Hitting all the correct notes: Stalin government implicated Ilaiyaraja for its Golden Jubilee in Cinema

The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, MK Stalin has scored a point. In the film industry, at the completion of 50 years and to create a symphony, a large scale, a large scale, to honor Mestro Ilaiyaraja and by taking himself and the state government, Mr. Stalin focused on who failed to capitalize on whom the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) failed. Ilaiyaraja, a superior Tamil icon, and instead of showing that if he can be a supporter of BJP and followers of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the average Tamil, which is holy and religious, has reduced the ground to build Ilaiyaraja on the popularity and acceptance of Ilaiyaraja.

It is not that the BJP has not told Ilaiyaraja to its reason. The party nominated him in the Rajya Sabha, inviting him to perform in both Kashi Tamil Sangam (2022) and Gangikonda Cholapuram (July 2025), which Mr. Modi visited for 1,000 years since the victory of Chola Raja Rajendra I of North. But in announcing or declaring the Bharat Ratna conference on Ilaiyaraja, BJP’s inertia has given Mr. Stalin up one leg and strengthened the point that Mestro crosses narrow obstacles and belongs to the world of music. At a function in Chennai on 13 September, Mr. Stalin appealed to the BJP government to honor the Bharat Ratna on Ilaiyaraja. This is an appeal that the BJP cannot ignore.

Ilaiyaraja said, “I am overwhelmed and very happy with the scale of this incident … Why is this love? Maybe it is due to my music. Only he (Mr. Stalin) can answer … maybe he considered my symphony [to be] A major achievement. I believe he must have felt [that] It was the duty of the state government to honor Tamil that gained fame around the world. ,

It was a masterstroke by Mr. Stalin. In March this year, Ilaiyaraja traveled to London to release her new creation – a symphony that was to be performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. The moment it became known, Mr. Stalin visited the Ustad to offer his greetings. The government organized a reception for music mestro on his return. Ilaiyaraja revealed that he had expressed his desire to bring Mr. Stalin to Tamil Nadu, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and recalled Mr. Stalin’s response – “Yes, this could be done.”

Mr. Stalin knows that Ilaiyaraja is a source of pride, despite his political inclination and represents cultural capital. When Abhishek of Ram temple was described as a “historic day” and after praising Shri Modi, when Ilaiyaraja was trolled on social media by DMK supporters, Mr. Stalin intervened to stop the campaign. All his fans cannot share their political ideology, but they will not tolerate any criticism against Ilaiyaraja. It is the late father of Mr. Stalin and the longest serving Tamil Nadu, M.K. Was Karunanidhi, who honored Ilaiyaraja with the title ‘Isganani’. The composer, whose birthday falls on June 3 – was surprising to move the day on 2 June – as Karunanidhi on the same day.

At the Felicitation ceremony, Ilaiyaraja, who usually started his concert with the call of Goddess Kambiga, rendering Janani JananiInstead chose a film song, Amutha Tamili Azhagi Mozhi Enthuriare (‘Amrit-like Tamil is a beautiful language and my life)). It hit a raga with the audience, including Mr. Stalin, his cabinet colleagues and officers.

A day later, Ilaiyaraja accused Shri Stalin’s request – that he should compose music for the literature of the confluence period. The announcement of Ilaiyaraja has been well appreciated.

After his close association with the Communist movement – his elder brother, Pavlar Varadarajan was a singer to popularize ideology and politics, in which Ilaiyaraja was politically neutral, as instruments with Ilaiyaraja and his brothers – Ilaiyaraja was politically neutral, but maintained the identity of Ramana Maharishi.

Ilaiyaraja and her brother are writer and communist-Congress supporter Jayakathan, another Tamil icon. Jaikantan was a bitter critic of the Dravidian movement, but Karunanidhi managed to win him, stunning the fans of Jaikanthan.

Mr. Stalin has taken away from his father and has done the same thing with Ilaiyaraja, the founder of DMK, CN Annadurai, with Ilaiyaraja, that “Jasmine is a sweet fragrance, even if he blooms in another’s garden.”

kolappan.b@thehindu.co.in