Maestro ilaiyaraaja news & titbits

[teja]

"We did complain, i protested. They said, they are going for digital projection from next year. All the films were judged like that. their answer was sorry sir we don't have a DTS projection provision, all the movies are watched on mono.."

Really pathetic state of affairs. Atleast Satish protested. (good to hear that). One more NA wouldn't make much of a difference to IR or his fans. The entire SRR music department has put up a brilliant effort, left no stone unturned and delivered a fabulous output. (Seems IR went to Hungary a few days after his wife passed away, to complete the final mixing of SRR. That's how dedicated he was to SRR, and it shows in the film). NA would have given this team the kind of recognition they truly deserve, at national level. Doesn't matter if SRR sweeps all state awards, filmfares etc... NA is NA. Despite glowing reviews and special screening at Indian Panorama, this film didn't break even, financially. And now, it didn't score at NAs either. Sad to see their efforts go down the drain. That probably sums up why some of us here are totally unhappy with NAs.

[Gregorysab]

teja,

Rama Rajyam was a financial success, as far as I know. They even had a success meet for the film. I have seen the movie posters for many days after the film's release and the movie-talk floated in public for many days after the release. I think this movie's success did trigger the resurgence of mythology/god based films now. K.Raghavendra rao launched Shiridi Sai Baba film with Nagarjuna and a film on Sathya Sai Baba is also being made (with raaja's music). Rama Rajyam achieved its end-purpose - of impressing the audience. When i went to UK last december, a telugu family I met there were talking about the film and its music. An ardent raaja fan in that family had no clue about Sneha veedu or Gaayam-2 but he spoke a lot of Rama Rajyam's music. I think we are undermining the film's success. it did impress many.

I agree that Raaja's score was stupendous. But when I say that the NA doesn't matter - i mean that a NA does not really translate into great film assignments for Raaja. if Bapu went to Raaja for Rama Rajyam, it was NOT because Raaja won NA for Pazhassi Raja's BGM. It was because of Bapu's belief that only Raaja can deliver music that has traces of old school melody within the confines of new-audience taste. that he could get great BGM with budapest team is a bonus for the film that Bapu could get, when the film was made. it was not planned originally. and How many really good films came to Raaja, based upon the fact that he got NA recently? if producers choose him, it is because of their liking for his music or because of the suitability of his music to their film. None of them are NA-driven choices at all.

Instead, i'd be happy if he wins filmfare award. Not that FF is greater than NA. Absolutely not. The process will be equally idiotic there too may be. But the end result will be slightly better. A FF award means, one mandatory interview in FF magazine, some interviews, articles - basically media coverage will improve. And more importantly, it will put raaja (and his music) in commercial limelight. it 'might' lead to some good projects with interesting film-makers. in short, it can lead to few more "Neethane Enthan Ponvasantham" kind of assignments - which is good for raaja at 68. though we know that he is still the best, a FF award will make it official that he is still a commercial force to reckon with... and some producers will sit up and take notice for sure. All this - will not happen if IR wins a NA.

[Plum]

Aakarsh - excellent points. Forget the commercial points, the 3 national awrds he already has don't mean much to me - you know why? Because he didn't win it for the right reasons. He won because the trend then was for the generally musically agnostic jury to award any significant film based on classical music - the same trend that conferred undeserved honours upon Keerabani for Annamayya over Raja's magnum-opus Guru. So, I really don't value those awards. On the contrary, when Rahman got appreciated it was for the right reasons - I mean we could argue for Thevar Magan over Roja but when the jury awarded Roja, it stated clearly that it was recognised for its " new sound and new paradigm". Which is exactly Rahman's mission. So he not only succeeded in his mission but also got nuanced appreciation recognising his mission. In that sense, Rahman is truly blessed in a way Raja isn't. But that's the way these things go - what Raja has is fans like us who deeply understand these dichotomies and quirks of the universe and WE are the awards to him - recognisig his musical philosophy and its application in his works and deeply understanding the significance and non-significance of external recognition.

[Plum]

I mean we really don't have NAs to show for his path-breaking fusion works nor for the paradigm-changing work in BGM in the 80s. All we have are 3 awards for a genre of music which appeal to the cultural elite who controlled the award decisions then. That is not much of a win for me. I mean, if Raja didn't happen, would fans of his successor MDs be even talking about BGM? I am sure his successors are cursing him for bringing this aspect to limelight and making it a necessary aspect for MD. It wasn't so before - and frankly,I don't see the same passion for BGM in his successors. There are good scores but I think a lot of them hit a broad note of feeling hoping that is enough. GVP is the most obvious example - although it is wrong to pick on a 20 year old who hasn't seen much life to feel nuanced emotions.

[V_S]

Superb points aakarsh and Plum.

what Raja has is fans like us who deeply understand these dichotomies and quirks of the universe and WE are the awards to him - recognisig his musical philosophy and its application in his works and deeply understanding the significance and non-significance of external recognition.

I mean, if Raja didn't happen, would fans of his successor MDs be even talking about BGM?

This!

[app_engine]

I mean, if Raja didn't happen, would fans of his successor MDs be even talking about BGM?

So much so that even the bureaucratic NA has to have a category of pinnaNi isai now

[Gregorysab]

Aakarsh - excellent points. Forget the commercial points, the 3 national awrds he already has don't mean much to me - you know why? Because he didn't win it for the right reasons. He won because the trend then was for the generally musically agnostic jury to award any significant film based on classical music - the same trend that conferred undeserved honours upon Keerabani for Annamayya over Raja's magnum-opus Guru. So, I really don't value those awards. On the contrary, when Rahman got appreciated it was for the right reasons - I mean we could argue for Thevar Magan over Roja but when the jury awarded Roja, it stated clearly that it was recognised for its " new sound and new paradigm". Which is exactly Rahman's mission. So he not only succeeded in his mission but also got nuanced appreciation recognising his mission. In that sense, Rahman is truly blessed in a way Raja isn't. But that's the way these things go - what Raja has is fans like us who deeply understand these dichotomies and quirks of the universe and WE are the awards to him - recognisig his musical philosophy and its application in his works and deeply understanding the significance and non-significance of external recognition.

Plum,

Interesting take. I didnt dwell on NA awards that deep to really feel good or bad about raaja winning them. But yes, the day Anu Malik won NA, i gave up on NAs. and i didnt know Keeravani also won NA.. For Annamayya that too!! Mediocrity celebrated! But i must say that I find it amusing (and slight pride) that out of 3 NAs that Raaja won, 2 were for Telugu films. The surprise for me was that his Swarna Kamalam did not win NA (going by the trend you have pointed out).

Anyway, we never understand how NAs are selected. To be honest, I never understood how Bhavatharini was given NA (Mayil Pola). If anything, I would have given the NA for Raaja for his Bharathi score, but i didnt find the rendition of Bhava great enough. whatever! i think we are wasting time discussing on NAs here.

[sakaLAKALAKAlaa Vallavar]

"devathai iLam devi" has a kannada version right? what is the song name? is there a list where we can search other language equivalents of IR's tamil tunes?

[SoftSword]

"devathai iLam devi" has a kannada version right? what is the song name? is there a list where we can search other language equivalents of IR's tamil tunes?

keladi nimageega....
illi nOdi guru....

[sakaLAKALAKAlaa Vallavar]

thanks SS!