Home   Forum   Wiki   Notes   Register   FAQ   Sitemap   About Us   Contact Us  

Ilayaraja's comments in Kumudam

Topic started by Karthik (@ 164.164.128.13) on Thu Feb 8 07:26:45 EST 2001.
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

IR has, in an interview in the latest Kumudam (also covered in the front page with his snap), said that 'He has wasted 25 years of his life in film music'.

I dont know how others look at it, but I see it as a very harsh statement of total disloyalty. Its tamil film music that has given IR all the attention and praise he is receiving now. If he's a genius in composing WC, that, in any way doesnt affect anybody in TN. What affects the common man in TN is how good IR has composed in his tamil films.

IMHO, it was a statement totally unwarranted and shows utter disrespect on IR's part towards his craft.

Karthik

---

Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: Venkatesh (@ 206.49.110.156) on: Fri Feb 9 04:43:59 EST 2001
  
  Hi guys, read his comments again - he says "instead of serving to the music's cause, I feel I have wasted my 25 years (effort) in the cine field. But I will not blame the cinefield or the fans for this". It clearly shows that he doesnt disrespect cine field but only hates himself for doing the mudane task all these years. It is his humbleness.
  
  He only aspires to achieve more in the realm of music, which really shows his humility. If an artist starts thinking that he has achieved something already, complacency sets in and he cannot achieve anything more. His Hungary visit gave him an opportunity to introspect. He has seen the vastness and magnitude of various musical forms clearly.
  
  IR really has got that fire in him which propels him forward to do more. I am sure we will be in for a lot more surprises from him in the future.
  
  
• From: eden (@ 61.1.250.168) on: Fri Feb 9 04:55:41 EST 2001
  
  http://dinamalar.com/2001Feb9/kumudam.htm
  I read the article in the above link...usual Raja stuff...ooRugAi / virundhu kind of remarks...can understand the frustration building in him...feeling like a top class engineer struggling in, say, ITI for 25 years and then lament not having been part of NASA or something like that...One cannot totally blame ITI but his own attitude also:-)
  
  
• From: cram (@ 206.103.12.102) on: Fri Feb 9 07:01:18 EST 2001
  
  yeah eden
  
  if he got sick of working in ITI, he should have quit long ago, instead of calling ITI names. why the hell was he there all these years, the money, right? what stopped him from moving out? it's all his attitude, which is sad.
  
  
• From: hari (@ 128.83.175.32) on: Fri Feb 9 10:00:51 EST 2001
  
  Well, i didnt mean to be insensitive. my point was.. In the case of geniuses, u dont judge them like anybody else. IR would have been succesful in any field of music, .. tfm was the only choice he had in the society as it existed those days... that doesnt mean tfm elevated him... it was he who gave us all we hear now, and generally improved the state of tfm. Why shud anybody feel bitter if he says spending 25 yrs in tfm was a mistake? Of course, he realises the amt of joy he has given (continues to give) to all his listeners, and the high standards he has set. However, he needs to set some standards for himself, and the stifling atmosphere of tfm has curtailed it a bit(is what i suppose he feels). I can hardly see it as a case of "sour grapes" .. it is just his realisation that he has much more to achieve, and he has not done justice to his true potential. well, the gain is all ours in a any case... IR is ours to trash and pass judgement upon, or to build a temple... as it suits us.
  
  
• From: Swami (@ 199.206.254.61) on: Fri Feb 9 10:36:03 EST 2001
  
  I don't know what were the exact proceedings and the script of the speech which IR delivered. These magazines always have the notorious way of creating unwanted and falcious rumours my misleading the readres with its writings. Let's take the hypothetical case of IR having said according to kumudham. So what guys, he's letting out his frustration of not being recognized for his works off late (and also previously). A tom, d1ck and harry comes, score s music for a film (I cannot hear those songs) and win a national award. And this poor guy IR scored hard for a movie like “Guru” or “Mogha Mull” and alas no one cares. He goes to Hungary and composes the BGM for Hey Ram, which I think was one of the best of last year, and what did he get? (please don’t drag the symphony here). I blame him partly too. He’s got a poor marketing of himself. But that shouldn’t stop good work reaching people right.
  
