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Bharathan | |
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| Born | (1946-11-14)14 November 1946 |
| Died | 30 July 1998(1998-07-30) (aged 51) Chennai,Tamil Nadu, India |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1973–1998 |
| Spouse | K. P. A. C. Lalitha |
| Children | 2 (incl.Sidharth) |
| Relatives | P. N. Menon (uncle) |
Bharathan Parameshwara Menon Palissery (14 November 1946 – 30 July 1998) Known mononymouslyBharathan was anIndianfilm maker,artist, andart director. Bharathan is noted for being the founder of a new school of film making inMalayalam cinema, along withPadmarajan andK. G. George, in the 1980s, which created films that were widely received while also being critically acclaimed. A train of directors, and screenwriters followed this school onto the 1990s includingSibi Malayil,Kamal,Lohithadas andJayaraj.
He was born atEnkakkad nearWadakkancherry, in present-dayThrissur district ofKerala, India to Parameshwara Menon Palissery and Karthiyayini Amma
After completing his diploma from theCollege of Fine Arts, Thrissur, Bharathan entered films as an art director through the Malayalam filmGandharavakshetram (1972), directed byA. Vincent, which also happened to be one of the first films where actorThilakan played a noticeable role. He was inspired by his uncleP. N. Menon, an established director. After working as an art director and assistant director in a few films, he made his directorial debut in 1975 withPrayanam, which was based onPadmarajan's script. It also marked the rise of two early proponents of middle-stream Malayalam cinema.[1]
Bharathan directed over 40 films in Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu. Starting his career in 1975 withPrayanam, Bharathan rode to fame with his off-beatThakara, a film about a dumb-witted central character who falls in love with the village beauty. Some of his other memorable films includeRathinirvedam,Chamaram,Paalangal,Amaram, andVaishali.[2]
His association withPadmarajan led to films includingRathi Nirvedam andThakara.Rathi Nirvedam was a treatment of teenage sexual angst. InThakara, he deals with the life and longings of an intellectually disabled youth and his association with society.
In the early 1980s, he made several notable movies likeChamaram,Marmaram,Paalangal,Ormakkayi,Kattathe Kilikkoodu,Kathodu Kathoram, and many more. They did well in theatres and set the trend for meaningful mainstream cinema. Other noted directors followed suit. It was the romantic era of Malayalam cinema.
Not all of Bharathan's films skirted with bold themes and controversy. InOru Minnaaminunginte Nurunguvettam (1987), he tells the poignant story of a childless couple in their post-retirement life. It deals with the isolation and loneliness that come with old age. The film was a departure from Bharathan's usual style and proved to be a major commercial hit while garnering critical acclaim, too.
HisVaisali (1988) is widely regarded as a modern-day masterpiece in Malayalam cinema. Scripted by the iconic Malayalam novelistM. T. Vasudevan Nair, it was an adaptation of a sub-story told in the epicMahabharata. Another movie born from their association wasThazhvaram. The subject was revenge, a theme quite uncharacteristic of Bharathan movies. The style was inspired by classic Westerns with a brooding, reticent central character and expansive shots of barren landscape. Another movie wasAmaram, which was written byA. K. Lohithadas and starred Mammootty, which was a milestone movie of the Malayalam movie of the 1990s.
Even though he was not known to cater to the star-centric system, Bharathan was instrumental in bringing together the two screen icons of Tamil cinemaSivaji Ganesan andKamal Haasan in the Tamil filmThevar Magan, written by Kamal Haasan, which won critical acclaim and became an Industry Hit in Tamil cinema. Sivaji gave an uncharacteristically restrained yet brilliant performance. The movie won several National Awards and was remade into many regional languages (most notablyVirasat in Hindi).
His more experimental films includeAaravam, more an arthouse than a commercial venture, andNidra, about the plight of a woman who is in love with a mentally deranged man. His filmNidra was remade by his son, film director Sidharth Bharathan.Rathinirvedam, originally directed by Bharathan, which was a noted film, was also remade by another famous director, T. K. Rajeev Kumar, with Swetha Menon in the lead.
Apart from film direction, he also wrote lyrics and tuned songs for his films. (e.g., lyrics for "Thaaram Valkannadi Nokki" inKeli and "Tharum Thalirum Mizhipootti" inChilambu or title song forKathodu Kathoram). He collaborated with writerP. R. Nathan inKeli.
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Bharathan's films were known for their realistic portrayal of rural life in Kerala. Melodrama and escapism, often integral parts of mainstream cinema in India, were usually absent in his films. He also managed to steer clear of the "star-centric" culture prevalent in Indian cinema throughout his career. His later films did involve major movie stars, but usually without compromising on plot or narrative. Bharathan, along withPadmarajan andK. G. George, were largely responsible for introducing a counterculture of meaningful mainstream cinema, which often tread the middle path between arthouse and commercial cinema. This movement was often called the "middle of the road cinema[3]." Bharathan's films were known for their visually appealing shot compositions. His background as a painter enabled him to create frames that were often credited for their visual beauty. Natural props and nature itself often became important characters in his films (like the railway track inPalangal or the sea inAmaram). Bharathan is one of the few Indian directors known to use an elaborate storyboard system for filming. He also often designed the posters for his films.
