Bharathan

Bharathan was an Indian film maker, artist, and art director who was one of the founders of a new school of film making in Malayalam cinema, along with Padmarajan and K. G. George, in the 1980s, which created films that were widely received while also being critically acclaimed. He started his career in films as an art director through the Malayalam film Gandharavakshetram (1972), directed by A. Vincent. He was inspired by his uncle P. N. Menon, an established director. He made his directorial debut in 1975 with Prayanam, which was based on Padmarajan's script. He also worked as a sculptor, poster designer, lyricist, music composer, and editor in some of his films. He directed over 40 films in Malayalam and Tamil, in a variety of genres, such as drama, comedy, romance, action, thriller, and social issues. He also introduced new techniques and styles in cinematography, editing, and sound design. He won two National Film Awards, nine state Nandi Awards, and four Filmfare Awards South for his films. Some of his notable films include Thakara, Rathinirvedam, Chamaram, Paalangal, Amaram, and Vaishali. He was married to actress K. P. A. C. Lalitha and had a son, Sidharth Bharathan, who is also a film director and actor. He died on 30 July 1998 from liver cirrhosis at the age of 51. He was given a state funeral and a three-day state mourning was declared in his honor.