P Bharathiraja to be honoured at Singapore South Asian International Film Festival

Multiple National Award-winner P Bharathiraja will be honoured with the Lifetime Achievement award at the Singapore South Asian International Film Festival this year. The third edition of the festival will be held from 30 August to 7 September.

A seminal filmmaker, Bharathiraja's first film, 16 Vayathinile (1977), starred Sridevi, Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth. His other well-known films include Kizhakke Pogum Rail (1978), Muthal Mariyathai (1985), Anthimanthaarai (1996), and Kadal Pookkal (2001).

Film writer and former director of the Hong Kong International Film Festival, Roger Garcia, will be heading the jury this year. The rest of the jury panel includes Indian filmmakers Suhasini Maniratnam and Rajiv Menon, Pakistani director Sabiha Sumar, Iranian director Rasoul Sadr Ameli and Sril Lankan actress Yashoda Wimaladharma.

Abhayanand Singh, the chairman of the festival, said in a statement, “With such distinguished film personalities as part of the jury, we are happy that they chose a hugely respected filmmaker P Bharathiraja to confer Lifetime Achievement Award. We are committed to ensure that the quality of films and experience at Sg.SAIFF only elevate with each passing year.”

“It is a great honour for Singapore South Asian International Film Festival to have all these film personalities with us,” festival director Srinivasan Narayan added.