character right before he is killed off — the voice crack is enough to make you tremble. Kurangu Bommai is not a film for the faint-hearted, and Bharathiraja’s stirring performance as Vidharth’s father made it a much more difficult watch.

Rocky

If you cried watching him in Kurangu Bommai, his Manimaran in Rockywill make you squeal for all the wrong reasons. After playing a baddie in Aayutha Ezhuthu and Rettaisuzhi, Bharathiraja played the role of a ruthless gangster vying for revenge in Arun Matheswaran’s debut feature Rocky. Painted in monochrome, Manimaran rattled audiences with his unrestrained villainy, like when he smilingly threatens to cut off his son’s fingers to show him his place. In a world already populated by violence and turmoil, Bharathiraja offered a grounding presence, with his measured expressions carrying the weight of a cold-hearted gangster who has seen it all.

Thiruchitrambalam

The character that made us all think of or wish for one such grandfather. In this blockbuster Dhanush-starrer, Bharathiraja played the role of an elder who acts as the connecting tissue between his son and grandson, almost becoming a mother in a house that deeply missed motherly affection. From being the cool grandpa-cum-friend to Thiru to becoming his moral compass at a time of need, the role offered Bharathiraja enough range and many stellar moments, “Oru vayasula baarathula sumakradhu sugam, oru vayasula baarama irukkardhe sugam da,” he tells his son, played by Prakash Raj, in one instance. However, fans of the film would fondly remember his monologue to Thiru towards the climax. Thiruchitrambalam Sr will always be one of our most favourite onscreen grandpas.

Karumegangal Kalaigindrana

Not many would have seen this underrated performance of the veteran filmmaker. In Thankar Bachan’s Karumegangal Kalaigindrana, Bharathiraja eschewed any compulsion to turn melodramatic and delivered a subtle but powerful performance. He plays a retired judge who leaves his house on a journey of guilt, to repent the mistakes he made and to seek forgiveness. The character was written with much heft that during a pre-release interview with us, he likened it to being as real as the characters in his debut film, 16 Vayathinile. “Kaalam pona kadaisiyil, oru nadiganaga nirubithirukenu oru chinna nambikkai irruku (After all these years, I believe I have proved myself as an actor),” said Bharathiraja on his role, and the veteran proved his mettle in Karumegangal Kalaigindrana as he had in several other films. This is what we had stated about his performance in our review of the film: “But if I were to remember Karumegangal Kalaigindrana for one thing, it would be for the heart-achingly brilliant performance of veteran actor-director Bharathiraja; the veteran brings his A-game and truly makes you feel for his character Ramanathan.”

Maharaja and Thudarum

This sign of a seasoned actor is not in how much screen time one gets, but in what one does within the screen time available — and in that regard, Bharathiraja truly shone as a character artist. In the last few years, Bharathiraja acted in supporting roles in films such as Margazhi Thingal, Kalvan, Thiru Manickam, and Niram Marum Ulagil. However, the film that truly broke all barriers was the Vijay Sethupathy-starrer Maharaja, directed by Kurangu Bommai-maker Nithilan. Appearing as Vijay’s colleague in the barber shop, Bharathiraja appeared in just a couple of scenes and still managed to make his presence felt — one of the scenes reminded us that the veteran could also pull off humour well.

His last well-known role came in the hit Malayalam film Thudarum, starring Mohanlal. Bharathiraja played the hero Benz’s guru and mentor, popular stunt master Palani Swamy. He appeared in just one scene, expressing his wish to see his student Benz (Mohanlal), before he unexpectedly passed away. “Master left us,” says a friend of Benz, before we see montages of the time Benz spent with his master. When his body is sent to the pyre, Benz imagines his master calling him and thinks of the last time he saw his master’s face. If anything, that was also the last time we saw Bharathiraaja on screen — if not for any posthumous releases we might see soon. To this master filmmaker and a spectacular actor, we bid our goodbyes.