Director Bharathiraja, who set a new trend in Indian filmdom with his movies celebrated his birthday yesterday. Currently directing Hindi movie Cinema starring Nana Patekar, Bharathiraja entered film world, village life on screen was a sanitized and unrealistic caricature. It was Bharathiraja took the camera out of the studios and captured village life with a rare sensitivity and respect for its reality.

He started his film career as an assistant to director P.Pullaiya and Kannada film maker Puttanna Kanagal. Eventually working with Krishnan Nair, Avinasi Mani and A Jaganathan, he learned the grammar of film making and got his first directorial opportunity in 1977.

His first film 16 Vayathinile for which he wrote the story and the script broke convention to create a new genre of village cinema. Among his other landmark films are Muthal Mariyathai (with Sivaji Ganesan in the lead), Alaigal Oyvadhillai, Mann Vaasanai, Vedham Pudhithu, Kizhakku Cheemaiyile and Anthimanthaarai. This National award winner is also credited with having launched the careers, of the who's who, in Tamil cinema.

Let's wish the director a happy birthday.