The passing away of veteran filmmaker and actor K. Bhagyaraj has left a deep void in Tamil cinema. With one of his last performances soon to be released in ‘The Dark’ on July 3, the film’s press meet turned out to be an emotional tribute to the iconic director. Director: Ganesh K Babuwho wrote the film’s story, fondly recalled the veteran’s contributions to filmmaking and shared how his innovative spirit kept him alive until his last days.
When the talent redefined the script
While addressing the press and media, Ganesh K Babu revealed a lot of interesting information about his collaboration with late filmmaker K Bhagyaraj. According to Nakkheeran, “On the first day of the shoot for ‘Dada’, he kept asking if there were any dialogues, because there were none. The next scene has long dialogues for him. Before I could explain, he was already writing a different version of himself. I told him at first not to use it, but he played it anyway. When the shot ended, he convinced me that his version was better. That was the moment I realized how foolish I was.” Ganesh K Babu added, “After that, I never brought scene papers to him again. He now has 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 the shock of Bhagyaraj’s sudden death and how the loss had a personal impact on him. “His death was completely unexpected. The same energy with which he entered cinema stayed with him till the end,” he said. Recalling the day Bhagyaraj died, the director shared, “I was telling a story to someone that day. I have told that story to many people before, but I have never told it as beautifully as I did that day. He actually felt like he was standing next to me the whole time. I believe he will continue to stay with us through The Dark. This film is our tribute to him.”
A simple gesture became their last memory together
Sharing one last personal memory, Ganesh K Babu revealed that he wanted to give Bhagyaraj a small gift 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. That was the last time I saw him,” he recalled emotionally. ‘The Dark,’ which features one of Bhagyaraj’s last performances, is set to release on July 3. The film has acquired more emotional significance after the veteran’s death, with the team hoping that audiences will celebrate his outstanding contribution to Tamil cinema through his last screen appearance.