MyVoice: Views of our readers 11th June 2026

Bharathiraja’s legacy will live on

The demise of eminent director Bharathiraja is a great loss to Indian cinema, especially to the Tamil film industry. Bharathiraja’s cinematic style and direction were totally different from the traditional forms of Tamil cinema. He transformed the entire set up into a realistic genre, concentrating mainly on the life and style and practices of the people in the rural villages and small towns. He took huge risks by introducing inexperienced faces in lead roles. His films were box-office hits, thanks to his versatile direction.

Most of the top heroes and heroines of that generation like Radhika, Revathi, Karthik, Radha, Napoleon, Gounda Mani and many emerged from his school of acting and directorship. Can anyone deny the truth that but for him, the likes of exceptional talent like Ilayaraja, Vairamuthu, Gangai Amaran or Bhagya Raj would not have blossomed the way they did. What a great legacy Bharathiraja has left behind!

Tharcius S Fernando, Chennai-92

Bharathiraja was brilliantly outstanding

Bharathiraja became a household name, while his name became a byword for good cinema in Tamil Nadu in the 1980s. The ace filmmaker redefined the grammar of cinema and perfected the art of filmmaking. An award-winning film director, he made films with great sensitivity, sensibility, sympathy and aesthetic appeal. His films captured the attention of cinema-loving people of Tamil Nadu and marked a glorious chapter in its history. He democratized cinema and made it a pursuit possible for all talents.

He shot his movies in the open air and his camera captured images of extreme beauty. As a filmmaker with social conscience, he contributed to consciousness-raising by dealing with social issues like caste inequalities, unemployment problem and female infanticide. He did not make his films for superstars to indulge in or display their ‘heroics and histrionics. His films were an index of his personality and a tribute to his genius. Bharathiraja attained immortality through the timeless films he made.

G David Milton, Maruthancode (TN)

Channelise youth energy for productive gains

This refers to the article “Of Cockroaches, Gen Z and Political Kitchens”, (THI, June 10). It rightly notes that Gen Z-inspired movements in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal produced no fundamental improvement in governance — they simply replaced one set of leaders with another. India’s situation is different.

The government has built welfare and opportunity infrastructure at a scale that countries could not attempt — Ayushman Bharat, digital payments, skilling programmes, and startup policy have created tangible pathways for young Indians. Channelling youth energy into productive participation within democratic institutions is infinitely more valuable than street agitation. Political parties that articulate these achievements clearly, while genuinely addressing employment concerns, will find Gen Z far more receptive than the current narratives suggest.

Swathi Senthilkumar, Coimbatore

Agitations cannot bear fruit for Gen Z

Apropos “Of cockroaches, Gen Z and political kitchens”(THI, June 10). Dr Prasad Sanka’s analysis is perceptive, but the trajectory of similar movements warrants careful examination. The IAC experience demonstrated that mass mobilisation built on social media virality and a single demand rarely survives its own success. The CJP’s overnight popularity, driven substantially by digital amplification, does not automatically translate into representative legitimacy.

The government, by contrast, has delivered measurable outcomes — employment through PLI schemes, skilling initiatives, and startup ecosystems that created genuine opportunities for young Indians. Constructive engagement with existing democratic institutions serves Gen Z aspirations far better than agitations that bring governments down without offering coherent alternatives in their place.

Abbharna Barathi, Chennai-23