Legendary Tamil filmmaker Bharathiraja, who recently appeared in Thudarum (2025), is currently under medical care after being hospitalised in Chennai late last month. Doctors have confirmed that the veteran director’s condition is stable and improving.

The 81-year-old director was admitted to MGM Healthcare in Aminjikkarai on December 27 due to breathing difficulties. In the days following his hospitalisation, rumours about his death circulated online, prompting the hospital to issue an official statement.

“He is receiving appropriate medical care in the intensive care unit. His clinical condition is stable, and he continues to be under close monitoring by our team of medical experts. With appropriate support, his vital parameters remain within normal limits,” the hospital bulletin said. “Further updates will be communicated as and when deemed necessary.”

According to reports, director Bharathiraja had been living in Malaysia for the past few months for treatment and staying with his daughter before returning to Chennai. He had been dealing with respiratory issues prior to his hospitalisation.

The health scare comes during a particularly emotional period for the filmmaker. In March 2025, he lost his son, actor-director Manoj Bharathiraja, following a cardiac arrest. Speaking about the director’s emotional state, his brother Jayaraj Periyamayathevar said, “Anna (elder brother) has been unwell for a few months now. He has not been able to cope with the loss of his son. He often looks at Manoj’s photos and breaks down. We even took him to Malaysia, hoping a change of place would console and heal him. But even there, his thoughts kept returning to his late son.”

Bharathiraja is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in Tamil cinema. He introduced a wave of realistic storytelling during the 1970s and 1980s and has directed classics such as 16 Vayathinile, Kizhakke Pogum Rail, Sigappu Rojakkal, Nizhalgal, Mudhal Mariyathai, and Kizhakku Cheemayile.