MAESTRO ILAIYARAAJA NEWS & TITBITS VER.2010-2011

[Saagar]

Today I had been to a feliciation ceremony of ONV Kurup For Gnanapeeth,Jayaram was also feliciated in the same function for PadmaShri, at Chennai by the AI Mal Association. Shri IR was there for the function. He put to rest any feeling of doubt in anyone's mind regarding his feelings for ONV by categorically stating that he came for the function only for ONV. He made a brief speech, almost in Malayalam, stating that for artistes (Kalakaaranmar) these figurative awards are not their "Lakshyam". When ONV's turn came to speak, he walked over and accompanied him till the podium. All in all , IR won over the audience from his entry to his speech to the entire period when he was there. He was exchanging pleasantries with ONV,Hariharan & Gokulam Gopalan. It was clear that unlike other people with whom he had a tiff, this was purely a media created one. By IR's nature, it would not have been this way otherwise.

Speaking later at the same function Jayaram recollected the composing session of Manassinakkare. He said that he had proposed to IR for a stay at a house boat. He mentioned that IR called him up at Chennai, from the houseboat, telling him how much he enjoyed that & felt inspired for a tune for situation in the film which he sand over the phone- the song was Melle Onnu. (Sathyan Anthikkad had earlier mentioned about the same composing in an interview earlier - about how impressed he was to see how the entire song was "born" in front of his eyes. Within 5 mins he called up again saing that he got the tune for the next situation also & sang the tune for him over phone - the song being Marakkudayaal.