Following the death of Tamil filmmaker Bharathiraja on June 10, the film industry was left mourning his loss. Those who worked with the filmmaker through his long and illustrious career were seen visiting his residence to pay their last respects to his mortal remains. Among them were musicians, Ilaiyaraaja and his brother Gangai Amaran. Videos now surfacing online show Gangai lashing out at the filmmaker’s family.
Gangai Amaran lashes out at Bharathiraja’s family
In a video now going viral on social media, Gangai was seen lashing out at Bharathiraja’s family while standing by his body. As people around him cried in sorrow, Gangai questioned the family for not looking after him well in his final days. “You all left him alone in the end,” he can be seen yelling, even as those around him tried to calm him down. The musician also claimed that the filmmaker had died with nobody beside him in his final days. Radhika Sarathkumar was also seen in the video asking Gangai to let it go.
Emotions ran high at Bharathiraja`s funeral in Chennai. Composer-singer Gangai Amaran expressed anger and grief near the filmmaker`s mortal remains, questioning family members and saying Bharathiraja was alone during his final moments. #bharathiraja #gangaiamaran… pic.twitter.com/yucK3B2KOg
— The Federal (@TheFederal_News) June 10, 2026
Later, he was seen talking to the press and said, “Don’t you realise the grief we are in? Bharathiraja is the one who raised us. If he hadn’t come to Chennai, we wouldn’t be here. Both Ilaiyaraaja and I worked with him, and we all lived by sharing his salary. He fed us, raised us, and made us who we are. He is such a great man. Think of the sorrow when you realise such a man is no longer with us. Can you even imagine? Is it possible to describe?”
Ilaiyaraaja reacts to Bharathiraja`s death
Ilaiyaraaja, who was also seen visiting Bharathiraja’s home, got emotional when the press asked him for a statement. “What`s there to say? There`s nothing to say. There`s literally nothing to say; we`ve lost the man. This is not the place for an interview,” he said. He further added, “I pray to God for his soul to rest in peace. I am always respectful of this country, its people and its artists. The bond I share with you, my audience, is the bond I share with him, too.”
Bharathiraja shared a long association with Ilaiyaraaja and his brothers, even before they became giants of Tamil cinema. Ilaiyaraaja would reportedly perform with his brothers, Pavalar Varadarajan, Gangai and Bhaskar at Communist Party stages where Bharathiraja was working as a health inspector. When the filmmaker stepped into the theatre, Ilaiyaraaja joined him to compose the music. They eventually moved to Chennai and collaborated through theatre and then films.
