Quick Take: It's time to acknowledge Ilaiyaraaja's 'arrogance' for what it truly is: awareness
At a promotional event for his new film, Dorothy , Ilaiyaraaja spoke about how his music is unlike anyone else's and reflected on the extraordinary journey from his humble beginnings to where he stands today. "Don't think I'm saying this out of arrogance. I'm saying this out of arrogance," he quipped, drawing cheers from an audience that included some of contemporary Tamil cinema's composers and filmmakers.
On social media, however, a famil- iar refrain followed: yes, he is a great composer, but he should learn to be humble. Perhaps we need to reconsider what we mean by humility and arrogance. Because, what Ilaiyaraaja displays isn't arrogance, but awareness. Awareness of where he came from. Awareness of what he has been given and what he has accomplished with that gift. Awareness of how his music is distinct. Awareness of the scale of his contribution to Indian cinema. Awareness that his music continues to move generations of listeners. Awareness that, at 82, and five decades into his career, his talent is still intact and in demand.
And this isn't merely Ilaiyaraaja's assess- ment of himself.
Musicians who have played for him, singers who have sung his compositions, his counterparts across Indian cinema, classical musicians from both the South and the North, global musicians and conductors have all spoken about his extraordinary talent, command of music and ability to create complex, memorable compositions with astonishing speed. In that context, those who say Iaiyaraaja isn't humble are the ones who cannot recognise his humility. He may take pride in his works, but he has always attributed his musical ability to divine grace. He often acknowledges those who came before him - G Ramanathan, SD Subbaiah Naidu, SD Burman, MS Viswanathan, TK Ramamoorthy, Salil Chowdhury and KV Mahadevan, to name a few. He has also praised of the Oscar wins of AR Rahman and Keeravani.
In the very same Dorothy event, the Maestro stated that he still does not know what music is. If this isn't humility, then what is? If expecting a phenomenal talent with over 1,700 films and 7,000 songs to his credit to constantly underplay his achievements is considered humility, then it's time to admit its definition needs overhauling.
Ironically, in this social-media age, where every minor activity leads to an #AchievementUnlocked post, a once-in-a-generation genius is called arrogant for simply acknowledging his greatness. If it still feels like Ilaiyaraaja is arrogant, yes, he is. He has earned the right to be arrogant.
On social media, however, a famil- iar refrain followed: yes, he is a great composer, but he should learn to be humble. Perhaps we need to reconsider what we mean by humility and arrogance. Because, what Ilaiyaraaja displays isn't arrogance, but awareness. Awareness of where he came from. Awareness of what he has been given and what he has accomplished with that gift. Awareness of how his music is distinct. Awareness of the scale of his contribution to Indian cinema. Awareness that his music continues to move generations of listeners. Awareness that, at 82, and five decades into his career, his talent is still intact and in demand.
And this isn't merely Ilaiyaraaja's assess- ment of himself.
Musicians who have played for him, singers who have sung his compositions, his counterparts across Indian cinema, classical musicians from both the South and the North, global musicians and conductors have all spoken about his extraordinary talent, command of music and ability to create complex, memorable compositions with astonishing speed. In that context, those who say Iaiyaraaja isn't humble are the ones who cannot recognise his humility. He may take pride in his works, but he has always attributed his musical ability to divine grace. He often acknowledges those who came before him - G Ramanathan, SD Subbaiah Naidu, SD Burman, MS Viswanathan, TK Ramamoorthy, Salil Chowdhury and KV Mahadevan, to name a few. He has also praised of the Oscar wins of AR Rahman and Keeravani.
In the very same Dorothy event, the Maestro stated that he still does not know what music is. If this isn't humility, then what is? If expecting a phenomenal talent with over 1,700 films and 7,000 songs to his credit to constantly underplay his achievements is considered humility, then it's time to admit its definition needs overhauling.
Ironically, in this social-media age, where every minor activity leads to an #AchievementUnlocked post, a once-in-a-generation genius is called arrogant for simply acknowledging his greatness. If it still feels like Ilaiyaraaja is arrogant, yes, he is. He has earned the right to be arrogant.
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