On Wednesday, the Tamil film industry woke up to the shocking news of the demise of veteran filmmaker and actor Bharathiraja. Popularly referred to as Iyakkunar Imayam, the 85 year old breathed his last after suffering from ill-health, at his residence in Chennai.

Amidst various members of the film industry mourning the director's demise, actor and dancer Rukmini Vijayakumar, who made her acting debut with the director's Bommalattam, reminisced about her experience working with the stalwart. “He was very unique in his artistry. I am unsure how to articulate it — I have not collaborated with anyone quite like him since that time. He was the first director I ever worked with," she recalls with a heavy voice.

Rukmini was particularly full of praise for Bharathiraja's working style. "He had this improvisational ability where the story would build up in his head as it went along," she explains, adding that it was easy to work with him because of this aspect. "I’m also someone who works a lot with improvisation in theatre and performance, so I understand how characters begin to speak to you and how stories can unfold in unexpected ways inside your head."

Coming to her debut, Bommalattam, she continues, "When we shot Bommalattam, there was still a little bit of that approach. He would call us in, brief the scene, and then let it evolve." She adds that there were scenes that were entirely improvised between her and Nana Patekar in the film.

Rukmini also certifies that Bharathiraja was an actor's director. "I think he understood very early that I don’t do well with exact instructions — especially as a new actor. I perform better when I’m allowed to find the moment rather than being told exactly how to do it. I learnt a lot from that experience," the actor says.

After Bommalattam in 2008, the actor says the director kept in touch with her for a very long time. "We stayed in touch for many years after the film. He had invited me to perform in dance programmes, and he also came to watch my performances. I think we developed a deep respect for each other as artists. Adding that they grew apart eventually, she concludes with grief, "However, over the last eight or nine years, we lost touch, but for a very long time, we remained connected. I held him in very high regard. He was truly a great artist.”