Stick courageously to your Policies, Cine Director tells Tamils

[TamilNet, Saturday, 04 December 2004, 14:56 GMT]
"Tamils of Eelam must achieve success by continuing to pursue their policies courageously as they have been doing for the past 30 years...The Eelam Tamils must stand firm and attain their final goal," said Bharathiraja (63), the veteran Tamil Director from Tamil Nadu in South India, in an interview to a popular Tamil daily in Jaffna Friday.

Mr. Bharathirajah's visit to Jaffna was arranged by Mr.S.Thiyagarajah Managing Director of Richo Holidays.

Bharathiraja is often characterised as the director who brought filming from artificial surrounding and constumes to remote Tamil villages in Tamil Nadu.

"When I was in Jaffna in its natural surroundings and what I saw and heard there made me feel very homely. I am fascinated by the people of Jaffna. However I was badly shaken by the scars of war I saw. I became heavy hearted by the thought that this much of wound has been inflicted on this soil which thrives with valour, heroism, militancy and martyrdom," the film director told the paper.

"It is really the pride of this soil that its people have withstood all the trials and harships forced on them.

"The Tamils of Tamilnadu too have performed great things and made great achievements. But they are all dwarfed by the greatness of the achievements of Eelam Tamils.

"Which ever part of the world you may go to and look for Tamil Intellectuals it is the Ealam Tamils that you see.

"My association with the people there revealed that each of them had a sad story to tell. The impact of the war has been devastatingly broad and far-reaching. But the people remain undaunted.

"I witnessed the Hero's Day events which really melted my heart. The lighting of the Torch in memory of the Heroes was a magnificent sight. I was chilled to the spine when I saw the rows of tombs n Maaveer Cemetry of fallen heroes who laid their lives for the future freedom of their people," the director said.

He also said the Jaffna Public Library used to be one which has attained world standard until it was destroyed as part of cultural genocide of Northeast Tamils.

Bharathiraja has been awarded the Padma Shri award for his contribution to Cinema in 2004.

Bharathiraja's film "16 Vayathinile," for which he wrote the story and the script, is regarded as a film that brought a paradigm shift in Tamil film making.

His films deal in social themes in a rural background. Vetham Pudhithu (1986) dealt with caste prejudice. His film Karuthamma (1994) which dealt with female infanticide won him the award for being the best film with the a social message. His film "Muthal Mariyathai" won the best regional film award. Kizhake Pogum Rayil (1978), Kallukul Eeram (1980), Manvasani (1983), Pudumai Penn (1984) and Oru Kaithyin Diary (1985) are other popular Tamil films directed by Bharathiraja.