Shrill notes of a melody king

Ilaiyaraaja, the ‘king of melody’ who won the hearts of millions with his evergreen music, recently courted

controversy

over his comment dismissing the resurrection of Jesus Christ, at an event organised by Google in the US. His musical scores have unfailingly brought out the genius in him, but when it comes to handling relationships he seems to miss the beat sometimes.

Sirupanmai Makkal Nala Katchi

, a fringe outfit, is planning to hold a protest in Chennai on April 7 against Ilaiyaraaja’s comments that resurrection happened to Ramana Maharishi, a Hindu sage who lived in Tamil Nadu’s Thiruvannamalai, at the age of 16, but may not have for Jesus Christ.

Citing a documentary he watched on YouTube, Ilaiyaraaja said the resurrection of Christ had not been proved. "Whether it happened or not, resurrection happened for Bhagawan Ramana Maharishi," he had said. The protestors are demanding an apology, but Ilaiyaraaja is unperturbed.

The public statement may have shocked many, but people who have seen Ilaiyaraaja at close quarters say he is a man of blunt talk— if he chooses to talk, that is. "Because of this he lost a lot of friends who began their career with him in the 1970s," says film critic Subagunarajan. "He has openly snubbed his close friends like Bharathiraja, S P Balasubrahmanyam and Vairamuthu."

When he entered the film field, Ilaiyaraaja was considered an innocent prodigy. He was soon on a pedestal, riding the crest of Tamil film music from the 1970s to the 1990s. Even when a movie’s script wasn’t up to the mark, his music brought people in droves to theatres.

Insiders say he started having spats, and many started saying Ilaiyaraaja could not handle success. When Mani Ratnam and K Balachander brought in new composers like A R Rahman and Deva, Ilaiyaraaja distanced himself from these directors — and actors like Rajinikanth who starred in such movies.

Many, however, feel the maestro doesn’t mean any ill. Says actor-director Nasser: "I know when he says these things he does not mean to hurt anyone. Today the tolerance level in society is very low; people make a mountain out of a molehill."

Actor-director R Parthiepan, who was once publicly snubbed by Ilaiyaraaja, sees more positives than negatives in the musician. "He is well within his rights to express his opinion about Christ. Just because it is Raaja, people are making a hue and cry," he says. At a function, once Parthiepan asked Ilaiyaraaja to play the guitar, and the maestro snapped: What do you know about music? "I didn’t take it as an offence as that’s the way he talks. When he speaks, I see the child in him," says Parthiepan.

Film critic Hariharan sees no reason why the musician should apologise. "Raaja is an artiste, not an academician. To be politically correct is not his job. Often he refuses to open up on many subjects as he knows his words can cause discomfort to some," he says.

That could well be the reason why such singers who rode to success on Ilaiyaraaja’s tunes as S Janaki, Malaysia Vasudevan, Jency, Mano and Chithra kept a respectful distance from the man. Nobody wants a

melody king

to strike jarring notes.


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