Rajinikanth recalls Ilaiyaraaja’s antics after having half a bottle of beer with him and director Mahendran: ‘He wanted to hear gossip about actresses’

At a recent event, Ilaiyaraaja and Rajinikanth fondly recalled a hilarious incident in which the music maestro tried beer and went wild, shedding all his inhibitions.

By: Entertainment Desk

Kochi | September 14, 2025 04:18 PM IST

3 min read

At a recent event, Ilaiyaraaja and Rajinikanth fondly recalled a hilarious incident in which the music maestro tried beer and went wild, shedding all his inhibitions.

Music maestro Ilaiyaraaja with 'Superstar' Rajinikanth. (Credit: Facebook/@fansofsuperstarrajini)

Even as the recent event organised by the Tamil Nadu government to celebrate legendary composer-singer Ilaiyaraaja’s 50 years in cinema was a star-studded affair celebrating his music and legacy, it also served as a rare reunion of artistes who rose to iconic status together, having shared a remarkable journey through the world of cinema. Alongside Ilaiyaraaja, Tamil cinema icons Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan were also present at the event, and the acting legends shared heartfelt words about the “Isaignani”, thus honouring him in their own unique ways.

While addressing the gathering, Ilaiyaraaja and Rajinikanth fondly recalled a hilarious incident in which the music maestro tried beer and went wild, shedding all his inhibitions. The music maestro recounted receiving a call from the superstar two days ago, during which Rajinikanth jokingly threatened to reveal “everything we did together” at the event. Ilaiyaraaja said, “Director Mahendran, Rajinikanth, and I had drinks together. Two days ago, he asked if I remembered the incident. When I said yes and enquired why he was asking about it, he said, ‘The antics you got up to after having half a bottle of beer were something else.’ Rajini said that he was going to reveal this during today’s event, and I said I am not concerned about it even if he did.”

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As the crowd erupted with laughter, Rajinikanth himself walked over to the podium and took over the microphone to narrate the incident. He said, “When I was shooting for Johnny (1980), Mahendran and Ilaiyaraaja joined me at my place. As we sat down for drinks, we asked Ilaiyaraaja if he wanted anything. He had half a bottle of beer. The antics he got up to after that… we couldn’t believe it. It went on until 3 am. Even when Mahendran tried to steer the conversation back to music, Raaja didn’t allow it. It got to a point where he even wanted to know gossip about actresses! He’s a romantic at heart, and his songs are proof of that.”

Mentioning that he has more stories about Ilaiyaraaja, Rajinikanth jokingly promised to spill the rest on another occasion. Besides Johnny, Rajinikanth, Ilaiyaraaja, and Mahendran also collaborated on the movies Mullum Malarum (1978) and Kai Kodukkum Kai (1984) as well.

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