  We get a crappy album in the market by name "Areee pyar karen mein, thum kya kareee" (well how the heck the Hindi walaas get name like this) and the album becomes a block buster and wins 100's of awards. The funny thing would be 3/6 songs would be direct lifts. Its the matter of understanding the works and appreciating. No wonder IR give good numbers for the Mallu people, because they appreciate his work. There can arise a question did the Tamil folks never appreciated him?? Well partly yes and partly no. Off late we as Tamil listeners began to compromise a lot (on lyrics, on singers, on the dying use of natural instruments, on good melodious songs). So in that event we lost our sense of appreciating good works. Honestly tell me, how many of us here really appreciated the songs "ninnai charan" and "edhilum ingu" from Bharathi. Either it would be a kumbaloda govindha one word appreciation or bashing. I do agree there were people to really write a page long description of the song. But that’s only a hand few.
  
  I've been frequenting this forum for the last 4 years. There were days when I used to wait to see the TFM page everyday morning. But not anymore. When I open I see topics like "Deva the deva deva", "SAR the next god", "ARR is not IR", "IR's cooking for pongal". What is this guys? We have deteriorated some much that TFM page has become a garbage can. I really would love to clean it some way. But I don’t have the broom. A serious point to be noted by Ravi and BB. The only suggestion I have, let's clean and over haul our thoughts and mind. Let's start appreciating good music and creators (note the word creators). There goes an adage, "Charity and Service begins at home". In those lines lets begin "appreciation begins at TFM page".
  
  
• From: Fliflo (@ 146.186.113.254) on: Fri Feb 9 10:43:53 EST 2001
  
  Summa iruntha janangalukku mella oru news kidaichathu. IR nalla sonnalum thituvaar. Ippidi sonnaalum thituvaar. Anti-IR makkalukku kekkave venaam.
  
  Aiyo veppam! endru sooriyanai thituvaar palar!
  Aiyo mazhai! endru mazhaiyai thituvaar palar!
  Aiyo Puyal! endru kaatrayum keli seivar palar!
  Ayayo Boogambam! endru boomiyai thittuvaar palar!
  Ivai illaiyendral nee enge! manithane naan thaan enge!
  
  IR illatha TFM oru paalai vanam pola...oru sathuppu nilam pola....payanillamal irukkum..IR-ai ninaitu perumaipadu manithane....Thitinaal un vaaythaan valikkum.
  
  
  
  
  
  Thootruvaar thootrattum! Pottruvaar Pottrattum!
  
  
• From: suresh (@ 203.199.228.8) on: Fri Feb 9 13:39:31 EST 2001
  
  Appreciation for IR's music apart, I think we all must admit that he's a walking PR disaster. At a more youthful and unknowing age, I'd have called him a 'moron', for his permanent sulking and cynicism. What eludes me is that someone who so apparently spreads this much of joy with his creations in a loyal fan fraternity worldwide, must get into a cyclical mood of depression about his own work, or his place under the sun. Insecurity? Freudian disorder? Superiority/ Inferiority complex? Take a pick..
  
  I'd spring to his support in many music-related issues, but on this one, I think IR's penchant for the foot-in-the-mouth will earn him fewer friends by the day. TFM has elevated him from a nondescript Pannaipuram to the echelons of the London Philharmonic, and I doubt if any creative walk of Indian life would have given him such an opportunity defying class, caste barriers.
  
  His continued barbs at the likes of Bharatiraaja and Vairamuthu when they've done nothing to provoke him is of very poor taste and unbecoming of a person of his creativity and erudition.
  
  Let's face it, if today IR's lost a bit in the marketing game, the fault lies partially with him in trusting a sycophantic clique blindly and getting out of touch with current realities.
  
  I remember agreeing with Udaya's post somewhere recalling that the best period of IR's music was before he got into this ascetic,reclusive, religious frame of being, the days of eera vizhi kaaviyangal, aaradhanai.... How one longs that IR goes back in the past to the bell-bottoms era, and recreates those dew drop moods..
  
  When he continued to work with the likes of Keyaar inspite of horrific treatment of great songs (Unnai Vida Matten of Vanaja Girija will rank as an all-time disaster)it was apparent that if not the money or personal equation, it must be his sheer carelessness to be associated with a quality production that vented out as a sado-masochistic streak. Is it not cheating his ardent fans who wait for each and every release of his (I for one, have been at it for over 20 years)? And I will always agree that barring some exceptions, his latter day albums were all marred by one or two pedestrian nos. that he'd have composed sleep-walking.
  
  If he's serious about what he says, he must limit his film commitments to an odd Bharathi or Sethu. I see no reason why he must do a Friends or another of KasthuriRaaja kinds; well, if he's doing it for the moolah, it'll be a great idea for him to stop ranting from public fora about the degradation of TFM.
  
