Veteran director Bharathiraja, who set a new trend in the industry by taking the camera out of the studios and captured village life with a rare sensitivity and respect for its reality, celebrates his birthday Today.

Winner of several national awards, Bharathiraja is best remembered for movies including Muthal Mariyathai, Karuththamma, Alaigal Oyvadhillai, Mann Vaasanai, Vedham Pudhithu, Kizhakku Chemaiyile, Anthimanthaarai among others.

His maiden venture 16 Vayathinile broke convention to create a new genre of village cinema. He followed it up Kizhakke Pogum Rail and later Sigappu Rojakkal, about a psychopathic women-killer. Nizhalgal, Tik.. Tik.. Tik, Alaigal Oivadhillai, Mann Vaasanai and Muthal Mariyathai were some of his blockbusters. Muthal Mariyathai deserves special mention. The film starred veteran actor Sivaji Ganesan in the lead

From the day 16 Vayathinile was released in 1977, Bharathiraja's path has inspired several young filmmakers. He is today busy with Bommalattam, a Hindi movie starring Nana Patekar and Arjun, which is being simultaneously made in Tamil as Bommalattam.