There is hardly any nook and corner in Tamil Nadu where the music of Ilayaraaja and A.R. Rahman, wizards of two different generations, has not touched the hearts and souls of people even in the contemporary world. It is unlikely this will change in the years to come, for such is the magic of their creations. Despite being a part of people’s lives in Tamil Nadu and beyond, in a span of a fortnight, the two award-winning musicians were panned by rival ecosystems for expressing views of a political nature.
The sharper attacks were directed at Ilayaraaja after he penned a foreword for the book Ambedkar & Modi: Reformer’s Ideas, Performer’s Implementation, comparing and equating Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the father of the Indian Constitution B.R. Ambedkar. The ‘Isaignani’ (saint of music), who has largely remained politically aloof, saw similarities in the two leaders saying they witnessed poverty and stifling social structures from close quarters and worked to dismantle them. “Both dreamt big for India, but both are also practical men who believe in action rather than mere thought exercise,” he felt.
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