Veteran Tamil writer and director K Bhagyaraj has completed 50 years in cinema, a milestone that was celebrated on the director’s 72nd birthday on Wednesday (January 7). T

Speaking at the event, Bhagyaraj said that he finds it hard to believe that he has completed 50 years in cinema. “In my early days, a lot of friends from my hometown, as well as my mother, placed immense faith in me that I would succeed in cinema. And later I travelled to Chennai and started working under my director (Bharathiraja).”

The Mundhanai Mudichu-maker then reminisced about getting his first opportunity in cinema as an assistant director in 1976 on the Bharathiraja film 16 Vayanithile (1977). “I met Kamal Haasan sir yesterday, and even he mentioned how everyone who worked on that film grew up to do great things within just one or two years after its release. Something like that hasn’t happened to any other film.”

“During my initial days, I wanted to introduce myself uniquely, and so if someone asked for my name, I would call myself ‘Kovai Raja.’ Later, when we were working on the credits of 16 Vayanithile, that’s when I decided it was better to use the name my mother gave me. I didn’t want to lose that ‘bakkiyam’ (blessing), and so that’s why they wrote it as K Bhagyaraj. That name has garnered me so much respect until now,” said Bhagyaraj, before recalling how his director appreciated him as the one who would get to shine under the limelight after him. “Then I gradually become a dialogue writer, screenwriter and director.” However, it was his mother’s dream to see him on the big screen, a moment that happened when he debuted in Puthiya Vaarpugal. ”She always dreamt on seeing me as a hero. But before my first project released, she passed away,” an emotional Bhagyaraj recalled.

The director showed his gratitude towards all the directors whose work inspired and taught him filmmaking. “Then I cultivated a habit of reading after college, and that helped me as well.” He fondly recalled a childhood incident — about how he gave his mother’s gold ring instead of money to a shopkeeper to buy honey candy — that taught him the value of honesty. “The shopkeeper returned the ring to his mother, and that became a lesson on integrity and honesty,” added Bhagyaraj.

Even before he entered films, Bhagyaraj was inspired by how ‘Puratchi Thalaivar’ MG Ramachandran showed compassion towards common people. “Then I had witnessed the respect Sivaji Ganesan sir shows to all directors, no matter what age, and his discipline. I also admired Kamal’s performance right from a young age,” said Bhagyaraj, before reminiscing about the time he worked with Rajinikanth on 16 Vayathinile. “Since he wasn’t fluent in Tamil, he would make me recite the lines 15 times. Then he would repeat it 15 times before the take. But, he has always remained the same, and I have admired that,” he added, at the event that took place in Chennai’s Savera Hotel in the presence of PROs of Tamil cinema like Diamond Babu, M Singaravelu and Riaz K Ahmed, members of the media, and Bhagyaraj’s family members.