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TFM Stories, Tit-Bits and Anecdotes

Topic started by Sathiya Keerthi (@ panorama.nus.edu.sg) on Mon Apr 6 02:26:53 EDT 1998.
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

The aim of this thread is to collect, at one place, interesting
stories, anecdotes, tit-bits etc, related to TFM. A newcomer to
the forum will find this collection very interesting to read. For
example, Ramki mentioned the following story in another thread:

Do you remember the 'vizhiyil vizhundhu' (alaigal oyvadhillai) song?
Andha situation BRkku suddenaaga thondra, VMkku outdoor shootingil irundhu
phone seidhu kettuLLaar. VM phoneliye lyrics solla adhai tape seidhu
udanae IRkku anuppa, IR Janaki, Shailaja, PS ellariayum koppitturkkar
but no one was available. BSS mathram dhan mattirkkanga so avangalukku
adichadhu adhirshtam. The whole song was done in just 2 hrs time.
Annikke song shoot panni mudichittaangalaam.

Folks, please share any such stories, anecdotes and tit-bits that
you know, in this thread. If TFM Group thinks it is sufficiently
interesting, they could even place it in Permanent Topics.

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Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: Reuters (@ athena.sabre.net) on: Wed Jan 26 16:00:54 EST 2000
  
  Deep forest collaborating with AR Rahman.
  
  Check out - http://www.india-today.com/itoday/20000131/eyecats.html
  
  
• From: GV (@ d86-fx101h2-lond-pdi.attcanada.net) on: Wed Jan 26 17:10:02 EST 2000
  
  A "bomb hoax" has disrupted a special concert at the Shanmughananda Hall, Mumbai, held to celebrate K.J. Yesudas' 60th birthday. Details at:
  
  http://www.the-hindu.com/stories/0227000z.htm
  
  
• From: MS (@ 129.252.22.112) on: Mon Jan 31 23:12:14 EST 2000
  
  From Screen :
  
  
  The changing notes of Hey! Ram
  Kamal Haasan’s ambitious period piece Hey! Ram has been in the news ever since its inception. The film was talked about for its controversial theme, for its multi-star-cast, and for its music. Kamal decided on giving a break to violin virtuoso L. Subramaniam as a composer with this film. But it’s his old favourite Illayaraja who has ended up composing a brilliant score for Hey! Ram. Kamal reveals why he dropped Subramaniam, and how his and Illayaraja’s association has resulted in something wonderful, yet again.
  
  Since the film is a period piece with a serious theme, what kind of music does it have?
  The bottomline is that we are selling tickets and we are selling the music to the company, which is selling the music to the audience, whom I am committed to. So the music has to be interesting to listen to. I am not a pundit who can predict that the audience will listen only to a particular kind of music, but we have tried to come up with music which will appeal to all. I am an audience myself and I want change, I want something different, which is what I have given in the film. The music hasn’t been approached intellectually even if the film is serious. I like it and I think the audience will like it too.
  
  In any film, not all songs can be equally good. There are various compositions meant for various people, and different moods. A peppy song was heard by some 60 year-olds who said they didn’t like it. But I feel that it’s going to be the biggest hit and the youngsters will just love it. Youngsters, on the other hand, may not like the Sanyas mantra which will appeal to those above 50 years. It’s music for everybody, just like the film, which is for all.
  
  
  How much is your contribution to the music?
  Quite a lot, but I let the technician do the job. I don’t suggest a tune, because then I might as well do the job. I keep inspiring them though. I try to ignite enthusiasm in my music directors. Then it is left to his muses to come up with good music. With me and Illayaraja, who’s composed music for Hey! Ram, it’s a very long association. We haven’t worked together often in the past two years, so that gap brought us closer, after we both worked with various people. We have a mutual admiration society going. Our careers blossomed together. We have done 70 films and he is a family member.
  
  You had earlier chosen violin virtuoso L. Subramaniam to compose the music for Hey! Ram. And now you have replaced him with Illayaraja. What happened?
  It’s simple. Apart from being a musician, L. Subramaniam is also a businessman. First it’s business for him, and then art. I approached him for composing the music of Hey! Ram and we settled a deal for 10 lakh rupees, since it would be his debut film. He asked for two lakh rupees more, and I spoke to my brother, who’s the co-producer, who in turn agreed on giving him a bit more. I told Subramaniam to settle the amount once and for all with my brother. But he insisted on composing the music first, and we recorded all the songs, and even picturised them, and then he dropped the bomb by demanding rupees 15 lakhs. I told him it wasn’t possible now, but he said he deserved it. He can demand such a sum only after he has proved himself in the film industry. Also, among his other demands was that he wanted his face on the poster, since Illayaraja and Rahman’s photos are included in the film posters. Now we already have so many good actors in the film who we can’t accomodate on the film posters, so how could I put his? I explained to him that after he became famous, his photo would be featured on the poster by the producer without even his asking. Still I tried increasing the price, but we couldn’t come to a settlement. So I decided that the best thing was to drop him and opt for Illayaraja.
  