Several of his early films were known for their bold portrayal of sexual themes. His films often defied social conventions and norms about man-woman relationships.Rathinirvedam was the sexual-coming-of-age story of the relationship between a teenager and an older woman, whileChamaram dealt with the tumultuous affair between a student and his college lecturer. InKattathe Kilikkoodu, an elderly, married professor falls for his student.Kaathodu Kaathoram was about the social ostracism of a woman who has an adulterous relationship.
The latter half of Bharathan's career saw a distinct change in filmmaking style characterised by a wider canvas, more attention to detail, and a more distinct focus on narrative style (e.g.,Vaishali,Amaram,Thaazhvaaram, andThevar Magan). Some critics argue that this quest for technical excellence was at the expense of the quality of thematic content. Films likeVaishali andAmaram (where he collaborated with acclaimed cinematographer Madhu Ambat) set a new benchmark for cinematographic excellence inMalayalam and Indian Cinema.Thaazhvaaram was stylistically inspired by classic Hollywood Westerns, though the theme and backdrop were distinctly original.
His last few films (Devaraagam,Churam andPriyuralu) were received moderately by critics.
Bharatan died at a private hospital inChennai on 30 July 1998 at the age of 52 following prolonged illness. His last film wasChuram, which released a year before his death. His mortal remains were brought back to his ancestral home atWadakkancherry and cremated with full state honours.
Bharathan was married to theatre and film actressK. P. A. C. Lalitha with whom he associated in a lot of films before and after marriage.[4] They had two children - Sreekutty, a former child actress, andSidharth Bharathan, a film actor and director.
| Film | Year | Director | Writer | Art-director | Composer | Editor | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Chembarathi | Yes | ||||||
| 1972 | Gandharvakshethram | Yes | ||||||
| 1973 | Chenda | Yes | ||||||
| 1973 | Dharmayudham | Yes | ||||||
| 1973 | Ponnaapuram Kotta | Yes | ||||||
| 1973 | Enippadikal | Yes | ||||||
| 1973 | Maadhavikkutty | Yes | ||||||
| 1974 | Rajahamsam | Yes | ||||||
| 1974 | Chakravaakam | Yes | ||||||
| 1974 | Neelakkannukal | Yes | ||||||
| 1974 | Mucheettukalikkaarante Makal | Yes | ||||||
| 1975 | Prayanam | Yes | Yes | |||||
| 1976 | Surveykkallu | Yes | ||||||
| 1976 | Ponni | Yes | ||||||
| 1976 | Yudhakaandam | Yes | ||||||
| 1977 | Guruvayur Kesavan | Yes | Yes | |||||
| 1978 | Rathinirvedam | Yes | ||||||
| 1978 | Aniyara | Yes | ||||||
| 1978 | Njaan Njaan Maathram | Yes | ||||||
| 1978 | Aaravam | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||||
| 1979 | Thakara | Yes | Yes | |||||
| 1980 | Lorry | Yes | ||||||
| 1980 | Savithiri | Yes | Yes | Tamil film | ||||
| 1980 | Chamaram | Yes | Yes | |||||
| 1981 | Nidra | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||||
| 1981 | Palangal | Yes | Yes | |||||
| 1981 | Parankimala | Yes | Yes | |||||
| 1981 | Chatta | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||||
| 1981 | Parvathy | Yes | Yes | |||||
| 1982 | Marmaram | Yes | Yes | |||||
| 1982 | Ormakkayi | Yes | Yes | |||||
| 1983 | Eenam | Yes | Yes | |||||
| 1983 | Sandhya Mayangum Neram | Yes | ||||||
| 1983 | Kattathe Kilikkoodu | Yes | Yes | |||||
| 1984 | Ente Upasana | Yes | ||||||
| 1985 | Kathodu Kathoram | Yes | Yes | |||||
| 1984 | Ithiripoove Chuvannapoove | Yes | Yes | |||||
| 1985 | Ozhivukaalam | Yes | ||||||
| 1985 | Oonjalaadum Uravugal | Yes | Tamil film | |||||
| 1986 | Chilambu | Yes | ||||||
| 1986 | Pranamam | Yes | Also lyricist | |||||
| 1987 | Oru Minnaminunginte Nurunguvettam | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||||
| 1987 | Neela Kurinji Poothappol | Yes | ||||||
| 1988 | Vaisali | Yes | Yes | |||||
| 1989 | Oru Sayahnathinte Swapnam | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||||
| 1990 | Thazhvaram | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||||
| 1990 | Malootty | Yes | Yes | |||||
| 1991 | Amaram | Yes | ||||||
| 1991 | Keli | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||||
| 1992 | Aavarampoo | Yes | Yes | Tamil film | ||||
| 1992 | Thevar Magan | Yes | Tamil film | |||||
| 1993 | Venkalam | Yes | ||||||
| 1993 | Chamayam | Yes | ||||||
| 1993 | Padheyam | Yes | ||||||
| 1996 | Devaraagam | Yes | Yes | |||||
| 1997 | Churam | Yes | Yes | |||||
| 1998 | Priyuralu | Yes | Yes | Telugu film; dubbed in Malayalam asManjeeradhwani |
KB Venu portrayed Bharathan in 2025 Malayalam movieRekhachithram directed by Jofin T Chacko
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