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…
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
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