  That must have been be a very difficult decision, to replace a composer who has already recorded the songs, which have also been picturised.
  But I am like that. I make firm decisions. It got too much, so we dropped the composer. My brother, who is the co-producer, left the decision to me.
  
  How was L. Subramaniam’s score? Were you happy with it?
  L. Subramaniam’s score was good, but Bharat Shah, who presents the film, and others were not happy with it. That may be because Subramaniam hadn’t completed the score, some work still had to be done. When Illayaraja replaced him, my partners almost rejoiced. The only person capable of taking over at the critical juncture and handling the situation was Illayaraja. When I approached Illayaraja, he didn’t have an inkling that L. Subramaniam had been dropped. He thought I wanted him to do just the background music, which he was not actually willing to. But when I told him that he would be composing the complete score, he was thrilled. I also asked him that if he couldn’t manage to compose songs according to the ones already shot, I would scrap the picturised songs. But he assured me that since I had trusted him, he would compose music for the already shot songs, and you won’t believe, it has no traces or evidence of the original. And gauging by the initial response to the promos of songs, they are doing well.
  
  Illayaraja has done something unheard of in the industry. He has done a brilliant job in a situation which no other music director would even touch. To walk into such a situation and deliver the goods is amazing. It’s not rope-walking, I’d say he did a musical Houdini.
  
  Which of the songs are your favourites?
  Of the seven songs, my favourite is the title song, Hey! Ram, since my daughter Shruti is singing it with me. So obviously I am biased. Three other songs are my favourites. One is Har koyi samjhe sung by Ajay Chakravarty, which I think is astounding. When we recorded this number, which is classical-based, we weren’t quite sure about its appeal. But it reminds one of the Yesudas number Jab deep jale aana and I am sure will be a rage just like the earlier. One should never underestimate a song with a classical flavour. Another great song is the one sung by Hariharan Sahab and Ashaji (Bhosle), Janmon ki jwala. It has a very different romantic melody.
  
  We’ve heard that Shah Rukh Khan has also sung a song in the film?
  He had. But that was for the score of L. Subramaniam. At that time, one particular song looked weak and we wanted to pep it up. So we decided on Shah Rukh singing it. The new version of that song composed by Illayaraja, is complicated and tough to sing. Since Shah Rukh is not a professional singer, he wouldn’t have been able to sing it. And he was very nervous even while singing the earlier Subramaniam number. So it wouldn’t have been fair to make him sing a tough song. Rani Mukherji has recited a Jibonananda Dass poem beautifully.
  
  
  
• From: MS (@ 129.252.22.112) on: Sat Feb 5 23:21:44 EST 2000
  
  More from Screen :
  
  Did violinist L Subramanian ask a ridiculous sum of money to do the music in Hey! Ram?
  
  That’s right. He asked for Rs 50 lakh. He was out of the project. I couldn’t afford to pay him that kind of money. Whatever money I had was used in the making of the film. That isn’t to say I scrounge on my payments. But I must give credit to L Subramanian for creating a sense of anticipation within all of us. Then of course most of the credit for the final sound goes to Ilayaraja. We took Ilayaraja to Budapest to record the background music. I’ve told my music company (Universal) not to mix the songs with the background music. We’ll probably release the background music along with the dialogues of the film.
  
  Ilayaraja is a truly gifted composer. It’s sad that he has lately been eclipsed by AR Rahman.
  
  No, not eclipsed. It’s a revolving world. So the eclipse is only temporary (laughs). But wait till you listen to what Ilayaraja has done in Hey! Ram.
  
  I have. And it’s amazing. But what happened to what L Subramanian composed for the film?
  
  I said a final goodbye to him with a firm and polite handshake and Rs 27 lakh down the drain. No, we aren’t using any of his music in Hey! Ram. Both Bharat Shah and I washed our hands off the money invested earlier in the music.
  
