K Rajan, the Tamil film producer and director who allegedy died by suicide on May 17 after jumping off the Adyar bridge in Chennai, was 85. According to reports, he had been living separately from his family for some time and was staying at a private hotel in the city at the time of his death.
Rajan was reportedly travelling in a car when he asked the driver to stop near the Adyar bridge, got out and jumped into the river below. Fire and Rescue Services personnel recovered the body, which was sent to a government hospital for postmortem. He is survived by his son Prabhukanth. Police have registered a case and are investigating.
A career that spanned four decades
Rajan entered Tamil cinema in 1983 as a producer with Brammacharigala film that gave him his first foothold in the industry. Over the following two decades he produced a string of films including Doubles, Aval Paavam and Ninaikkatha Naalillai.
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He was not a producer who stayed behind the camera. He directed Namma Ooru Mariamma in 1991, featuring Nizhalgal Ravi and Sarathkumar, and returned to direction in 2005 with Unarchical. He also wrote stories for films including Thangamana Thangachiand took on acting roles in several productions across the years, including a appearance in Ajith Kumar’s Thunivu and a role in Selvaraghavan’s Bakasuran.
In 2000, he was elected president of the Chennai Distributors Association, a position that placed him at the centre of Tamil cinema’s distribution ecosystem and gave him a platform from which he rarely hesitated to speak.
Outspoken and controversial voice
It is as a commentator, often unsolicited, on the Tamil film industry’s internal workings that Rajan became as well known as he was for his films. His speeches were turned into memes and his videos went viral on social media for their shock value.
His views on actor remuneration, distribution imbalances and what he saw as the industry’s skewed priorities made him a familiar fixture in press conferences and public events.
He argued repeatedly that inflated star salaries were destroying the economics of Tamil film production for smaller producers, naming major stars specifically in his criticism.
He spoke out against Nayanthara in January 2020 over what he called excessive remuneration demands. He said, “Nayanthara will be accompanied by 6-7 assistants. Each of their salaries ranges from Rs 7-12 thousand per day. I have heard about these salaries from the people I know, and I am sure it is true. The expenditure of her assistants comes around Rs 75,000-80,000 per day. Imagine if she works for 50 days, and now you calculate the total expenditure of her assistants. The producer has to shell out those amounts on the salaries of the actors alone. Now, add the driver’s salary and diesel charges to it.”
In December 2019 he publicly criticised Kamal Haasan and Dhanush, as well as directors Selvaraghavan and Gautham Vasudev Menon, for helming or starring in films that had caused losses to producers and distributors.
Row over MeToo comments
The episode that drew the most widespread criticism came in April 2019, at the audio launch of the film Ettuthikkum Para. Singer Chinmayi had, as part of the MeToo movement, publicly accused lyricist Vairamuthu of sexual harassment.
Rajan, speaking at the event, turned on Chinmayi directly. He threatened to deploy people to “destroy” her and dismissed her allegations as an attempt to seek publicity. The remarks were made from a public stage, into microphones, and were widely reported.
He said, “After Kannadasan and Valee, Vairamuthu is one of the popular lyricists in Kollywood. A lady (Chinmayi) just said that she’d slap him the next time she meets him. The incident took place 15 years ago and she’s bringing it to light now just to seek publicity. What is her intention of talking about it now? I have 50 women in my area who can take her down. Don’t tarnish his image for your cheap publicity. If you destroy his peace, I have a few people with me who can destroy you.”
What followed was notable. Director Pa Ranjith, who was also present at the event, came up to the same microphone immediately after and publicly condemned Rajan’s statements, calling out the misogyny on the same stage where it had been aired. Ranjith said it was time for the film industry to accept that sexual harassment was a reality. The contrast between the two responses became a reference point in discussions about how Tamil cinema handled #MeToo.
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Rajan has also criticised Yogi Babu at a promotional event of Trisha’s film Parmapadham Vilaiyattu. He accused Yogi Babu of not being professional and not finishing the work. He said, “Some people forget where they come from and the past.” The remark received backlash.
Arrest that shocked industry
Rajan’s confrontational instincts were not limited to words. In June 2001, he was arrested for physically attacking fellow producer Keyaar in an incident that drew police involvement and temporary notoriety.
By the time of his death, Rajan had largely receded from active filmmaking.
(Suicides can be prevented. For help, please call Suicide Prevention Helplines: Neha Suicide Prevention Centre – 044-24640050; Aasara helpline for suicide prevention, emotional support & trauma help — +91-9820466726; Kiran, Mental health rehabilitation — 1800-599-0019, Disha 0471- 2552056, Maithri 0484 2540530, and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050.)
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