Chennai, June 10 (IANS) Actor Mohanlal on Wednesday paid rich tributes to legendary Tamil filmmaker Bharathiraja, calling the late pioneer "a director who found poetry in the soil, truth in silence, and soul in every frame."

Taking to his X timeline to pen his condolences, Mohanlal wrote, "A director who found poetry in the soil, truth in silence, and soul in every frame. Sharing screen space with Bharathiraja Sir in 'Thudarum' was an honour I will cherish forever. Rest in peace, Sir. Your legacy will continue to inspire generations, and your presence will be deeply missed."

Tharun Moorthy, the director of the blockbuster Malayalam film 'Thudarum' too, penned his tribute on social media. Taking to his Instagram page to share pictures of himself with Bharathiraja, he wrote, "Thank you, Master. Memories #Thudarum forever."

Condolence messages are pouring in from across the country, with several stalwarts expressing their grief and sorrow over the demise of the iconic filmmaker.

Megastar Chiranjeevi, in his condolence message, wrote, "Indian cinema has lost one of its greatest storytellers, #Bharathiraja garu. He transformed the fragrance of village soil, the beauty of human relationships, the innocence of love, and the emotions of ordinary people into timeless cinematic poetry. His films touched millions of hearts and inspired generations of filmmakers."

Chiranjeevi went on to say, "A recipient of the prestigious Padma Shri and several National Film Awards, Bharathiraja garu’s contribution to Indian cinema is immeasurable. I was fortunate to work under his direction as ’𝓟𝓾𝓵𝓲𝓻𝓪𝓳𝓾’ in 𝓐𝓻𝓪𝓭𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓪. His passion for cinema, simplicity and dedication to his craft left a lasting impression on me. Though he is no longer with us, his legacy will live on forever through his remarkable films. Rest in peace, “Iyakkunar Imayam” Bharathiraja garu. My heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and admirers. Om Shanti."

One of Tamil cinema's iconic directors, Bharathiraja, passed away in Chennai in the early hours of Wednesday. He was 84. The veteran director, who is a Padma Shri Awardee and who is considered to be a trendsetter in Tamil and Indian cinema, had been battling health issues for sometime now.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay was among the first to pay homage to the late director at his residence in Neelangarai on Wednesday. Several other celebrities too have expressed grief over the demise of the veteran director, who has won six National Awards, and delivered several films considered to be cult-classics in Tamil.

--IANS

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