Ilaiyaraaja was learning western music from Dhanraj Master while the latter was staying in a lodge in Chennai’s Luz Corner.
I belong to the generation that grew up listening to the songs of Ilaiyaraaja, probably the first music director whose fame overshadowed even actors with a mass fan following. This was evident in any cinema hall when loud cheers would rent the air on seeing his name appear on the screen. Another sight used to be of us collecting cinema tickets from others present in the movie hall and throwing them up in the beam of the projector light from the operator’s room. A small and simple man clad in a spotless white dhoti and collarless white shirt, with a shawl draped on his shoulders, the music director was one whose songs melted our hearts and made heroes and heroines appear more beautiful. But in reality, he had an intimidating presence. In my interviews with him, as a journalist, he was forthcoming, though he always sounded combative. But still, speaking to him about his music was an exhilarating experience.
During the 90th birthday of Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, he made a sudden appearance, showered a few gold coins on the dais and left quickly. But the first time I met him was with my colleagues in The Hindu, Meera Srinivasan and Deepa H. Ramakrishnan. He used to be working from Prasad Studio then. After getting to know that they were trained in Carnatic music, he asked Ms. Meera to sing a keerthana — Etha Unatha in Kalyani. He then suggested that she sing without much stress on the ghamaka. This was a moment that broke the ice, leading to him inviting us to his composing room. This space had a portrait of Ramana Maharshi adorning the wall. Ilaiyaraaja began playing the harmonium, explaining the various aspects of music. We lost count of time. While winding up, he said, “I know you don’t feel like leaving. Let us meet another time.”
Carnatic music is close to his heart though he does have an astounding understanding of every genre of music. He loves the nagaswaram and his favourite musician is the late Kulikarai Pitchaiappa.
He agreed to meet me when I expressed my desire to write about his teacher, Dhanraj Master, on the occasion of his 75th birthday. Ilaiyaraaja was learning western music from him while Dhanraj Master was staying in a lodge in Luz Corner. But he refused to teach Ilaiyaraaja further on learning that he had begun working in the film industry.
Ilaiyaraaja told me, “I launched [into] self-learning mode and got 85% in the examination conducted by Trinity College [London]. When I showed the certificate to Dhanraj Master, he said, ‘Raja, you are great’.”
It was Dhanraj Master who changed Ilaiyaraaja’s name to Raja. But the director and producer, Panju Arunachalam, who gave him an opening as a music director for the film, Annakili, changed his name to Ilaiyaraaja.
Ilaiyaraaja’s residence would transform itself into a small concert hall during the 10 days of Navarthiri. The select audience could look forward to classical music concerts and dances. He would also serve food to the poor. Explaining why he did this, he said, “We [his brother Bhaskar and director Bharathiraja] did not have money or food for a few days. It was raining heavily and after a lull, we left the room in Kodambakkam and walked up to Vadapalani. Shop owners were celebrating Saraswathi pooja and we collected puffed rice being distributed as prasadam and returned. We made a small mountain of puffed rice wrapped in newsprint (The Hindu) and ate it. When I narrated this to my wife, she suggested that I should feed the poor during the Navarathiri, a practice which I still continue.”
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I once asked him whether I could play his songs set to Keeravani rendered by my friend and nagaswaram player, E.M. Mariappan. He nodded in appreciation when some phrases were recaptured in nagaswaram. “You are the greatest rasika if you can enjoy Carnatic music,” he told me. He also said, “It is I who introduced Beethoven and Mozart to you people. There are elements of symphony in my film songs. But some people say I have copied them from elsewhere,” he said.
It is always easy listening to him speak. But if you tried to cross some lines, he would be tough.
kolappan.b@thehindu.co.in
Published – April 04, 2025 07:06 am IST
