On July 17, 1941, the die-hard romantic Bharathiraja was born as Chinnasamy in Alli Nagaram, a remote, sylvan village near Theni. His parents, Periya Maya Thevar and Meenatchiammaal alias Karuthammaal had five children. Deer hunting and reading were two of his childhood interests. He dreamed of making it to the fantasy world of filmmaking as a full-blooded adolescent.
From his earliest days as a vagrant youth, he had an unwavering enthusiasm for acting and all other theatrical pursuits. He was also a strong forum speaker who went around the village spreading social consciousness among the illiterate. In 1963, he was hired as a Sanitary Inspector in the Public Health Department, with a monthly salary of Rs.75/- in Indian rupees.
During festival seasons in Theni Pazhani Chettiyapatti village, Bharathiraja wrote, directed, and acted in his first dramas "Oor Sirikkirathu" (The Town Laughs) and "Summa Oru Kadhai" (Just a Story). This sparked his creativity and gave him the courage to look for work in the Tamil film industry.