  What response has there been to the extremely unorthodox music in Hey! Ram?
  
  Well, there was one review from a Mumbai paper which was absolutely cantankerous.
  
  They said the music is cantankerous?
  
  No, they didn’t write that. But the tone of the review was just that. The nonplussed person who read out the review to me from Mumbai wanted to know if I had roughed up any journalist in Mumbai. I don’t know about the North. But over here in the South the music is a rage.
  
  Everything you do becomes a rage in the South.
  But that isn’t a great compliment to the music (laughs).
  
  Let’s talk a bit more about the music in Hey! Ram. Sameer and Ilayaraja make such an unlikely combination.
  
  Yeah, it was Sameer and L Subramanian in the beginning. Then I didn’t want to lose an old comrade just because a new one had walked into the project. But Sameer made no bones about how honoured he felt. When he met Ilayaraja for the first time he literally brimmed over with happiness.
  
  Are you happy with the way the music in Hey! Ram has shaped up?
  
  Yes, in fact, I’m as surprised by the end result as the average listener. Like I said, we had differences of opinion with L Subramanian as far as the financial aspect of the music was concerned. We couldn’t pay him what he wanted, and that was it. Ilayaraja stepped into a situation which I felt, with my little knowledge of music, only he could handle.
  
  Weren’t you tempted to consider Rahman?
  
  No, that would have required my original musical ideas to be doctored or revamped. Ilayaraja took over gently and seamlessly. There are no scars in the soundtrack. He has played not just a grafting surgeon but also a cosmetic surgeon. I was confident of him because I know him as well as he knows me. We’ve worked in 70 films together. He knew what I wanted. People in the crew of Hey! Ram are surprised that Ilayaraja has composed exactly the noises I was making on the sets. They thought I instructed Ilayaraja about what I wanted.
  
  But you didn’t?
  
  No. He knew exactly what I wanted, and more. There were moments in the music when he far exceeded what I wanted. At first I was relieved by the end results. Then I knew my troubles were over. When he started work, there was this all-round trepidation. No one was willing to believe this was happening. Editor Renu Saluja said she knew that with me at the helm she was getting into an adventurous situation.
  
  But she never expected to see such tight-rope walking. Everyone in my team was weary about the changeover in composer. But no one showed his or her anxieties as I was working on the music round the clock.
  
  I’m sure everyone had full confidence in your confidence in Ilayaraja.
  
  No, they weren’t sure. But they could see both of us, me and Ilayaraja, smiling and behaving without any tension. My team thought the film would be stalled because of the change in music composer. I told them to proceed full steam, while I asked them for seven days with Ilayaraja so I could return with one song. We returned with seven songs.
  
  How have you succeeded in getting such fabulous results out of Ilayaraja?
  
  It’s not only because of our longstanding association. I’ve worked extensively with other composers as well. This man is on his own trip. He’s a colossal talent. He saw the rushes of the film and decided what he wanted to do. In the case of the Lavni, it didn’t quite turn out to be what I wanted. Even Ashaji (Bhosle) wasn’t very happy with it so she didn’t sing it. Lavni is something that one must feel and understand. It’s not just about getting the mechanics right. There’s a certain spirit of naughtiness into it. Ilayaraja tried to infuse a lot of life into it. But my original concept entailed a transition from a very happy folk song to the symphonic levels of Wagner at the end. Ilayaraja has given a Wagnerian trumpet at the end of the Lavni.
  
  
  
  
• From: Ramki (@ ws122.telsoft.net) on: Mon Feb 7 10:52:23 EST 2000
  
  My sister, whos working as a paeadeatrician in one of the reputed hospitals in Madras, is about to start a charity hospital along with four other doctors. They have decided to conduct a charity music show and approached some of our singers.
  Singers like UnniMenon, Srinivas,Sriram and Swarnalatha have agreed to sing for a minimal fee.
  When they approached a 'tamil' pinnani paadagi(who recently sang most of the songs under IRs music)she demanded a sum of 75,000 Rs for singing 3 songs:).Ofcourse my sister and friends didnt want her(if they have so much money to give they wouldnt be conducting this charity show in first place:)))
  
  One very popular female singer agreed to sing for free. She has also opted to pay for the charity.
  Due to health reasons, She has agreed to sing only one song.
  and she is SJanaki
  
  
• From: MS (@ 129.252.22.112) on: Mon Feb 7 19:35:26 EST 2000
  
  Ramki : athu yaarunnu solla kodaathaa ?
  
  

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