After the Tamil film Annakili was released, Ilaiyaraaja, who had composed the music for the film but was then unknown to the outside world, along with his brothers Gangai Amaran and Baskar visited the Rajakumari theater to gauge the audience’s response. At first, the reception was lukewarm. One of the film’s directors, Devaraj, stood outside a theater in Chennai, devastated that only a handful of people had come to see the film.
Influence of AIR
But by then, the songs had started to reverberate across the state. All India Radio (AIR) aired them repeatedly and listeners were enthralled. Before long, queues began to form in front of cinemas. Such was the popularity of the songs that “Sonthamillai Bandhamillai”, which was removed after the initial days, had to be reintroduced after repeated requests from the audience.
The song itself had its roots in the melody, which was often rendered by Ilaiyaraaja’s mother, who sang it with different lines on different occasions. Even the Thiruppugazh hymn “Erumayil Eri Vilaiyadu Mugam Ondru” was sung in the same tune.
Similarly, “Annakili Unnai Theduthey” was also based on a tune sung by his mother, who rendered it with the line “Pullipotta Ravikkaikari”. “Annakili Unnai Theduthey” became the beginning of the song.
Fifty years flew by like an instant. But Annakili’s songs continue to haunt generations of music lovers. With the release of Annakili, Ilaiyaraaja’s extraordinary musical journey began and his career rose to unprecedented heights.
Gangai Amaran, who worked closely with his brother in composing, recalls those memorable days. He was the rhythm guitarist of the film.
“The higher octaves in the hum of the song ‘Annakili Unnai Theduthey’ symbolically foreshadowed the great heights Ilaiyaraaja was destined to reach,” he said.
Ilaiyaraaja once said that he often walked between the Lighthouse and the Anna Mausoleum in Chennai and would improvise humming tunes in his mind during these journeys.
“Machana Paathheengala,” another hit, was originally written by Gangai Amaran and tuned by Ilaiyaraaja even before they were signed for the film. Subsequently, Panchu Arunachalam, the producer of Annakili, who introduced Ilaiyaraaja as the music director, rewrote the lyrics, keeping the first two stanzas.
The song’s popularity can be gauged from the scene in the Kavarimaan Sivaji Ganesan starrer, in which the daughter, when asked by her parents whether she prefers Carnatic or Western music, replies that she was only interested in learning “Machana Paathheengal”.
When asked about the need to change the lyrics of the song, he said that the makers of the film had the right to edit them. “Panchu Arunachalam’s brothers didn’t believe in us. But he swept their objections off the table and made it clear that Ilaiyaraaja would compose the music,” said Gangai Amaran, who was 28 when the film was made.
Ilaiyaraaja’s native village
The story of Annakili was written by R. Selvaraj, who visited Pannaipuram, Ilaiyaraaja’s native village, and drew inspiration from its characters, including Annam, the midwife who became the heroine of the film. It was Selvaraj who introduced the team to Panch Arunachalam, whom he knew from their collaboration with music director GK Venkatesh.
“He didn’t have any instrument. He just tapped on the table and delivered the song ‘Machana Paathheengala’,” he recalled while singing the number. “After singing all the tunes, Panchu Arunachalam was satisfied and said a story could be built around it. Selvaraj sir then narrated a story that suited his idea and the film was made,” he said.
Panchu Arunachalam also changed the name of Pavalar Brothers – Ilaiyaraaja’s music ensemble that included Gangai Amaran and Baskar – and introduced Ilaiyaraaja as music director.
To convince Arunachalam’s brothers, Illaiyaraaja organized a full orchestra at a wedding hall near Natesan Park, where singers, including S. Janaki, rendered songs. It was only after this demonstration that they approved Ilaiyaraaja as the music director.
“If there was no Panchu Arunachalam, there would have been no Ilaiyaraaja or Gangai Amaran. He was our first god. He lit the light in our lives,” he said.
But the trouble was not over. They reappeared during filming. The orchestra was conducted by noted music director Govardhan Master. Just as filming was about to begin, the studio suffered a power outage, leaving the film industry – known for its deep-seated superstitions and sentimentality – stunned.
Against all odds, the film became a huge hit. Ilaiyaraaja and his brothers traveled to many places to celebrate his success.
“There was a massive event at Thamukkam Maidanam (Madurai) where we played all the songs from the film and even played the tunes that we planned to use in the next film,” he said.
The woman who has seen the film the most times was also given an award by Ilaiyaraaja.
Fifty years have passed, but Ilaiyaraaja continues to work tirelessly and compose symphonies.
“It’s his life,” he said.
Published – 14 May 2026 01:08 IST
