Veteran actor-writer-director K. Bhagyaraj passed away on Saturday (June 27, 2026) after suffering from a massive heart attack at Apollo Hospital in Chennai. The writer-director, known for his unparalleled vision and inventive screenwriting, built an extensive body of work in Tamil cinema.

Owing to their novelty, his Tamil films were regularly being adapted in Hindi, with David Dhawan directing Raja Babu (1994), Andaz (1994) and Gharwali Baharwali (1998) from Raasukutti,Sundara Kandam and Thaikulame Thaikulame respectively. Apart from these, Bhagyaraj also directed three Hindi films and worked with Amitabh Bachchan and Anil Kapoor in two of them.

Here are the three Hindi films directed by Bhagyaraj:

1) Aakhree Raasta (1986)

A remake of the Tamil film, Oru Kaidhiyin Diary, which was written by him along with his mentor, filmmaker Bharathiraja, Aakhree Raasta starred Bachchan, Jaya Prada, Sridevi and Anupam Kher in pivotal roles. Marking his Hindi directorial debut, the film featured Bachchan in a double role of a simpleton man and a police officer. Interestingly, Rajesh Khanna was earlier roped in to play the lead role but he opted out due to date issues. The vigilante actioner featured an intriguing conflict which effectively merged social commentary with the dramatic beats as Bachchan delivered an assured performance, playing the dual roles effortlessly.

2) Mr. Bechara (1996)

Starring Anil Kapoor, Sridevi and Anupam Kher in the lead, the romantic drama was a remake of Bhagyaraj’s Tamil film, Veetla Visheshanga, and told the story of a widower, played by Kapoor, who poses as the husband of an amnesiac woman (Sridevi). The two live together and plan to get married when a young man claims to be her husband. While both the original and the remake were not met with a good response, the story featured the trademark quirkiness of Bhagyaraj. It also starred Telugu superstar Nagarjuna in a guest appearance.

3) Papa The Great (2000)

Another Hindi film that was remade from his own 1998 Tamil film, Vaettiya Madichu Kattu, Papa The Great told the story of a meek man living peacefully with his family until he becomes a witness to a murder by a dreaded gangster. Starring Krishan Kumar, Nagma, Satya Prakash and Master Bobby, the film was produced by music baron Gulshan Kumar and turned out to be a box office failure.