 How do you feel about your changing over from melody to fast numbers?
o me, music is music, whether it is fast or slow. I believe in my music, as much as I believe in myself. But, when survival becomes the issue, one learns to adapt. I am not here as a saviour trying to change the present music scenario. I want to have a long innings, and I want my songs to be played everywhere.
Hence my watchword is quality without compromise, whatever be the pace of the song. Are you fully satisfied with the music of "Gilli"? Why not? I could exploit the scope for fast and semi-fast tunes and I feel I have done it successfully. The songs written Kapilan and Yugabharathi have done extremely well. Now, "Gilli" has brought luck to all the artistes as well as to Dharani. Who is your favorite lyricist? Most of my best melodies are beautifully scripted by Vairamuthu. It is a pleasure to work with his poetic expressions. Can fast tunes accommodate good lyrics? I want to say that not all fast songs need necessarily be without good lyrics. "Kathal Pisase" of "Run" is a fine example. You just go through the 'charanam' and you will find meaningful lines like "thayodu pesatha mounam". They convey some beautiful ideas. There is a hue and cry about fast numbers causing erosion in the quality of songs.
Trends change. Speed is the key word in every sphere of life and music alone cannot remain unaffected. Deterioration can also happen when people who can think and evaluate abstain from going to theatres. It is easy to please those who visit the cinema halls for momentary pleasure. Naturally, the standard (of the film and the songs) will be set accordingly. When the quality of the audience improves, the quality of the movie also will improve automatically. According to you, what does music add to films? (It adds) a vital ingredient to the success of a film. Good music can catapult even a weak movie to success. "Dhil" and "Allithantha Vanam" are good examples. Good songs can elevate even heroes to new heights. "Kathal Pisase" of "Run" gave Madhavan many excellent 'runs'. I am glad to have been part of some of the successful songs that proved lucky to my very good friends like Vikram, Vijay, Ajith and Arjun. What is in your mind while you compose -- the story, the hero, the scene or the singer? None of these. But after composing I think of the hero and then a suitable matching voice for him. I am glad to say that I have introduced more than 20 new voices in this field. What do you attribute your success to?
God's will, or destiny. Offers had always been coming my way. I never had to run after it. Rahman and I were batch mates at music classes but we had our entries to the film world at different points and different levels.
Even when he ruled the music scene, I had my successes. I also got excellent opportunities to work in all the four south Indian languages. I have been lucky to be associated with a Hollywood movie, too (Rajiv Anchal's "Beyond the Soul"). I have a prestigious project in Hindi on which I am working.
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