Now Reading: Kamal Haasan praises TN government’s Rs 2.5 crore Bharathiraja memorial
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Kamal Haasan praises TN government’s Rs 2.5 crore Bharathiraja memorial
Actor and Rajya Sabha MP Kamal Haasan has welcomed the Tamil Nadu government's plan to build a memorial hall for filmmaker Bharathiraja in Theni district. The project, announced in the Assembly by Minister Rajmohan during demand for grants, will cost an estimated Rs 2.5 crore and include a bronze statue of the director.
In a post on X, Haasan called it a 'gratitude rendered in the fullness of time' for a filmmaker who 'captured the scent of the earth on screen'. Bharathiraja, who died on June 10 after a prolonged illness, directed classics such as '16 Vayathinile' (1977) and 'Mudhal Mariyathai', and mentored many successful actors and filmmakers over five decades.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The memorial places Bharathiraja alongside a tradition of state-honoured Tamil film icons, though the Rs 2.5 crore allocation is modest compared to the multi-crore memorials built for MGR or Jayalalithaa. The announcement in the Assembly during a grants debate signals political intent to acknowledge rural-roots cinema, which Bharathiraja pioneered, at a time when the ruling DMK faces criticism over cultural appointments. Haasan's public endorsement, though from an actor with his own political ambitions, gives the project cross-party visibility. The real test will be how quickly the Theni district administration completes the memorial and whether the state adds a museum or archive for his filmography.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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