That music composer Ilaiyaraaja is a phenomenon in Tamil cinema cannot be overstated. He broke several barriers and revolutionised music. He has given the industry several memorable songs, beginning from his breakthrough in 1976 with director Devaraj Mohan’s Annakili. Generations of cinema fans can vouch for the magic that his music evokes and it is only fair to say that his songs have become a part of people's identities.
Ilaiyaraaja, whose interviews are quite rare to come by, is known for taking a very strong stand when it comes to the ownership of his music. In a recent interview with Cinema Express, Ilaiyaraaja’s comment to a particular question that deals with young and new filmmakers/music composers using his songs in their films as pop-cultural references has led to a heated discussion among fans on the internet.
The question is put forward towards the end of the nearly 45-minute long interview by film critic and writer Sudhir Srinivasan who begins by saying, “I’m asking you this question as a fan. Your songs have become a part of people’s lives so much so that they make a mental map of their memories with respect to the time your songs released. Very recently a film that released, 96, too had the heroine singing your songs. I'm not sure if you have seen them…”
To this, Ilaiyaraaja responds, “This is very wrong. Just because a story takes place during a particular period, it is not necessary for them to use songs from that time. Wherever they don’t have the capability, they tend to use an already popular song. Reason is that they don't have the stuff to create equivalently good songs.”
Citing RD Burman’s 1973 Hindi film Yaadon Ki Baaraat as an example, Ilaiyaraaja says, “There’s a 20-year-old song in the film that reunites the family in the climax. RD Burman could’ve used any composer’s song from 20 years ago. He didn’t. Instead he composed a 20-year-old song that suited the time period.”
His choice of words for criticising this trend has led even fans to react strongly. “This only show the weakness, the composer's impotence/lack of masculinity (aanmai illathanam). If they want to depict a period, they’ll have to create a song from that period,” he says.
Yet, when the interviewer continues, “About people who compose music today…”, Raaja is quick to add, “I have no rights to advise anyone. Who am I to do so?”
C Prem Kumar, the director of 96, told TNM that proper procedures were followed to use Ilaiyaraaja's songs in the film. He's currently in Visakhapatnam, shooting for the Telugu version of 96 with Samantha and Sharwanand in the lead.
"We duly followed the procedure to use his songs," he said. However, he declined to comment further on the issue.
A crew member who worked in 96 also tweeted that the team had taken the required permissions from Ilaiyaraaja and had paid him royalty for using his compositions.
Am from Team '96. For the record . We have paid the royalty for every song of raja sir that has been used . With due permission .@Premkumar1710 https://t.co/OtlWXz3WoX
— aarthi@ Aarthi now (@dreamboatme) May 27, 2019
TNM reached out to 96 composer Govind Vasantha but he is yet to respond.
Reacting to the controversy, Sudhir Srinivasan said, "I genuinely didn’t think, in the context of our conversation, that he targetted those comments specifically at 96 or its creators. In any case, he had just admitted he hardly watches films anymore. This was simply his view -- agree or disagree -- of filmmakers capitalising on the appeal of his songs, in places where he feels they could have composed new ones. This criticism wouldn’t apply to 96 obviously, because the use of these songs is central to the film's theme of nostalgia.
Some of the reactions address that he could have worded his criticism better, and I do agree with that. However, I genuinely didn't think he meant to directly attack those behind 96. It’s not the feeling I got while talking to him. I saw his view as a response to a bigger trend."
The issue of royalty is an important one because Ilaiyaraaja has, in the past, objected to singers using his songs in concerts without paying him. However, this does not seem to be the reason for his irritation with 96.
This particular exchange has triggered many on social media to discuss the usage of pop cultural references in cinema.
It is also interesting to note here that Super Deluxe, a film by Thiagarajan Kumararaja, released after 96 and had a number of songs from Ilaiyaraaja’s jukebox. The film’s composer, however, was Yuvan Shankar Raja, the musician's son.
Social media users have also pointed out how Ilaiyaraaja himself has used old songs. In the 2003 Bala film Pithamagan, for which he composed the music, the song "Aruna Runam" is nothing but a medley of old Tamil songs. It begins with a chanting and proceeds to a range of songs from MGR and Sivaji films.
The interview, for most part, had Ilaiyaraaja sharing rare glimpses of his life as a young composer, his very first introduction to the theory of musical notes, when he was taught the basics in the field by Dhanraj Master in GK Venkatesh’s (GKV) studio. He speaks about his brother Bhaskar who’d relentlessly approach studios and troupes asking for a chance on his behalf and his great regard for poet-lyricist Kannadasan. He also opens up about his thoughts on the industry when he had just joined it, how he was made to compose a certain kind of music, adding that when films like 16 Vayadhinilestarted to be made by filmmakers who understood his music, things got better. He also speaks critically of his re-recording during his early films, noting that as time progressed, he deliberately strayed from the style used by other composers to create his own niche.
The maestro, who had a fallout with singer SPB last year over royalty issues, seems to have patched up with him. It was recently announced that SPB would be performing at concert organised by Ilaiyaraja himself in association with Mercuri. Pictures of the two hugging each other were shared later in the day.