BOOKS, ARTICLES & BLOGPOSTS On/By ISAIGNANI ILAIYARAAJA

[Gregorysab]

I just started reading the book "Conversations with Mani Ratnam", by Baradwaj Rangan (film critic) and it has many references to Ilaiyaraaja. But the most striking one, which I think might appeal to those Ilaiyaraaja-fans who hate Mani Ratnam, more for ditching him rather than for his work, is this:

I still think Raja is amazing. I think he is a genius and he will always be one. Till today, I think some of the best music that I have grown up with is Raja's and till today, there is nothing that moves me as much as his music. I have no issues on that and I've never had a problem, really speaking, with him.

Mani Ratnam however, diplomatically avoids delving into what exactly happened (because it seems to be a rift between producers & Raaja) .

[kr]

I just started reading the book "Conversations with Mani Ratnam", by Baradwaj Rangan (film critic) and it has many references to Ilaiyaraaja. But the most striking one, which I think might appeal to those Ilaiyaraaja-fans who hate Mani Ratnam, more for ditching him rather than for his work, is this:

I still think Raja is amazing. I think he is a genius and he will always be one. Till today, I think some of the best music that I have grown up with is Raja's and till today, there is nothing that moves me as much as his music. I have no issues on that and I've never had a problem, really speaking, with him.

Mani Ratnam however, diplomatically avoids delving into what exactly happened (because it seems to be a rift between producers & Raaja) .

I am one of those who hates ManiRatnam after he broke up with Ilayaraaja and this comment does'nt change a bit of my opinion. To me loyalty is very important.

[irir123]

loyalty yellam cinemavula remba paakka mudiyaadhu !

thavira it takes two hands to clap - IR has also likely gotten into tiffs with producers - varra producers athhana perukkum, kalaa rasanai irukkumnu expect panradhu velaikkaavadhu

having said that, MR's works shd be looked at objectively - since IR (going by Jeyamohan's article and also based on what we know of his involvement in a film) gives a music that uplifts, adds character and flavors distinct to every new movie based on its storyline, script as well as cinematography etc, MR benefitted from all of it - but even then, MR had his limitations, with or without IR - for instance, avarukku comedy suthhamaa varavey varaadhu - in 'Geethanjali / idhayathai thirudaadhey', or, 'agni natchathiram, the irrelevant comedy tracks were soora super mokkai but IR still gave two of the most memorable themes for them!

also, MR had his own irritating cliches he found hard to come out of - interestingly, i found 'pagal nilavu' the least MR cliched movie!

[kr]

Thats why I said for me. I have followed the tamil cinema and have made my perceptions of these people - I respect and admire IR more than Maniratnam and all I was commenting was that the statement by Maniratnma in the book doesnt change my opinion of him

[geno]

Just for the record. vairamuthu's 3rd rated behaviour in recounting an insult that jeyakaanthan-the-self-anointed-genius did to Ilaiyaraja - in his Ananda vikatan pathilgal! It's here:

http://tamil.oneindia.in/movies/news...ie-165909.html

[Chikatilomt]

Just for the record. vairamuthu's 3rd rated behaviour in recounting an insult that jeyakaanthan-the-self-anointed-genius did to Ilaiyaraja - in his Ananda vikatan pathilgal! It's here:

http://tamil.oneindia.in/movies/news...ie-165909.html

This is being discussed in the tidbits thread. This was my comment:

Even before discussing who is right or wrong (which we can't do given the lack of full information), when somebody is asking about what he appreciates in Jayakanthan, why should he go tangentially and bring some MD and quote a personal/ controversial incident (that is assuming the incident/ version is true.). There should really be many better ways to praise Jayakanthan than this.

[njv]

http://mahaperiyavaa.wordpress.com/2...h-mahaperiyava

[inetk]

Incidentally, Raja's Q&A in latest Vikatan has a question about a situation where he was embarrassed (asadu vazhintheegal). He narrates an incident without names where he recommended an upcoming director to a well known producer without knowing that they are brothers. He also asked that director to go and visit the producer and the director did not tell Raja even at that time that the concerned producer was his brother. Raja has left enough clues for readers to understand that he is referring to Mani Ratnam and GV. So, even if Mani seems to be diplomatic in the book, I feel there is something deep enough between the two for Raja (of all people) to come up with this fairly obvious nudge-wink narrative n Mani.

[layman10]

http://www.residentadvisor.net/feature.aspx?1769

From a pretty beguiling list of records, this for me was the most unexpected. I couldn't find much information about it, and when I heard it I was really taken by surprise to discover this is actually a pop record.

It's like the most joyous music ever. I'm a huge horror collector, and while that's become a bit of a ball-and-chain for a lot of people, it's really important to respect people making joyous music. Then put that into the context of the country we're talking about, which is India.

Bollywood's from Bombay, the Lahore film industry was called Lollywood, and Kollywood is from Chennai in India. They're all poorer sisters of each other. Bollywood's huge and one of the most well-endowed film industries in the world. Lollywood is like a cheap imitation. Where all these huge orchestras used to be, they'd do it with synths and just a few different people overdubbed, and ending up being quite creative. So instead of a 60-piece choir, you'll have a five-piece band.

Now Kollywood is even more niche, where you pretty much have a one-man band—which is this guy, Ilaiyaraaja—with hundreds of weird techniques and influences. He basically de-contextualised and re-contextualised, reinvented and resampled everything. For example, if you wanted a standard choir, he would sample a choir from a '50s record and get a DX7 bassline off a Roland synth from the 80s, and put that over the top with loads of hand clapping and re-triggering, and all these weird approximations.