Bollywood actor-producer Aamir Khan, who has fond memories of K. Balachander, says the veteran auteur's death earlier this week was a "sad day" for Indian cinema, to which he contributed a lot.
"Mr. K. Balachander passed away on 23rd. A sad day for Indian cinema. His contribution to cinema has been immense...And what a humble man. One of my most memorable evenings in my entire 25 years was with Mr. Balachander.
"The generosity and warmth that he showed me will stay with me forever. My heartfelt condolences to the family," Aamir posted on Twitter Thursday.
A Dadasaheb Phalke award winner, Balachander, breathed his last at a hospital in Chennai Tuesday. He was 84.
His cremation Wednesday was attended by superstar Rajinikanth, DMK chief M. Karunanidhi, actor-turned-politician Vijayakanth as well as actors such as Vijay, Vikram, Arjun, Sathyaraj, Sarath Kumar, Khushbu, Prakash Raj, Sripriya, Manorama, Srikanth, Sivakumar, Dhanush, Visu, Mohan, T. Rajendar.
Known for introducing stars such as Kamal Haasan, Rajinikanth, Saritha and Prakash Raj, Balachander has over 150 films to his credit.
Some of his best films include "Aval Ora Thodar Kathai", "Apoorva Raagangal", "Avargal", "Varumayin Niram Sigappu" and "47 Natkal".