Neeraja Ramesh

Neeraja Ramesh CHENNAI: The actor-director transformed supporting actors into unforgettable screen personalities. There were no “side characters” in his movies: every character had a distinct purpose, memorable dialogues and good screen presence. C R Saraswathi, for one. In ‘Enga Chinna Rasa' (1987), she played the manipulative stepmother whose greed and scheming nature drove the central conflict.

Neeraja Ramesh CHENNAI: K Bhagyaraj's way to audience's heart—especially of women—was his screenplay. That was his hero—of action, emotion and a fair dose of humour. In the Rajini-Kamal era, Bhagyaraj's story and screenplay blazed its own trail. He was an ace storyteller who knew the art of making his audience laugh and cry at every frame. His budget for song sequences and allied extravagance was limited.

Neeraja Ramesh CHENNAI: The filmmaker carved out a niche for himself in Hindi cinema, writing and directing Hindi adaptations of several of his successful Tamil movies with ease and aplomb. His Bollywood journey, however, was a mix of critical acclaim and commercial inconsistency. With Amitabh Bachchan, he made the landmark film ‘Aakhree Raasta'. Bhagyaraj had originally planned to direct a Hindi remake of Bharathiraja's 1984 Tamil film ‘Oru Kaidhiyin Diary' with Rajesh Khanna in the lead.