Bharathiraja Age, Death, Wife, Children, Family, Biography

Bio/Wiki
Real Name	Chinnasamy Periyamayathevar
Nickname	Iyakkunar Imayam
Profession(s)	• Film Director • Actor • Film producer • Screenwriter
Physical Stats
Eye Colour	Black
Hair Colour	Salt & Pepper
Career
Debut	Film (as a director): 16 Vayathinile (1977) Film (as a producer): Puthiya Vaarpugal (1979) Film (as an actor): Kizhakke Pogum Rail (1978) as a Station master Television (as a director): Thekkathi Ponnu (2008)
Last Film	Desiya Thalaivar (as an actor) (2025)
Awards, Honours, Achievements	Civilian honours • 2004 - Padma Shri from the Government of India National Film Awards • 1982 – National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu for Seethakoka Chilaka (Director) • 1986 – National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil for Mudhal Mariyathai (Producer and Director) • 1988 – National Film Award for Best Film on Other Social Issues Vedham Pudhithu (Director) • 1995 – National Film Award for Best Film on Family Welfare for Karuththamma (Director) • 1996 – National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil for Anthimanthaarai (Director) • 2001 – National Film Award for Best Screenplay for Kadal Pookkal (Director and Writer) Filmfare Awards South • 1978 – Best Tamil Director for Sigappu Rojakkal • 1987 – Best Tamil Film for Vedham Pudhithu • 1987 – Best Tamil Director for Vedham Pudhithu • 1994 – Best Tamil Film for Karuthamma Tamil Nadu State Film Awards • 1977 – Best Director Award for 16 Vayathinile • 1979 – Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Film - Second Prize - Puthiya Vaarpugal • 1981 – Best Director Award for Alaigal Oivathillai • 1994 – Best Film Portraying Woman in Good Light for Karuththamma • 2001 – Tamil Nadu State Film Honorary Award - Arignar Anna Award in 2001 • 2003 – Best Film in First place Eera Nilam Nandi Awards • 1981 – Nandi Award for Best Director for Seethakoka Chiluka Vijay Awards • 2012 – Contribution to Tamil Cinema • 2013 – Best Supporting Actor for Pandiya Naadu Other awards • 1980 – South Indian Film Technicians : Best Technician Award for Kallukkul Eeram • 2005 – Honorary doctorate (D.Litt) from Sathyabama University • 2015 – SIIMA Lifetime Achievement Award
Personal Life
Date of Birth	23 August 1942 (Sunday)
Birthplace	Allinagaram, Madura District, Madras Province, British India (now in Theni District, Tamil Nadu, India)
Date of Death	10 June 2026
Place of Death	Chennai
Age (at the time of death)	83 Years
Death Cause	Health Related Issues
Zodiac sign	Virgo
Nationality	Indian
Hometown	Alli Nagaram near Theni, Tamil Nadu
College/University	Sathyabama University
Educational Qualification	Doctor of Letters (honorary degree) from Sathyabama University
Religion	Atheist
Caste	Kallar Community
Food Habit	Non-vegetarian
Controversies	Criticised for attending a conference called Maaveerar Naal in Jaffna, Sri Lanka Bharathiraja once criticised for attending a conference in Jaffna, Sri Lanka called Maaveerar Naal. The event remembered the militants from the LTTE group (banned in India as terrorists since 1992 after Rajiv Gandhi's assassination). There, he praised their bravery. Organising a protest He once organized a protest by Nadigar Sangam against Karnataka state for not releasing Cauvery water at Neyveli. His co-star Sarath Kumar and wife Radhika said that he used the protest to praise Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa and attack Rajinikanth's home state's ethnicity .
Social Media	• Instagram • Facebook • Twitter
Relationships & More
Marital Status (at the time of death)	Married
Marriage Date	Year, 1974
Family
Wife/Spouse	Chandraleelavathi
Children	Son- Manoj Bharathiraja (actor, married to actress Nandana) (died in 2025) Daughter- Janani Aishwarya (married to Rajkumar Thambiraja in Malaysia)
Parents	Father- Periya Mayadevar Mother- Karuthamma
Siblings	Brothers- 3 Jayaraj (actor) Sisters- 3
Other Relatives	Brother-in-law- Manoj Kumar (film director and actor) Cousin - Stalin (television actor)

Some Lesser Known Facts About Bharathiraja

• Bharathiraja completed his schooling in his hometown.

• As a student, he loved reading literature. He used to write and direct stage plays during festivals.

• Before entering films, Bharathiraja worked as a health inspector (also called Sanitary Inspector) and earned Rs. 75 per month. He also worked at petrol bunks to survive.

• After that, Bharathiraja moved to Chennai to try his luck in the film industry.

• In Chennai, he participated in many stage plays, radio events, and petrol bunk jobs while trying to enter cinema.

• After that, he started working as an assistant director to film director B. Pulliyavidam.

• Later, he learned cinema from noted Kannada director Puttana Kanakal.
  

  An old picture of Bharathiraja

• In 1977, he directed his first film “16 Vayathinile” (also written as 16 Vayadinile). It starred actors like Kamal Haasan, Sridevi, and Rajinikanth.

  

  Bharathiraja with Rajinikanth

• This film showed real village life on screen. Bharathiraja then became the first film director who used live locations instead of fake studio sets. This initiative changed Tamil cinema forever.

• Bharathiraja then won the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Director for “16 Vayathinile.”

• After that, he went on to direct various films, such as “Sigappu Rojakkal” (1978), which won Filmfare Award for Best Tamil Director, “Kizhake Pogum Rail (1978),” which became a blockbuster film and was shown for a whole year in cinemas, “Alaigal Oivathillai (1981),” “Pasumpon (1995),” “Eera Nilam (2003),” “Final Cut of Director (2016),” and “Meendum Oru Mariyathai (2020).”

• In 1979, the film “Solva Sawan” was his Bollywood Hindi debut film.
  

  The poster of the film Solva Sawan

• During his career, Bharathiraja directed more than 40 films in three languages i.e.Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi.

• He was known for introducing many new faces to cinema.

• He introduced heroes and heroines like Karthik, Radha, Radhika, Revathi, Rekha, Ranjitha, Vijayashanthi, and actors like K. Bhagyaraj, Manivannan, Sathyaraj (first time in lead role), Napoleon, and others.

• Apart from being a film director, he was also an actor.

• He had appeared in Kallukkul Eeram (1980), Aayutha Ezhuthu (2004), Rettaisuzhi (2010), Pandianadu (2013, won Vijay Award for Best Supporting Actor), Kurangu Bommai (2017), Padaiveeran (2018), and Kennedy Club (2019).
  

  An old picture of Bharathiraja in a still from a film

• Bharathiraja was called the “Director Imayam” and is remembered as the pioneer of rural realism in Tamil cinema.

• He is remembered for his popular opening line “Yen Iniya Tamil Makkale” (My dear sweet Tamil people).

• He liked travelling to distant places in his free time.
  

  Bharathiraja during a trip