Ilaiyaraaja he recently reflected on the journey of his first film, ‘Annakili’, which has now completed 50 years. Speaking emotionally at an event, the legendary composer shared how the writer-producer Panchu Arunachalam gave him his first chance in the cinema. Ilaiyaraaja revealed that he did not know much about film music composition at the time. When Panchu asked Arunachalam if he had a tune, he tapped on a table and sang a few songs without an instrument. Impressed by the tunes, Panchuk is said to have decided to build the script around them. That moment later became the beginning of a historic musical journey in Tamil cinema.
Ilaiyaraaja shares why fans treat him like a music god
A statement from Ilaiyaraaja’s speech quickly went viral among fans and music lovers. “People see me as a music god – leave me alone,” he said proudly. As reported by Thanthi TV, the composer added that even after spending more than five decades in cinema, he still feels unchanged inside and continues to live only through music. According to him, he never creates a song thinking about fame or recognition. “Music brings peace, and I do that sincerely,” he shared during the interaction.
Ilaiyaraaja recalls feeling lost during his debut days
Ilaiyaraaja also spoke about the fear and confusion he faced at the beginning of his career. Before entering Tamil cinema, he worked under Kannada composer GK Venkatesh and contributed to more than 200 films as an assistant. Despite this experience, he admitted that he felt nervous when he composed independently for the first time. “I felt like I was left alone in a forest”, he remembers. Initially, ‘Annakili’ did not get a good response in the theatres, and even a song was removed from the film. However, the songs later became huge hits and changed the sound of Tamil film music forever.
Ilaiyaraaja believes that his music will continue forever
Concluding his speech with emotion, Ilaiyaraaja spoke about the eternal connection people have with his music. “Even if I’m not here tomorrow, my music will continue forever,” he said confidently. He feels that the emotional connection his songs have with listeners endures even today because they are written with sincerity and feeling. He revealed that he is composing music for a Tamil film that the accomplished composer is directing R. Maybe.
