K. Bhagyaraj: Tamil cinema’s master of screenplay and storytelling

K. Bhagyaraj is one of the very few directors in the Tamil film industry who has been widely acclaimed for his screenwriting. During the late 1970s — a period when stalwarts like K. Balachander and C.V. Sridhar were actively dominating the industry — Bhagyaraj carved out a niche for himself through his engaging and interesting screenplay design.

Arriving in Chennai with the aspiration of becoming a film director, the first movie Bhagyaraj worked on, was as an assistant director on the film Ezhai Panakkaran. Directed by G. Ramakrishnan, the shooting of this film ground to a halt within just two days. It was after this setback that Bhagyaraj went on to join director Bharathiraja. Having worked on films like 16 Vayathinile and Kizhakke Pogum Rail, he wrote the dialogues for Sigappu Rojakkal. He also made brief on-screen appearances in small roles within the films he worked on.