Mani Ratnam to K. Balachander: List of directors that Ilaiyaraaja worked with without charging a fee for his compositions

Ilaiyaraaja, the music maestro, has been in the news recently for all the wrong reasons. The music composer is sidelined by many as he has filed a copyright case against two films, 'Coolie' and 'Manjummel Boys', for using his songs without permission. Though the court has mentioned that Ilaiyaraaja has sold the rights to the music to the producer, it has been revealed that the song belongs to the music company that is partially owned by Ilaiyaraaja himself. But compared to these recent incidents, there are few instances when Ilaiyaraaja composed a few songs free of charge. The composer is said to have composed music for free for a few filmmakers when they directed a few films, and here is the list!

In the initial stages of Mani Ratnam's career, Ilaiyaraaja composed music for 'Nayakan' starring Kamal Haasan without charging a fee. The film is now considered a classic, and its music played a significant role in its success.

Apart from the Kollywood directors, Ilaiyaraaja also had good relations with Malayalam director Adoor Gopalakrishnan. Ilaiyaraaja is said to have composed for the 1981 film 'Elippathayam' without charging a fee.

Ilaiyaraaja and Bharathiraja have collaborated on numerous films. For the 1977 film '16 Vayathinile', Ilaiyaraaja is said to have not charged any fee, and it was from then that the director and music composer had a fruitful partnership.

Another director with whom Ilaiyaraaja shared a close relationship was Balu Mahendra. For the 1982 film 'Moondram Pirai', Ilaiyaraaja reportedly did not take any remuneration. This film is remembered for its soulful music, which contributed significantly to its emotional depth.

Ilaiyaraaja had a special bond with the legendary director K. Balachander. For the film 'Sindhu Bhairavi' that was released in 1985, Ilaiyaraaja did not charge a fee. The film's music played a crucial role in its success, and Ilaiyaraaja's gesture was a mark of respect and admiration for Balachander.