Honour maestro Ilaiyaraaja with Bharat Ratna: Stalin urges Union govt

As legendary music composer Ilaiyaraaja completed his half a century of journey in the film industry and the symphony being a rare feat by an Indian, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president MK Stalin has urged the Union Government to honour the maestro with a Bharat Ratna.

“It is not only to commemorate Ilaiyaraaja’s 50 years in the film industry, I am making this request not just on behalf of the people of Tamil Nadu, but on behalf of the maestro acorss the globe. I hope, it will be fulfilled,” he said at the grand felicitation for organised by the State Government in Chennai on Sunday evening.

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“The State Government would institute an annual award named “Isaignani Ilaiyaraaja Award” gir young musicians who achieve a milest in the domain of music, ” he announced. On recognising the greatness of the composer, he recalled his visit to Ilaiyaraaja’s house to honour him ahead of his London trip to perform the symphony at the famed Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Expressing his desire that the legendary musician who had composed for select hymns of ancient Saivite and Vaishnavite compositions, Stalin requested him to do the same for the Sangam era classics. “If Ilaiyaraaja had composed music for Sangam literary works such as Natrinai, Kurunthigai and Purananuru, it would have been much easier for all ofus to memorise the poems.”

“Normally, a request is made to the Chief Minister. But I would like to make a request to Ilaiyaraaja. He should bring Sangam classics into musicals. It would help carry these ancient classical masterpieces to the next generation,” he said and quipped ” Raaja kaiya vacha athu wrong-a pogathu” (withRaaja’s touch, nithing will go wrong), a parody of one of the maestro’s popular number.

Actors Rajinikanth and Kamal Hassan as well as Dy CM, Udhayanidhi showered encomiums on the composer, who performed a symphony on the occasion.