Bharathiraja

Bharathiraja ( born 17 July 1941) is a multiple-award-winning Indian film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor who works mainly in the Tamil film industry. Making his debut in 1977 with 16 Vayathinile, he is known for realistic and sensitive portrayals of rural life in his films and popularly referred to as Iyakkunar Imayam. Also, in the 1980s-90s, the '''''Bharathiraja (Direction)+Ilaiyaraaja (Music)+Vairamuthu (Lyric's)''''' Best Combination was very popular among Tamil film fans. As of 2017, he has won six National Film Awards, four Filmfare Awards South, six Tamil Nadu State Film Awards and a Nandi Award. He has also directed films in Telugu and Hindi. The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri award, India's fourth-highest civilian honour, in 2004 for his contribution to the film industry. In 2005, he was conferred with the Doctor of Letters (honorary degree) from Sathyabama University.

== Personal life == Bharathiraja was born as Chinnasamy to parents Periyamaya Thevar and Karuthammal in Theni Allinagaram, a town in the erstwhile Theni district of Tamil Nadu in a Kallar (Thevar) family. He married Chandraleela in 1974 and has two children Manoj Bharathiraja (1976–2025) and Janani (born 1979). Veteran Tamil filmmaker Bharathiraja was hospitalised in Chennai in early 2026 for medical treatment, with hospital authorities confirming that his condition was stable.