Mumbai, June 12 (IANS) Veteran actress Poonam Dhillon has shared fond memories of working with acclaimed filmmaker Bharathiraja.

She reflected on her experience of being directed by the legendary storyteller. In her recollection, Poonam highlighted the creative atmosphere on set and the filmmaker’s distinctive vision that left a lasting impression on her. Sharing a throwback clip from her film ‘Red Rose’, the actress wrote, “A tribute to Legendary BharathiRaja a great filmmaker, totally self made genius with God given talent in music & creativity.”

“He introduced many actors into Films. I was lucky to work with him in Red Rose with him and “Saverey Wali Gadi” which remains one of my favorite films. His contribution to Cinema is tremendous. May he rest in eternal peace with the Almighty.”

Directed by Bharathiraja, “Red Rose” starred Rajesh Khanna and Poonam Dhillon. The film is a remake of the Tamil movie Sigappu Rojakkal. “Saveray Wali Gaadi,” also directed by Bharathiraja, featured Sunny Deol and Poonam Dhillon in lead roles.

Veteran Tamil filmmaker Bharathiraja passed away on June 10 following age-related health complications. His funeral was held in Chennai, where members of the South Indian film industry gathered at his residence to pay their final respects. Several prominent personalities, including Suriya, Kamal Haasan, and Chief Minister M. K. Stalin, were among those who arrived to offer condolences to the bereaved family.

Several others also took to their social media platforms to express their grief over Bharathiraja’s passing.

Chiranjeevi on X shared a heartfelt note celebrating the filmmaker’s contribution to Indian cinema. He had written, “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.”

–IANS

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