Veteran filmmaker and actor K. Bhagyaraj’s death has left a deep void in Tamil cinema. With one of his last performances in ‘The Dark’ soon to follow on July 3, the film’s press meet turned into an emotional tribute to the iconic director. director Ganesh is a babywho penned the movie’s story, fondly recalls the veteran’s contribution to filmmaking and shares how his innovative spirit lived on till his last days.
When the talent script is redefined
While addressing the press and media, Ganesh K Babu revealed many interesting facts about his collaboration with late filmmaker K Bhagyaraj. According to Nakkhiran, he said, “On the first day of shooting ‘Dada’, he kept asking if there were any dialogues, because there weren’t any. The next scene had a long dialogue for him. Before I could explain, he had already written a completely different version himself. I initially asked her not to use it, but she performed it anyway. By the time the shot was over, he convinced me that his version was better. At that moment I realized how stupid I was.” Ganesh K Babu added, “After that, I never took the scene papers to him again. He will already have his own version written and ready. Most of the dialogues he delivered in ‘Dada’ were written by him, and he followed the same approach in ‘The Dark’ as well.”
Ganesh K Babu recalls his days with the late director
Ganesh K Babu also spoke about his grief over Bhagyaraj’s sudden death and how the loss affected him personally. “His departure was completely unexpected. The energy with which he entered the cinema stayed with him to the end,” he said. Recalling the day of Bhagyaraj’s death, the director shared, “That day I was telling a story to someone. I have told that story to many people before, but never so beautifully as that day. It really felt like he was standing next to me. I believe he will be with us through The Dark. This film is our tribute to him.”
A simple gesture becomes their ultimate memory together
Sharing one last personal memory, Ganesh K Babu revealed that he wanted to give a small gift to Bhagyaraj on the last day of ‘The Dark’ shoot. “He casually mentioned that his slippers were torn. I immediately bought him a new pair and helped him put them on myself. That was the last time I saw him,” he recalls with emotion. ‘The Dark’, which features one of Bhagyaraj’s final performances, is set to release on July 3. With the film taking on extra emotional significance after the veteran’s death, the team hopes that audiences will celebrate his extraordinary contribution to Tamil cinema through his final appearance on screen.
