An introduction to K. Bhagyaraj for Gen Z and Gen Alpha audiences

Social media is filled with tributes, articles and memories of K. Bhagyaraj – but he was not a superstar in the true sense of the word, nor were his screen characters lofty ambitions to aspire to. Bhagyaraj did not have the qualities associated with the previous stereotype of lead actors who were good-looking, smart, macho and all round extraordinary heroes.

Inspired by his Guru, Bharathiraja, he celebrated the ordinary man and highlighted that traversing through an ordinary life with ordinary problems is challenging enough. While many theorised about it, Bhagyaraj showed that attraction towards qualities were far stronger than attraction towards physical attributes – and he did this largely through humour, often self-deprecating humour.

K. Bhagyaraj made his entry as a lead actor through Bharathiraja’s Pudhiya Vaarpugal at a time when the Tamil box-office was undeniably ruled by Sivaji Ganesan, Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth.

When he took the plunge as a director in Suvarillaatha Sithirangall, he took the brave step of casting himself in the lead role, effectively pitting himself against these three giants of Tamil cinema.

Through this film and his subsequent films, Bhagyaraj changed the DNA of Tamil cinema in its portrayal of lead characters and the themes and stories encompassed in his films.

Inspired by the success of his Guru, Bharathiraja, Bhagyaraj ensured that his protagonists were not superheroes, displayed no special talents and did not quite make girls weak at their knees. Instead, his protagonists were raw, real and relatable – ordinary men with relatable problems, challenges and attitudes.

Bhagyaraj was one of the few directors who gave importance to minor characters – often even those with line of dialogue. He was happy not to dominate the screen in order for others to shine. As he did in Mundhanai Mudichu, he would often use local residents as extras or in minor roles when filming on location.

While the three giants – Sivaji Ganesan, Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth – continued to attract crowds to their films, Bhagyaraj found a way into the hearts of the female audience and he did so, not just by creating likeable and flawed male protagonists, he achieved this by ensuring that – like his Guru – women played a major role in his narratives.

This was not just limited to the roles played by the lead actresses, but to all the women featured in his narratives. This view was not just conveyed by the actresses, but by the actors as well. Even his supporting characters and sometimes even the extras were men who were largely influenced by the women in their lives.

In giving this exalted position to women, he did not take the feminist route, nor did he portray his women as masculine or overtly overbearing. Instead, he portrayed Indian society accurately, showing the dominance of women in households – either overt or covert – in a positive way.

In doing so, he not only endeared himself in the eyes of the female viewer, he also indirectly showed men the value of honouring the women in their lives. This was a laudable way of strengthening families, marriages and relationships and was key to the popularity of his films.

His protagonist was always delightfully flawed, often gullible and with many weak points, a far cry from the macho saviour usually portrayed in commercial films. It is this portrayal of the male character that made him enjoy success in a world dominated by the three giants of Tamil cinema, He remained competitive in the market purely because he chose not to compete with the giants, but to find his own niche among audiences.

The universality of his themes and stories were proven by the success of the many remakes of his films to other languages. Like his main characters, the issues explored in his films were not larger than life, but reflected the ordinary challenges of ordinary folks in ordinary towns. It was this level of relatability that made him such a huge success as a writer, director and actor.

Bhagyaraj’s success inspired many ordinary people – in front of and behind the camera – to pursue their dreams, as he was and always will be an example of finding one’s strength from within and using that strength to the maximum.

These days, lots of people theorise about skin colour and caste – In his heydays, Bhagyaraj rendered these terms irrelevant – not by preaching or propagandist writing – but simply through the power of relatable character in relatable stories, repeatedly proving that the best way to transform society is the ability to laugh at our shortcomings.

Sigaram will take a closer look at six of his twenty-four directorials. Why only six? This is just a taste of some of his outstanding films. If you have not seen any of his films, start with these and when you see each of his other films, you will find irresistible gems in each of them, showing you why social media has been dominated by memories of him since his sudden passing last week. Hayy journey in discovering or rediscovering the cinematic magic of K. Bhagyaraj.

Clicks the link below to read our previous articles on K. Bhagyaraj

Sudden demise of K. Bhagyaraj at age 73

K. Bhagyaraj Birthday Special

K Bhagyaraj Birthday Special

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