Summary
- Reflecting on his personal experience working on a film adapted from Bhagyaraj’s writing, Kapoor recalled that Woh Saat Din, based on Bhagyaraj’s work, became one of the most important films of his career.
- Woh Saat Din, released in 1983, was Kapoor’s first major solo hit and was a remake of Bhagyaraj’s Tamil film Mouna Geethangal.
- Kapoor also starred in Beta in 1992, a blockbuster that earned him a Filmfare Award and became the year’s highest grossing Hindi film, adapted from Bhagyaraj’s Chinna Veedu.
Anil Kapoor has paid a heartfelt tribute to veteran South Indian filmmaker, actor and screenwriter K Bhagyaraj, who passed away at the age of 73 on Saturday, June 27, after suffering a cardiac arrest. His death left Bollywood and the wider Indian film industry deeply saddened, given his far reaching contribution to Indian cinema.
Taking to Instagram, Kapoor wrote that Bhagyaraj was a creative genius whose contributions went far beyond what many people are aware of, adding that he was the original creator behind stories that went on to become landmark Hindi films and career defining milestones for many actors, including himself.
Reflecting on his personal experience working on a film adapted from Bhagyaraj’s writing, Kapoor recalled that Woh Saat Din, based on Bhagyaraj’s work, became one of the most important films of his career. He also noted that Mohabbat, for which Bhagyaraj wrote the story, screenplay and dialogues, not only gave audiences a memorable film but also helped launch the careers of producers Indra Kumar and Ashok Thakeria through Maruti International.
Bhagyaraj’s influence on Kapoor’s career ran deeper than a single film. Woh Saat Din, released in 1983, was Kapoor’s first major solo hit and was a remake of Bhagyaraj’s Tamil film Mouna Geethangal. Kapoor also starred in Beta in 1992, a blockbuster that earned him a Filmfare Award and became the year’s highest grossing Hindi film, adapted from Bhagyaraj’s Chinna Veedu. According to Kapoor’s own acknowledgement, the plots, emotional depth and dramatic turns that resonated so strongly with audiences in these films originated in Bhagyaraj’s original screenwriting.
Bhagyaraj was laid to rest with full state honours at the Besant Nagar Electric Crematorium on Sunday, closing out a career that left a lasting mark on Tamil cinema. He was widely celebrated for portraying the lives of ordinary people with simplicity, humour and emotional depth, crafting stories that resonated with audiences across generations through witty dialogue and relatable characters. He made his directorial debut with Suvarilladha Chithirangal and went on to deliver several enduring classics, including Mouna Geethangal, Andha 7 Naatkal and Mundhanai Mudichu.
His funeral was attended primarily by the Tamil film fraternity rather than Bollywood actors, with prominent figures including Kamal Haasan, Dhanush, Venkatesh Daggubati, Raghava Lawrence and Simran present to pay their respects. Actors R Parthiban and R Sarathkumar joined his family in carrying the casket during the procession.
K Bhagyaraj is survived by his wife, Poornima Bhagyaraj, his son, Shanthanu Bhagyaraj, and his daughter, Saranya Bhagyaraj.
