MAESTRO ILAIYARAAJA NEWS & TITBITS VER.2010

[Saagar]

Looking at the year-wise awards,during the period,
1986 Ilaiyaraaja Sindhu Bhairavi Tamil
1985 Jaidev Ankahee Hindi
1984 Ilaiyaraaja Saagara Sangamam Telugu
1983 Ramesh Naidu Meghasandesam Telugu
1982 Khayyam Umrao Jaan Hindi
1981 Satyajit Ray Hirak Rajar Deshe Bengali
1980 K. V. Mahadevan Shankarabharanam Telugu
1979 Jaidev Gaman Hindi
1978 B.V. Karanth Ghatashraddha Kannada
1977 B.V. Karanth Rishya Shringa Kannada
1976 Bhupen Hazarika Chameli Memsaab Assamese
1975 Ananda Shankar[1] Chorus Bengali

Have heard from all movies, except, Ghatashradha , Rishya Shringa & Hirak Rajar Deshe. One common factor that's true for all is that all the songs / film itself is on a classical base/musical themes (with the exception of Chameli Memsaab-which is Assamese folk). Probably IR's Folk was not considered "Fit" enough.

With all due regards to Bhupen Hazarika, Annakili does deserve to be one up , if I have got the year right (1976).

Nowadays, being "different" is considered fit enough for an award.