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ANALYSIS - REASONS FOR ILAYARAJA'S DECLINE IN TFM MARKET : THINGS BEYOND THE CONTROL

Topic started by SATHIYAVAGEESWARAN (@ client-151-200-126-20.bellatlantic.net) on Sat Jan 3 00:35:56 EST 1998.
All times in EDT/EST +9:30/10:30 for IST.

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Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: Rameshb (@ spider-wn031.proxy.aol.com) on: Sun Jan 24 11:42:31 EST 1999
  
  aruvi
  "A king is only a king for his time, then a prince has to be named king"
  very true!
  a KING will be long remembered if he retires from his kingdom in a dignified manner. Unfortunately here 'your majesty' continues mulishly with undue desire for nothing. I wish he rather expends his rich wisdom in projects of unique nature. GURU (malayalam) is a case in point. I am sure people would like him to have a glorified end of his career in that manner. ARR , DEVA and Vidyasagar have their own approach to stay in TFM by 'any' possible means ('any' does not necessarily apply to all in the list). The king continues to stay in the so called world of inspirations only to be moved bottom of the list. If this king is to be remembered (like MSV, KVM ), it is time for him to think real hard as to what he has to really do!
  
  
• From: kiru (@ surf0004.sybase.com) on: Mon Jan 25 01:43:06 EST 1999
  
  Folks, I think IR is in a different company than ARR. ARR does very good songs. IR is a good composer. He has a style, grammar and is very classical. I think he should continue to work in his own style (I dont like him using synths etc like in recent movies). Maybe his music should be considered 'Easy Listening' or something. (Its high time we differentiate between different kinds of TFM songs/music).
  
  I dont know why IR should retire. Its the market that needs to decide this.
  
  Also, I am one of those people who have an 'Athangam' that he has not received due recognition. I can give lots of reasons why - his music is not just another tamil film song. Its a good piece of creative work blending western and indian classical styles, sometime a good folk number or purely classical. It is not a fusion of popular music trends.
  IR has a mind, philosophy and style to his music. (I do agree that he should try more than the usual filmy music. The man should have enough money stashed away to invest in new ventures)
  
  
• From: Eden (@ 202.54.71.159) on: Tue Jan 26 03:52:13 EST 1999
  
  I'm a new entrant to this query and have made sure all the previous responses are seen before making my opinion as below:
  
  Ilayaraja is human and not divine which is a simple reason for his decline of late as any human will experience the divine saying "Time and unforeseen occurence may befall them all"; It is like what Alexander the great had expereienced in Babylon when he has conquered the world. It is either health, accident, some psycological issue, family related issue or unfortunate occurence that had occured to him which is the reason for his current status.
  
  If the above sounds illogical, a more reasonable explanation could be like this: He used to have either big banners or great upcomers always with him when he was ruling; now he lacks either of them which is quite unfortunate.
  
  I strongly refute any other reason for the so-called-decline as they are illusions:
  
  1. ARR - He is just an improved version of TR. Most of the TFM fans will agree with me that the songs 'Vasamilla malaridhu", 'Vasantha Kaalangal", 'Julie I love You', 'Indira logathu sundari' etc. were much more popular than any of IR's songs of that time and had the Sat TV been there, would have ranked no.1. The issue is IR then had No.2 to No. 10 definitely and TR and IR co-existed with IR rated better. Now ARR is there with similar numbers (2 ,3 films a year with many of the tunes repeated) but IR is simply not there with his numbers. Who is to blame? It is IR and not ARR. Both can co-exist. (The comparison of ARR with TR came to my mind because ARR has remade the Indira logathu song into his Telephone Mani)
  
  2. Deva - a more humble version of Shankar Ganesh (he even displays IR's picture in his drawing room). Many of IR's fans were boiling when the SG duo reproduced his Uchchi vahindethu into 'Pattu vanna rosavam" in Kannipparuvathiley. So what, Pattu was a top hit (Sat TV's No 1?). Similarly, `Lights on Vinod' wrote in Kumudam when Palaivanachcholai was popular (Megame Megame was a copy from an Hindi song, incidentally) that IR is replaced by the duo from the top slot. But IR continued his mastery and was on top and SG waned in time (except doing some magic once in a while like `Samsaram adhu minsaram' where thay have replayed IR's OOrai therinjukitten)
  
  3. KB - IR's majority hits were not with established directors or artistes anyway. Parting from KB would not have had any effect if only IR had another X or Y or Z with a good musical taste. Alas, that did not happen for quite some time and so the difficulty. In my opinion, parting with KB was better as he'll force even great MDs into plagiarism- He made MSV copy ABBA's Mama Mia in Ninaithale Inikkum, IR copy the So gaya from Tezaab in Pudhupudhu Arthangal (Keladi Kanmani). He continues to do the same with Deva now, his Kalki had some song starting as 'Singapore" which is a direct lift from an IR song in Soorasamharam (Paadum Neram). Hence, had IR continued with him, he would have continued with stealing and lost his merits and got removed from our memory. Thank God he did not continue.
  
  It is he himself, with some time and unforeseen occurences happening, with no good new directors with good ears for songs emerging is the reason for his decline. Please do not blame Rajini and Kamal as they have grown with IR and IR did not stand because of any of those people. Remember those string of great songs with Ramarajan starring?
  
  Any responses?
  
