Maestro ilaiyaraaja news & titbits

[KV]

Oh gosh! Ivalo damage agi pOcha? Manchikangaba
V_Sji, A_E and others… I’m very little ‘worried’ about the way this album is gonna shape up. Not for a moment have I doubted if Raaja will live up to GVM’s musical reputation. The very thought is a farce! Come on, what are we talking… 5-6 albums v/s Raaja’s musical output? I’d have to be lobotomized to think of something as crazy as that, forget even comparing the two!
Had I been keeping GVM at a higher pedestal and doubting Raaja, I’d have requested songs like other contemporary composers from him… asking him to do ennamo edho/po nee po/iragai pOle and the likes. This is NOT what I’m hinting at. Like I said before, as a fan, I have some wishes… what I’d love to get from him… because I know only he’s capable of something as magical as that. Yes, I’m biased towards the real/acoustic style and not a big fan of synth, but that isn’t the base of my aadhangam. I’m simply (maybe foolishly) attempting to find ways of getting him more inspired. Yes, he’s been giving us some lovely music every year, be it Ponnar Shankar or SV or Dhoni and many others. Listening to his music day-in/day-out has made me greedy and I can’t help but crave for more. Ganja adikkaravan maadhiri aaitten.
The musical ideas in the man are stunning, but time is running out… when else can we expect to see these ideas take shape if not for now? Whether he connects with this generation or not, I care a damn. Give the man his space, the freedom to fully execute his thoughts, the funding he’s proposing and keep him musically inspired in whichever way possible. Idhu dhaan enakku vEnum. I rest my case.

[KV]

naalai mudhal polamba maattEn, saththiyamadi thangam

[Gregorysab]

Too much speculation going on for GVM-IR combo. I think all these theories will be pointless if the cd doesnt get release ofcourse, at this stage, chances are less for such a thing to happen... but even otherwise, i feel too much is being written about if IR can deliver or if GVM can inspire! if anything, I have my doubts on GVM being able to get the best out of IR and not the other way round. I see GVM as more of a Harris Jeyraj-oriented director rather than a ARR oriented although VTV is a hit. Because GVM-HJ had multiple albums together and GVM-ARR had only 1. And lets not forget that GVM came to ARR because he had a tiff with HJ. Now, for this venture GVM came to IR. Good. But we cannot jump to conclusions that he will remain with IR. He might. he might not. we never know. Even Balki's next venture, english-Vinglish, has music by Pritam (i think) and not by Raaja (though i wish so). But again, it is evident that GVM likes raaja's music a lot. That he didnt approach IR before is perhaps due to reasons we dont know.

But I am surprised to see that GVM is regaled to the status of Maniratnam (with just VTV as example). MR started in 1983 and whatever he has mastered, he has done it the hardway (given that he was unique back in 80s when his films were very different from the rest). GVM's films cannot be compared to MR's films. GVM's taste in music cannot be compared to MR's taste in music. On that count, i think it unfair to have a MR-IR like expectations from GVM-IR combo. We should definitely be glad that IR has got a big-venture in Tamil where the premise is more urban & contemporary (looking at posters atleast). Thats about it. If the combo really delivers high, then it is always a good thing. In short, I keep expectations grounded, so that there will not be huge disappointments (worst-case).


And finally, did any director get back to IR after trying ARR? as someone answered, RGV. There is one more director - Rajkumar Santoshi, who came to Ilaiyaraaja, for Lajja's background score, after he made Pukar which had ARR's score. And Maniratnam did try to rope in Raaja, for Iruvar and Kannathil Muthamittal; although both attempts failed.

I will be interesting to see - given Raaja's recent change in personality (he is more open to media, he is attending functions, speaking a lot, interviews, giving concerts etc etc) - which i think has some bearing on he accepting a GVM film, will Raaja, in the same way, accept a MR film if MR approaches him for his next film? MR's attempts for Ponniyen Selvan didnt materialize and MR moved on to his next that will have ARR as usual. But in future, will MR try again? and if he does, will this new IR accept?

