Bharathiraja Biography: TV Shows, Children, Wife, Age, Net Worth, Parents, Movies, Height, Death

Chinnasaamy Periyamaya Thevar, known professionally as Bharathiraja, was a legendary Indian film director, screenwriter, producer, and actor who is universally celebrated for modernizing Tamil cinema during the late 1970s and 1980s.

He revolutionized the industry by moving commercial filmmaking out of artificial indoor studios and into authentic rural landscapes, creating a raw and realistic cinematic language.

Bharathiraja
Wiki Facts & About Data
Real Name:	Chinnasaamy Periyamaya Thevar
Stage Name:	Bharathiraja
Born:	17 July 1941
Died:	10 June 2026 (age 84 years old)
Place of Birth:	Theni Allinagaram, Tamil Nadu, India
Nationality:	Indian
Height:	1.70m
Parents:	K. Periyamaya Thevar and Karuthammal
Siblings:	Jayaraj Periyamayathevar and Bharathi
Spouse:	Chandraleelavathi (m. 1974–2026)
Relationship:	Married
Children:	Late Manoj Bharathiraja and Janani Iswariya
Occupation:	Film Director, Screenwriter, Producer, Actor
Net Worth:	$5 million

Early Life and Education

Bharathiraja was born on 17 July 1941 in the rural town of Theni Allinagaram, Tamil Nadu, India. Raised by his parents, K. Periyamaya Thevar and Karuthammal, he spent his youth observing the distinct village traditions and folklore of the southern districts alongside his siblings, Jayaraj and Bharathi.

He completed his initial school education locally before finding employment as a health inspector, though his growing obsession with acting, stage plays, and dramatic writing structures eventually pushed him to quit his stable public post.

He subsequently relocated to Chennai to pursue a full-time career in the arts. He was of South Asian ethnicity and was raised within a traditional Hindu household.

Career

Bharathiraja began his career in the mid-1970s as an assistant director before making his monumental directorial debut with the 1977 Tamil village drama 16 Vayathinile.

The movie became an absolute box-office sensation and critical masterpiece, introducing realistic location shooting and establishing him as an overnight industry trendsetter.

He achieved unmatched cinematic dominance by delivering consecutive blockbusters across various genres, including the psychological thriller Sigappu Rojakkal, the romantic drama Alaigal Oivathillai, and the cult classic Muthal Mariyadhai.

His highly influential filmography earned him six National Film Awards and the Padma Shri in 2004, while he seamlessly expanded his versatile reach by delivering critically acclaimed character acting performances in modern hits like Maharaja and Thiruchitrambalam.

Bharathiraja maintained a deeply revered, patriarch-like authority over the South Indian film ecosystem throughout his life.

Recent milestones highlighted his final film productions, his specialized reality television engagements, and receiving elite lifetime achievement tributes from various state governments and national filmmaking bodies.

Social Media

• Instagram Handle: @director_bharathiraja
• Twitter Handle: @offbharathiraja

Personal Life

Bharathiraja was married to his wife, Chandraleelavathi, following their traditional wedding ceremony in 1974.

He had two children, including a daughter named Janani Iswariya and a late son, actor-director Manoj Bharathiraja, who passed away from a cardiac arrest in March 2025.

He died at the age of 84 on 10 June 2026 at a private medical facility in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, and was subsequently laid to rest with full state honors at his ancestral farmhouse in Theni.

Filmography

• 16 Vayathinile (1977)
• Sigappu Rojakkal (1978)
• Kizhake Pogum Rail (1978)
• Niram Maaratha Pookkal (1979)
• Nizhalgal (1980)
• Alaigal Oivathillai (1981)
• Tik Tik Tik (1981)
• Mann Vasanai (1983)
• Muthal Mariyadhai (1985)
• Karuththamma (1994)
• Anthimanthaarai (1996)
• Taj Mahal (1999)
• Kadal Pookkal (2001)

Net Worth

Bharathiraja had an estimated net worth of $5 million at the time of his passing. His primary assets were built directly through his extensive multi-decade career as an elite director, screenwriter, and senior film producer within the Indian entertainment industry.