CHENNAI: Sixty four members of the Tamil Nadu Film Directors ' Association have signed up to donate their bodies for research.

Out of the 64 members, 62 are directors and two others are family members of the directors.

Association president Vikraman, vice-presidents K S Ravikumar and P Vasu, and general secretary R K Selvamani met chief minister J Jayalalithaa at the secretariat on Tuesday and presented pledge documents to donate their bodies.

"When I was chosen for the second term in July last, I expressed my wish to donate the body in my general council meeting. And the response was spontaneous," Vikraman told TOI.

The director of runaway hits like "Suryavamsam," "Pudhu Vasantham," and "Vaanathai Pola" said that he got inspiration from actor Kamal Haasan who pledged his body on his birthday a few years ago. "It makes sense to donate the entire body than a few organs, you know," Vikraman said.

Vikraman said the association would soon hold awareness campaigns in districts on the significance of donating bodies after death.

Jayalalithaa, a former actor, is said to have lauded the association's gesture.