[San_K]

I hope the following persons will join IR apart from GVM in near future

1) Kamal (who else)
2) Venkat Prabhu (already said his wish in twitter)
3) Selvaragavan (he is another GVM, I meant he gets what should want from MD)
4) ARM (though he already did)
5) Shankar (will he?)

veru yaaraiyaavathu vittu vachuirukkenA?

[raajarasigan]

2) Venkat Prabhu (already said his wish in twitter)

are you sure? VP is becoming a curse to direction, IMHO. He is taking direction for granted.

[raja_fan]

V_S and RR,

Please read my post again.
I even told "We know these ( flops of Cheran etc ) are not due to IR".
I am only worried about the jinx or bad luck whatever we call it...

[krish244]

KV,

+1 ! Nice ideas. My only wish is: IR not compose yet another album with 5 songs in a jiffy and throw at GVM. If GVM can truly inspire him, I think we'll be in for a treat. Let's hope it turns out to be big commercial hit in tamil for IR.

Totally agree with KV and RR. So many thoughts came to my mind as well (on similar lines of KV), but I have become extremely lethargic & lazy (if there are other synonyms...put it here ) to post my thoughts here.

- If the storyline (and/or the way it is perceived), director (GVM) can genuinely inspire IR, then the output will certainly be fresh and special. I know that tunes sort of comes out naturally and instantly to IR irrespective of whether he is inspired or not. There may be many such tunes that have not been memorable, but there are many that have been memorable too. True/Genuine inspiration can certainly extract memorable music from IR, irrespective of whether the tune comes instantly or after a day or two. Some good singing will certainly better the cause. I am sure GVM will certainly picturise it well.

- I really wish that GVM does not compromise on what he accepts (from IR) till he gets genuinely satisfied. IR should also not leave GVM till he feels GVM got what he wanted .

- I certainly wish IR use more of his live orchestra (guitar, base guitar, violins, cellos, flute, trumpets, sax, et al) along with his excellent rhythm arrangements and put everything in a modern context in a way that only he can achieve.

- Due to various reasons, the reach of many of IR's recent excellent songs was restricted to fans like us or liked by prominent musicians or sung in competition shows. Basically I am saying that these excellent songs were cherished by 40-50% of people. Unlike that, I wish the songs of this album, apart from being musically great, should become a commercial hit (like RR says)

On the whole I wish the musical output of this movie be a memorable one. I hope for the best. That said, my expectation level will be balanced.

thanks,

Krishnan

[Sureshs65]

KV,

romba nondhooteenga pola Don't worry. I am sure all of us have our own desires. So go ahead and keep posting your thoughts.

[krish244]

Kannada movie "Prasad" to be screened at Berlin Film Festival:

http://articles.timesofindia.indiati...l-pink-panther

"...Produced by Ashok Kheny for AKK Entertainment and directed by Manoj Sati with music by Ilaiyaraaja, Prasad will be viewed by the world's most discerning audiences at the Martin-Gropius-Bau (MGB)-KINO in Berlin. The Shah Rukh Khan blockbuster Don 2, which is a German co-production that was filmed in Berlin, will also be premiered at the film festival on February 11.

There are reports that Prasad - with its sensitive treatment of a physically challenged child winning over the expectations of his parents and adulation of his peers - has already caught the attention of the world media..."

thanks,

Krishnan

[Saagar]

A few more names : Outside of Tfm partly : Priyadarshan, worked with IR for Gopura Vasalile (Tamil) , then with ARR for Doli Sajake Rakhna (Hindi) and then with IR again for Kaalapaani (Malayalam). Raj kumar Santhoshi, with ARR for Pukar and then with IR for Lajja. Both of them keep changing their crew very often & there is no pattern in crew selection (though they have some favourites)...

I think KSRavikumars Periyakudumbam was after Muthu.

One who started with ARR & went to IR Family - Jothikrishna (E20U18) to Kedi (YSR). Then there's Shashilal Nair-One two ka Four (ARR) to Grahan (KR), not sure which one was first on this.