Actor Daniel Balaji passed away at the age of 48 due to a heart attack on Friday in Chennai. The film fraternity mourned his death and paid their last respects to him at his funeral held in the city on Saturday. The actor known for his roles in several notable films like Polladhavan, Vada Chennai and Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu had pledged to donate his eyes, and his wish has been fulfilled by the doctors who treated him at the private hospital in Kottivakam.
Balaji was my junior at the film institute.He used to constantly come to my hostel room and we used to watch movies and talk about the characters in them. He used to tell me that he wanted to act like Al Pacino. It was easy to work with him in Kaakha Kaakha, as I knew him from before. There was a crucial scene in the film where he opened a box and saw his wife’s head in it. He used to practice this scene all the time. He was a very dedicated artiste. Gautham also really liked him. So, he used to cast Balaji in a lot of his films.
– D Rajasekhar, cinematographer
When we first met on the set of Vada Chennai, he called me Anna, showing how respectful and loving he was. Besides being a talented actor, he knew a lot about filmmaking, including camera angles and directing. While many people aim for houses, cars or material things, he was a spiritual person and also built a temple near Avadi for the public. My favourite movie of his was Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu. You really need guts to act alongside a senior actor like Kamal Haasan and score well in front of him.
-Ameer, director
Daniel was a talented actor and a knowledgeable person who understood the art of cinema. His character in Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu was particularly interesting. He had been an outstanding performer in all the films that he had done. He didn’t work in many movies, but he focused on select films, all of which were fantastic. He used to put in a lot of effort for each of his projects.
-Pa Ranjith, director
We worked together in Gangs of Madras, but knew each other even before that. We used to respectfully appreciate each other’s work and talk about cinema. It’s really shattering to know about his sudden demise.
-Ashok Kumar
Balaji was my junior at the film institute.He used to constantly come to my hostel room and we used to watch movies and talk about the characters in them. He used to tell me that he wanted to act like Al Pacino. It was easy to work with him in Kaakha Kaakha, as I knew him from before. There was a crucial scene in the film where he opened a box and saw his wife’s head in it. He used to practice this scene all the time. He was a very dedicated artiste. Gautham also really liked him. So, he used to cast Balaji in a lot of his films.
– D Rajasekhar, cinematographer
When we first met on the set of Vada Chennai, he called me Anna, showing how respectful and loving he was. Besides being a talented actor, he knew a lot about filmmaking, including camera angles and directing. While many people aim for houses, cars or material things, he was a spiritual person and also built a temple near Avadi for the public. My favourite movie of his was Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu. You really need guts to act alongside a senior actor like Kamal Haasan and score well in front of him.
-Ameer, director
Daniel was a talented actor and a knowledgeable person who understood the art of cinema. His character in Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu was particularly interesting. He had been an outstanding performer in all the films that he had done. He didn’t work in many movies, but he focused on select films, all of which were fantastic. He used to put in a lot of effort for each of his projects.
-Pa Ranjith, director
We worked together in Gangs of Madras, but knew each other even before that. We used to respectfully appreciate each other’s work and talk about cinema. It’s really shattering to know about his sudden demise.
-Ashok Kumar
