Maestro Ilaiyaraaja, who recently performed at the Yuva Dasara concert as part of the Mysuru Dasara celebrations that concluded on Saturday, shared a significant moment from his illustrious decades long career.
He revealed that he was the one who encouraged the legendary Kannada actor and singer Dr. Rajkumar to sing, Yaare Koogadali, in the film Sampathige Savaal.
Yaare Koogadali
During his performance at the Yuva Dasara event, legendary composer Ilaiyaraaja shared several fond memories of his time working on Kannada compositions. He reminisced about his early days, particularly when he worked as an assistant to the renowned composer G.K. Venkatesh.
Responding to a request from Kannada director S. Narayan to share memorable incidents from his work on Kannada films featuring the iconic actor Dr. Rajkumar, Ilaiyaraaja highlighted an integral part of the history of the Kannada film industry.
Ilaiyaraaja, reflecting on his time as an assistant to G.K. Venkatesh during the composition of Yaare Koogadali for the film Sampathige Savaal, revealed an interesting decision behind the song.
"I felt that someone other than P.B. Srinivas, who was the usual voice for Dr. Rajkumar's songs till then should sing the track. Since the song had a joyful and energetic vibe, it required a fresh voice. While P.B. Srinivas was undoubtedly great; this particular song needed a different touch. Even S.P. Balasubramanyam's voice wasn't quite the right fit," he added.
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Convincing Dr Rajkumar
Ilaiyaraaja revealed that he suggested that Dr. Rajkumar should sing the song, considering his extensive experience in singing from his theatre days.
"When I approached Dr. Rajkumar with the idea, he displayed remarkable humility. He pointed out that P.B. Srinivas, who had been lending his voice to all of his songs, should continue, as he did not want to take away the singer's opportunity and livelihood," Ilaiyaraaja recalled.
However, Ilaiyaraaja felt that the song required a unique punch and suggested that Dr. Rajkumar listen to the tune before making a decision.
"After listening to the composition, Dr. Rajkumar agreed to sing, and that’s how the iconic song Yaare Koogadali from the movie Sampathige Savaal came to life,” Ilaiyaraaja explained, noting that he was the one who encouraged the thespian to take on the song.
Following this, Dr. Rajkumar went on to sing numerous tracks and eventually earned a National Film Award for his playback performance of Nadamaya from the film Jeevana Chaithra.
Ilaiyaraaja has composed music for the 1981 Kannada film Nee Nanna Gellalare, which starred Dr. Rajkumar in the lead role.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9biAGVvbI0