Why music maestro Ilaiyaraaja’s Rajya Sabha nomination appeared like a foregone conclusion

However, what made the recognition appear like a foregone conclusion in Tamil Nadu political circles was a controversy that broke out in April, when in a write-up published as a foreword to a book titled “Ambedkar & Modi — Reformer’s Ideas, Performer’s Implementations”, Ilayaraja compared the prime minister with the chief architect of the Constitution.

The creative genius of @ilaiyaraaja Ji has enthralled people across generations. His works beautifully reflect many emotions. What is equally inspiring is his life journey- he rose from a humble background and achieved so much. Glad that he has been nominated to the Rajya Sabha. pic.twitter.com/VH6wedLByC

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 6, 2022

“Both these striking personalities succeeded against odds that people from socially disempowered sections of the society face. Both saw poverty and stifling social structures from close quarters and worked to dismantle them, but both are also practical men who believe in action rather than mere thought exercises,” the music great wrote.

While these words of praise for Modi appeared to many critics as a harbinger of some major recognition from Delhi coming the music great’s way, even they would not dispute that Ilayaraja is deserving of the Rajya Sabha nomination.

Ilayaraja, affectionately called “Raaja sir” in his inner circle, was exposed to music as a young boy. He was born in the hamlet of Pannaipuram, close to Madurai, in 1943.

Thanks to his brother Pavalar Varadarajan, a Communist Party of India member, Ilayaraja started out as a communist fellow-traveller at a time when the whole state was in thrall to Dravidian movements. Ilayaraja travelled across the state and even to places such as Munnar in neighbouring Kerala as a member of the “Pavalar Brothers” music group to support communist candidates in elections.

His life was transformed after he moved to Madras in the mid-1960s, when he began studying music. He later won a gold medal in classical guitar from the Trinity College of Music in London. In his distinguished career, he has been credited with creating around 7,000 songs in numerous Indian languages as a composer, vocalist, lyricist and an instrumentalist. He is also Asia’s first symphony writer. In 1988, Chief Minister M Karunanidhi officially conferred the title “Isaignani” on him.

Ilayaraja was reportedly open to the idea of a Rajya Sabha seat, a source close to him told The Indian Express in April. The source cited A R Rahman’s Grammy and Oscar wins as examples of his peers in the business having received similar honours. And Ilayaraja was not unfamiliar with the BJP; his brother, singer Gangai Amaran, joined the national party in 2014 and continues to be its active member.