National award winner Dhanush has recently announced his new movie based on the life of the iconic music composer Ilaiyaraaja. This is a biographic film.
Ilaiyaraaja The Musical Genius
Ilaiyaraaja, regarded as one of Indiaโs greatest music composers, has left an mark on the world of music. Over a career of more than five decades, he has composed overย 7,000 songsย for more thanย 1,000 filmsย and performed inย over 20,000 concertsย across the globe.
His melodies have touched hearts, transcending language barriers and cultural boundaries.
Dhanush Takes the Lead
In this biopic, Dhanush will play the role of the legendary composer. The actor, known for his versatility and powerful performances, is set to portray Ilaiyaraaja with authenticity and reverence.
Fans are eagerly awaiting Dhanushโs portrayal of the musical genius, and the first-look poster has only heightened the anticipation.
The film is directed byย Arun Matheswaran, who previously collaborated with Dhanush on the action-packed thrillerย โCaptain Millerโ. The cinematography is handled by the talentedย Nirav Shah. The production is a joint effort byย Connekkt Media,ย PK Prime Production, andย Mercuri Movies.
โIlaiyaraajaโ will be released in multiple languages, includingย Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, and Hindi. It aims to celebrate the life and legacy of the musical maestro, capturing both the highs and lows of his remarkable journey.
Honoured @ilaiyaraaja sir ๐๐๐ pic.twitter.com/UvMnWRuh9X
โ Dhanush (@dhanushkraja) March 20, 2024
Awards and Honors
- Ilaiyaraajaโs creative and experimental contributions earned him the prestigiousย Sangeet Natak Akademi Awardย inย 2012.
- He received theย Padma Bhushanย inย 2010ย and theย Padma Vibhushanย inย 2018, both among the highest civilian honors in India.
- Sinceย July 2022, he serves as aย nominated Member of Parliamentย in the Indian upper house,ย Rajya Sabha.
What are some of Ilaiyaraajaโs famous songs?
- โAasaiye Kaathuleโย from the movieย Jhonny (1980).
- โYae Paadal Ondruโย from the movieย Priya (1978).
- โPrimordial Musicโย from the albumย The Music Messiah (2007).
- โJeevane Jeevaneโย from the movieย Megha (2013).
- โOvertimeโย from the albumย India 24 Hours (2009).
- โUn Kuthamaโย from the movieย Azhagi (2001).
- โRam Ramโย from the albumย Ilaiyaraaja Reimagined (2021).
- โPollaa Vinayenโย from the movieย Thiruvasagam (2005).
- โChinna Chinnaโย from the movieย Naanum Oru Indian (1997).
- โSnow Reetaโย from the movieย Jhonny (1979).
What is Ilaiyaraajaโs background?
Ilaiyaraaja, born asย R. Gnanathesikanย onย June 3, 1943, is a multifaceted Indian musician, composer, arranger, conductor, orchestrator, multi-instrumentalist, lyricist, and singer.
His remarkable contributions are prominently seen inย Tamil cinema, where he has left an indelible mark.
Early Life and Musical Journey
- Ilaiyaraaja grew up in a rural area nearย Kambamย inย Southern Tamil Nadu. His formative years were steeped in the rich tapestry ofย Tamil folk music.
- At the tender age ofย 14, he joined a traveling musical troupe calledย โPavalar Brothersโ, led by his elder brotherย Pavalar Varadharajan. For the next decade, he performed acrossย South India, honing his musical skills and gaining invaluable experience.
Prolific Career and Musical Innovations
- Over a career spanning more thanย forty-seven years, Ilaiyaraaja has composed overย 7,000 songsย and provided film scores forย over 1,000 films. His melodies have resonated with audiences across languages and cultures.
- He earned the nicknameย โIsaignaniโย (the musical sage) and the title ofย โMaestroโ, bestowed upon him by theย Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, London.
- Ilaiyaraaja was a trailblazer in Indian film music:
- He integratedย Western classical music harmoniesย and string arrangements into Indian film compositions.
- He became theย first South Asianย to compose aย full symphony.
- Inย 1986, he recorded a soundtrack using aย computerย for the filmย โVikramโ.
- His groundbreaking work includesย โThiruvasagam in Symphonyโย (2006), theย first Indian oratorio.
- Inย 2013, aย CNN-IBN pollย commemorating 100 years of Indian cinema revealed thatย 49%ย of respondents considered him the countryโs greatest music composer.
- The American world cinema portalย โTaste of Cinemaโย ranked himย 9thย among theย 25 greatest film composersย in the history of cinema, alongside luminaries like Ennio Morricone, John Williams, and Jerry Goldsmith.