  
  
• From: IsaiAdimai (@ 63.114.212.254) on: Fri Feb 9 14:20:25 EST 2001
  
  
  sorry for a wrong Question, in this thread. Where can I find India 24 Hours CD or cassette or MP3
  
  
• From: Arasu (@ 207.14.54.15) on: Fri Feb 9 14:59:21 EST 2001
  
  IR does not realize that he is in a "practical, political, biased world".
  
  What is he looking for ?
  
  As an ardent IR fan I love his music... but when he opens his gob... man ... stinks !!!
  
  
• From: kooththan (@ 198.73.152.100) on: Fri Feb 9 15:27:18 EST 2001
  
  You say that Tamil cinema has given him fame and wealth.
  
  True.
  
  But, TC has given the same to the likes of Ramarajan, Vijayakanth, Deva, Senthil.....the list goes on.
  
  The people in the above list have given nothing back to TC in return.
  
  Then, there are those like MSV, Kannadasan, KB, Kamal.... They have given to TFM as much as, if not more than, what TFM has given to them.
  
  Raja belongs in the second list.
  
  His relationship with TFM is symbiotic. He gave to TFM, and in return TFM gave to him.
  
  Therefore, no one needs to be grateful to anyone.
  
  Don't tell me TFM gave Raja opportunities.
  
  Raja created the opportunities with his talent.
  
  If TFM gave him opportunities, then it should have given the same opportunities to everyone to whom it gave the fame and wealth.
  
  Having said that, I don't find anything wrong with his comments.
  
  Vairamuthtu, when critised for his lyrics, has repeatedly said 'paattu en thozhil. kavithai en kalai', meaning his 'kavithai' is superior to his cinema 'paattu'.
  
  Vali, when speaking of his accomplishments recently, said 'en paadalhalai vaiththu ennai edai poodaatheerhal'. His point was that his classics such as 'avathaara purushan' show his real talent, his songs do not.
  
  Raja has merely mirrored this view in his own words.
  
  He said that he feels like he wasted his time in Tamil cinema, and was quick to point out that the fans nor the medium could be balmed for this.
  
  He could have meant that HE SHOULD HAVE DONE MORE FOR TFM IN THE LAST 25 YEARS.
  
  He could have meant that HE SHOULD HAVE PURSUED HIS 'KALAI', WHILE WORKING AT HIS 'THOZHIL'
  
  Why do we insist on believing that his intention was to insult Tamil cinema and it's fans?!
  
  Is it insecurity born out of the feeling that Raja does not love us as much as we love him?
  
  Is it our superiority complex born out of the feeling that the kind of music that we like is the best and Raja should be content with it?
  
  Perhaps it is shear arrogance born out of our belief that we are the best thing that ever happened to Raja and he ows us everything he has!
  
  When people like SAR and Bhradwaj say that they are as good as Raja, we listen without flinching an eye.
  
  When Raja humbly says he should have achieved more we call him arrogant.
  
  ....later
  
  PS.
  
  Suresh,
  
  If you think VM has done nothing to bait Raja, you should read VM's book 'intha kuLaththil kal erinthaharhal'.
  
  Cram,
  
  Raja's 'palstic music' comment was in regards to today's TFM - including his own and his sons's.
  
  
  He was comparing todays TFM with classical music. I think his point is valid. The fact that some people prefer Big Macs to 'virunthu' has no bearing on his comment.
  
  ....later
  
  
• From: Layman (@ 206.175.176.2) on: Fri Feb 9 15:55:46 EST 2001
  
  kooththan :
  
  Absolutely fantastic!!!! Once you are a public figure - and more so when you are Raja - there are many who are waiting eagerly to knock you down. When words are taken out of context and hidden motives attached to them, even a prayer can be made out to be a curse.
  
  As a creative genius, he is lamenting the fact that he could have achieved much more in music, explored several other unchartered territories and not be strait-jacketed by the quite inflexible lines of film music. That is his opinion and if at all he can be faulted, it is for airing it in public.
  
  The more of a recluse he becomes, the more people will bait him. On the other hand, if he says what he feels, he is pilloried. Caught between the devil and the deep sea.
  
  When he has been producing top quality music for over two decades, why do people grudge him his occasional outbursts? Are we judging the music or the musician? I am sure that if a statistical survey of posts about Raja is undertaken in TFM, there is more about the man than about his creations.
  
  His present state brings to mind the adage -
  
  Laugh and the world laughs with you. Weep and you weep alone.
  
  Let the man live his life. Enjoy his music, if you have the good fortune ; otherwise just be content with what you get from the likes of Deva and SAR.
  
  

---

List all pages of this thread

Post comments