Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla today expressed grief at the demise of veteran filmmaker Bharathiraja. In a social media post, Mr. Birla said, through Bharathiraja’s visionary storytelling and authentic portrayal of rural life, he gave Tamil cinema a distinctive identity and enriched Indian cinema with several timeless films. He added that Bharathiraja enduring contribution to cinema will continue to inspire generations of filmmakers and artists. Mr Birla also expressed condolences to his family, friends and fans in this hour of grief.