Barathirajaa: Memories of a Malaysian Assistant-director who worked with him!
(The legendary Tamil film director Barathirajaa, who revolutionised Tamil cinema, passed away on the 10th of June 2026 at the age of 85. He is known to have nurtured and trained a generation of assistant directors who eventually became acclaimed directors in their own right, and many of them have often praised Barathirajaa for his mentorship. Many Malaysians may not be aware that Barathirajaa also had a Malaysian assistant director, and he is probably the only one from Malaysia to have worked with him in that role. He is Deepban M. Vignesh, who has carved out a niche for himself in the Malaysian Tamil movie industry, having directed the theatrical movie ‘Dum Dum Dumeel’. He also directed and scripted a host of TV serials and dramas. The following article is Deepban’s memories about his mentor-director, as posted on his Facebook page)
After many months of follow-up, around September 2011, I joined Director Bharathirajaa as the last AD on the film Annakkodi. That was my first break into the industry after many years of trying. Sometimes I feel that, just as we cannot choose our parents, we also don’t choose our mentors either. They just drop into your life and then shape it on a different path. At that time, my aim was just to work with him until the end of this film, which I expected to be around 6 months, but I ended up working with him for the next 4 to 5 years.
Annakkodi itself was released only 2 years after we began, and after that, we worked on a couple of projects that didn’t materialise as planned. Looking back today, those years are among my most cherished memories, when I worked closely with him for at least 10–12 hours daily, 6–7 days a week. A mentor is someone who not only teaches you about the craft, but also about life. Director Bharathirajaa was someone like that, not only for me but also for the many assistants who were part of his team throughout his career of over 40 years. The lessons I learned during those years with him are still shaping my decisions in both my career and life. Ever since, even though I was not actively working with him at times, he has always been a part of my journey and a true well-wisher.
The last time I met him was in December 2024, when I had the privilege of spending a couple of days with him while he was visiting his daughter Janani here in Malaysia. I was really blessed to have that time with him, which I never thought I would get after having been away from him for a couple of years post-COVID.
The last day I saw him was on December 18th, 2024. Before leaving, he asked me, ‘I am planning to make my next movie. Will you come and join me?’ I replied, ‘Just give me a call, sir. I will be there.’ That was our last conversation.
Today, I feel I don’t have to be as successful as him, but if I can have at least the same level of love and passion for cinema at 83, then I am already blessed in this life. Really gifted to be a part of his Legendary Life. Thank you for everything, Sir.
