K Balachander's Death a Sad Day for Indian Cinema, Says Aamir Khan

Bollywood actor Aamir Khan went nostalgic on the demise of Indian cinema's iconic filmmaker K Balachander, recalling some fond memories of the director. 

Khan said that he was floored by Balachander's humbleness and the moment he spent with the ace filmmaker was one of the most memorable in his life. He also added that his death is a big loss to Indian cinema.

"K Balachander's death a sad Day for Indian cinema, ..And what a humble man. One of my most memorable evenings in my entire 25 years was with Mr. Balachander. ..The generosity and warmth that he showed me will stay with me forever. My heartfelt condolences to the family," tweeted Aamir Khan.

K Balachander's death news has been an emotional setback to the entire South Indian film industry, especially Tamil. It was Balachander who introduced Rajinikanth in Tamil cinema. Also, Kamal Haasan and Balachander shared a relationship that was more like a student and a teacher, a fact well-known in Kollywood.

He was also a godfather to many actors who were introduced by him in Tamil cinema. Some of them include Vivek, Nasser, Radha Ravi, Charlerr, Prakash Raj, Sarath Babu, Jayapradha, Jyalakshmi, Shruthi and Madhu Bala.

Balachander's funeral procession began at around 2 pm on Wednesday from his residence; he was cremated at the Besant Nagar crematorium.

Many celebrities including superstar Rajinikanth, DMK chief M. Karunanidhi, actor-turned-politician Vijayakanth, artistes Vijay, Vikram, Arjun, Sathyaraj, Sarath Kumar, Khushbu, Prakash Raj, Sripriya, Manorama, Srikanth, Sivakumar, Dhanush,Visu, Mohan, T. Rajendar and Udhayanidhi Stalin visited his home to pay their last tributes.

Balachander directed more than 100 movies in a career spanning four decades and was particularly known for bringing revolutionary changes in Tamil cinema. He began his career in as a scriptwriter for the 1965 MGR starrer "Dheiva Thaai". The prolific theatre writer then went on to become a highly popular director, scriptwriter and producer in Tamil cinema.

Some of his notable films include "Apoorva Raagangal," "Moondru Muduchu," "Aval Oru Thodar Kathai," "Manmadha Leelai," "Avargal," "Ek Duje Ke Liye" and "Varumaiyin Niram Sigappu" among many others. His last directorial was "Poi" in 2006 and his onscreen presence is in the Kamal Haasan starrer "Urthama Villain," which is yet to be released.