  
• From: appavi (@ 69.pittsburgh-11-12rs.pa.dial-access.att.net) on: Tue Jan 26 09:13:08 EST 1999
  
  Eden
  
  I fully agree with your views, I wouldn't blame anybody else for IR's setback (I wouldn't call it a decline). Probably IR has lost the fire in him - he has already achieved a lot. But that doesn't mean he should retire because he still gives good music and there are fans like me who want to listen to more of his music. He puts in hell a lot of hardwork and has a tremendorous grasp of all kinds of music and is a very quick learner, I wouldn't be surprised, with him taking to the use of synthesizers (in recent films) he might come up with some amazing songs from these instruments. IR never feared experimenting with his music. He too entered into the Music field in a way like what ARR has done, with his folk type songs. But before people started to brand him as only suited for 'gramathu' films, he proved himself by giving great romantic melodies, carnatic numbers, Westernezied songs and modern beat songs.
  
  As for ARR, he has reached level 1. He has attracted the people with his appealing music and style and established himself as a commercial
  success. Now it is time for him to move to level 2, start experimenting without giving up his style and grow up in music. (For the inspired there is always something new to learn and grow up to).
  
  He still has to go a long way - he has to grow out of his 'glorified nursery rhyme' style of songs (stirctly IMHO) and give some flowing songs with good interludes - instead of the style of just strumming the guitar and a few beats here and there. He has the time, the mass support, producers and directors lined up, what is he waiting for, repeating the same set of tunes again and again.
  
  
• From: Anand Mahadevan (@ freedum.proxy.lucent.com) on: Tue Jan 26 10:50:03 EST 1999
  
  Eden,
  This is an oft repeated discussion on IR's decline or would say fading away.He is perfectly human but his creations make us wonder on the contrary.IR's decline/fading from TFM was a much awaited rest he longed.He was solely carrying the torch for a decade and wanted to take a break.Imagine yourself working from 6AM-10PM ,seven days a week for 14 years.
  He needed to be with his family and had a nice getaway for 2 years.ARR/Sattelite TV was a blessing in disguise.This does'nt mean that he has lost his drive or his talent has sapped out.
  He is very much in business and has given some great numbers in 98.Its people's perception that has undergone a change.IR still produces the same beauty as he did in the 80's maybe not as consitent.The reason is not of talent drain but more of convincing subjects.Subjects he can relate to.Arguments could be made that IR did compose classics for nondescript movies but guess he has realized(very late), that, its not worth it.His energy level has'nt gone down and is totally commited to his job .
  There is lot more to come from IR and hopefully the janta might look in the right direction.The ultimate losers are the people, who have missed out gems whilst foot tapping themselves to "glorified nursery rhymes".
  
  
  
• From: Madhan,Goa (@ 202.41.117.101) on: Tue Jan 26 13:08:15 EST 1999
  
  Dear Mr.Eden,
  
  I find that some of your observations are bizarre to say the least.
  
  1.First, I do not see any similarity between ARR's "Telephone mani pol" and TR's "Indira logathhu"
  
  2. Second, "so gaya " from Tezaab was plagiarised from "Keladi kanmani" from Pudhu pudhu arthangal and not the other way around.
  No way can anybody , even if it where KB can make giants like MSV or IR indulge in plagiarism.
  
  So, IR's separation from KB is a loss to KB and the TFM and not IR at all - the Tamil Film Industry, I don't know why is always plagued by such silly meaningless ego hassles - "neeyaa, naanaa" prestige issue.
  
  It is true that good directors with an ear for good music have diminished in numbers - in fact, film makers known for their sheer poetic ability like Mahendran are not around anymore.
  
  So, IR is not finding things challenging any more in TFM - hence his incredible numbers in Malayalam, where there are a few creative people doing films..
  
  
• From: vijay (@ 129.252.28.227) on: Tue Jan 26 15:14:47 EST 1999
  
  a couple of points:
  
  people have been talking about this tezaab-puthu puthu arthangal for a long time. IMO, the similiarity between the 2 songs starts and end with the first 2 words. The words 'so gaya yeh jahaan' is somewhat(but not exactly!) similiar to
  the words 'keladi kanmani'. Therein ends the similiarity between the 2 songs. The rest are completely different.
  
  IR's separation from KB is not a loss to IR or KB but to the TFM lover. We cannot expect albums like sindhubhairavi from IR anymore with the present crop of directors.
  
  
• From: SM (@ 208.236.83.26) on: Tue Jan 26 19:17:58 EST 1999
  
  Vijay,
  
  I can't agree with you more. This combo of KB - IR has given some great musical treat to the ears - "Sindhu Bhairavi", "Punnagai Mannan", "Unnal Mudiyum Thambi", "Pudhu Pudhu Arthangal". Although there are some good directors around, they don't seem to give that much importance to music in their films like Mahendran. KB, himself, has gone down in giving importance to songs in his films. I don't remember even one good song from the movie "Kalki". "Duet" had some good songs and music but "Kalki" was totally disappointing. I feel, of all the KB movie songs, "Sindhu Bhairavi" will be at the top and "Kalki" will be at the bottom of the list.
  
  
• From: karthi. (@ lab6.theatrium.net) on: Tue Jan 26 23:18:44 EST 1999
  
  Hai SM!
  
  It will be a blind denial from your part to say that Kalki did not have even a single good number. Don't be partial SM, wasn't "EzhudugirEn Oru Kadidham" a very good one? And "Porul Thedum Bhoomiyil" and "PoovE nee Ada vA" good ones? (Oru KB padathukku 2 nalla pAttu pOdhumE, enna nAAn solradhu?). The songs were not super hit though.
  
  

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