Actress Radhika Sarathkumar has criticized the paparazzi coverage around veteran filmmaker Bhagyaraj’s funeral, saying the farewell should not become a content creation moment. Reacting to the video of the funeral proceedings, Radhika said compassion should come before content when families are mourning.

K Bhagyaraj died on 27 June in Chennai due to a heart attack at the age of 73. He was cremated with full state honors on 28 June, with many actors and technicians from Tamil cinema attending the cremation at the Besant Nagar crematorium.

After requesting the media and paparazzi to respect the family’s privacy, Radhika said that some people continued to take selfies and zoom in on the grieving family members despite the situation. A video of the funeral showed Radhika facing people in the crowd as they continued recording the family.

Sharing a video on Instagram Stories, Radhika also agreed to the post which criticized the behavior of some viewers and paparazzi. talking to Deccan ChronicleShe said, “There should be a line. A funeral is a farewell, not a photo opportunity. At some point, compassion has to be greater than content.”

On Monday, he shared a tribute to K Bhagyaraj in a post on Instagram, where he once again reiterated that the funeral turned into a circus. He urged the government to prepare protocols for funeral coverage.

In another post he said there should be a restraining order for Papps.

Actor Suhasini Mani Ratnam was also seen intervening during the funeral procession, when people were seen recording scenes of Bhagyaraj’s wife Purnima and family inside the hearse.

This was not the first time that Radhika had appealed for restraint during the funeral of a veteran filmmaker. During Bharathiraja’s funeral in early June, he had requested the media to give space to the family. When Bhagyaraj’s body was brought home on June 27, he once again appealed for secrecy with folded hands.

She said, “A humble request to all the press here. Cinema is our business, but at the end of the day we are also human beings. If you want drama for TRP ratings, I will provide that. Please, give us some privacy.”

Actors and filmmakers, including Suhasini and Parthiban, also requested the media to cooperate, saying that Bhagyaraj’s death was very sudden and difficult for those close to him and asking them not to interfere.

A filmmaker who changed the landscape of Tamil cinema with his middle-class stories, sharp screenplays and memorable characters, Bhagyaraj shared a close bond with many artistes of the 1980s.