Andha 7 Naatkal
A movie that was way ahead of its time, and definitely not in the ‘Bhagyaraj’ zone. A tear-jerker, the film is about a woman forced into an arranged marriage with a widower while still being in love with the man she met before her marriage. When her husband decides to reunite them, she chooses her marriage. The famous dialogue of “Enda kaadhali ungaluku manaivi aaitu varum aanal ungal manaivi enakki kaadhali aaitu varaadhu” is still trending on social media platforms. Palakkatu Madhavan played by Bhagyaraj went on to become a popular culture in Tamil cinema
Dhaavani Kanavugal
Bhagyaraj plays Subramaniam, a brother to five sisters and is unable to get them married. He goes to town to find a job and an unexpected incident changes his entire life. This movie is known for top notch performances from Sivaji Ganesan and rest of the cast. One of the first Tamil films to be shot in Goa. However, the film didn’t perform well at the box-office as audience didn’t expect another serious film from the director.
Mundhaanai Mudichu
This is a film for generations. Another film where Bhagyaraj plays a school teacher and a story that avoided several stereotypes. Households of Tamil Nadu still follow the ‘murungakkai’ myth in the film with Bhagyaraj as the flag-bearer by increasing the sales of drumsticks after the film was released. He based the story on his friend who had lost his wife, and a woman who fell in love with him. Mundhaanai Mudichu was made at a budget of Rs 30 lakh and grossed Rs 6 crore at the box-office. One of the most iconic movie to be made in Tamil cinema.
Sundara Kaandam
One of his many films that broke several stereotypes and social taboos, Sundara Kaandam is about a relationship between a student and her teacher, who is disinterested. Bhagyaraj played the role of Shanmugamani, a Tamil teacher. The film’s comedic track has a separate fan base even after 30 years since its release. Nandagopal’s character of Namachivayam, who plays a student to Shanmugamani while having studied with him, is a riot, and often used in memes even today. These are some of the characters Bhagyaraj had said he had met in his hometown.
Indru Poi Naalai Vaa
The story revolves around three best friends who fall in love with the same girl down their street. Bhagyaraj played the lead role with his childhood friends, Pazhanisamy and Ramli, playing his onscreen buddies. This is one of Bhagyaraj’s iconic films that went on to become a cult classic — celebrated across generations for its timely dialogues. The ‘Ek gaon mein ek kisan raghu thatha’ portions in the film took a direct dig at Hindi imposition in Tamil Nadu back in the 80s. This remained one of his favourite films as well.