Veteran actor Anil Kapoor has paid tribute to late filmmaker-actor K Bhagyaraj, recalling how the acclaimed Tamil filmmaker’s work laid the foundation for some of Hindi cinema’s biggest films, including Woh Saat Din, which marked Kapoor’s breakthrough as a leading man.
In an emotional Instagram post, Anil said he was deeply saddened by Bhagyaraj’s passing, especially as he had met him recently at the wedding of actor-politician Khushbu Sundar’s daughter, Avantika Sundar.
“Deeply saddened and shocked by the passing of K. Bhagyaraj sir. It feels especially unreal because I had the opportunity to meet him recently at Khushbu’s daughter’s wedding and spend some time with him. Bhagyaraj sir was a creative genius whose contributions to Indian cinema go far beyond what many people know,” he wrote.
Reflecting on Bhagyaraj’s influence on his own career, Anil added, “He was the original creator behind stories that went on to become landmark Hindi films and career-defining milestones for so many of us. Woh Saat Din, adapted from his film Andha 7 Naatkal , became one of the most important films of my career.”
The actor also highlighted Bhagyaraj’s contribution to Mohabbat, saying the film’s story, screenplay and dialogues not only resulted in a memorable film but also helped launch producers Indra Kumar and Ashok Thakeria under Maruti International.
Anil further recalled that Beta, another adaptation of Bhagyaraj’s writing Enga Chinna Rasa, went on to become one of the defining blockbusters of its era.
“Boney and I had acquired the rights and passed them on to Indra Kumar and Ashok Thakeria during a difficult phase in their journey. The film went on to become a massive success, with all of us receiving tremendous recognition,” he wrote. “Another remarkable example of Bhagyaraj sir’s brilliance was Mujhse Shaadi Karogi. Directed by David Dhawan,starring Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar and Priyanka Chopra, the film’s story and screenplay were by Bhagyaraj sir(Indru Poi Naalai Vaa ) and adapted into Hindi by Anees Bazmee. The film became a major success and marked another important milestone in Akshay Kumar’s career,” Anil said.