An Indian movie director, lyricist, music composer, editor, and sculptor, Bharathan was one of the most revolutionary artists of Malayalam cinema. He also directed a few Tamil and Telugu movies. In 1992, his film Thevar Magan, which starred Sivaji Ganesan and Kamal Hassan won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil. The multi-talented filmmaker passed away in 1998 because of an extended illness.