Veteran filmmaker K Bhagyaraj passed away on June 27 after suffering a cardiac arrest. He was 73. Following his demise, his son, actor Shanthnu Bhagyaraj, expressed heartfelt gratitude to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay for supporting the family through both joyful and difficult times. He also thanked the leader for ensuring his father received a dignified farewell with full state honours.
Sharing a few moments from his father’s funeral on X (formerly Twitter), Shanthnu Bhagyaraj penned an emotional note in Tamil. He began by respectfully addressing C. Joseph Vijay as the Honourable Chief Minister and concluded it on a personal note, affectionately referring to him as “Vijay anna” (elder brother). His note read, “How could I possibly
confine my gratitude to you within the bounds of mere words? Truly, this is a debt of gratitude that will endure as long as I live. You inaugurated my joyous wedding day by personally handing over the taali (mangalsutra); I have not yet finished thanking you for that alone.”
He continued, “And then, when you came to offer solace upon my father’s passing—that tragic, sorrowful day of my life—I was deeply moved to see you set aside your official stature and humbly kneel to comfort my mother. State honours! To be accorded respect even in death is a monumental privilege for an artist. I shall remember with gratitude, until my own final moments, the majestic honour—befitting his name—that you bestowed upon my father. What more is there to say for now? Heartfelt gratitude, offered with folded hands.”
Honourable @CMOTamilnadu
உங்களுக்கான என் நன்றியை 26 அல்லது
247-க்குள் எப்படி அடக்கிவிட முடியும்?
மெய்யாகவே என் உயிர் வரை நீடிக்கும் நன்றியிது.
என் திருமணத்திற்கு தாலி எடுத்து தந்து என் மகிழ்ச்சித் திருநாளைத் துவக்கி வைத்தீர்கள். அதற்கே நானின்னும் நன்றி சொல்லித் தீரவில்லை… pic.twitter.com/g3l824pm4T— Shanthnu (@imKBRshanthnu) June 29, 2026
Following the funeral, Shanthnu Bhagyaraj shared a heartfelt photo with his late father on social media, paying tribute to his enduring legacy and cherishing their memories together. He wrote, “The film industry was once solely my father’s world; later, it expanded to become my own—growing into a close-knit family and evolving into a cherished bond. To the legends of the film industry and all my friends—who were, are, and will always be there for me: acting as loving hands to hold when I lost my father (like a banyan tree that fell before its aerial roots could become trees themselves), serving as the solid ground that steadied my faltering steps, and acting as a surrogate heart beating for me when my own felt ready to burst—what else can I offer but my heartfelt gratitude?”
திரையுலகமே என் தந்தையின் உலகம் என்றிருந்து, பின் அது எனக்குமான உலகமாக இன்னும் அகலமாக விரிந்து
ஒரு குடும்பமாக நெருங்கி, உயர்வான உறவாக உருவாகிவிட்டது.
விழுது மரமாகுமுன் விழுந்துவிட்ட ஆலமரமாய் என் தந்தையை இழந்த அன்று நான் பற்றிக்கொள்ள படர்ந்த அன்புக் கரங்களாகவும், தடுமாறிய என்… pic.twitter.com/Pw9DonynYW— Shanthnu (@imKBRshanthnu) June 29, 2026
K. Bhagyaraj is survived by his wife, actor Poornima Bhagyaraj, and their children, Shanthnu and Saranya.
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