Dear @amabirdman,

If you don't mind, could I have a few minutes of your time? #IfYouDontMindCanIHaveOneAmuk level dhaan idhu. But whatisthere. I know ARR fans get mildly queasy when a mafia twitlongs and maybe we could have blogged this but to paraphrase Shakespeare, "what's in a webpage?" So pardon us this one time. I am writing this on behalf of the mafia since it was me who mostly indulged with you in an argument a couple of weeks back. If you are wondering what is making us take up an old topic again, you have a point. But if you will, pardon our roving eyes, the mafia found a very old link from 2009 and I couldn't resist sharing it with you.

It is here: https://www.mail-archive.com/arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com/msg64713.html

The same old topic, yes yes. I believe this was the first time you had uploaded Suresh Krissna's interview. He says what he does and mentions ARR was composing the Punnagai Mannan theme on his computer when he, as an asst to KB, was in Prasad studio. You also back your claim here with a further accusation on IR w.r.t Mella Thirandhadhu Kadhavu and Hey Ram.

Let me begin with MTK. As you may have been made aware over the past 5 yrs, if you even watch the film for 5 minutes to get through its credits, MTK's music is credited to both MSV and Raaja. It is a known fact that Raaja only completely composed Kuzhal Oodhum Kannanukku and the remaining songs were tuned by MSV and orchestrated by Raaja and Raaja keeps talking about their collaboration in this film since 1986. A pretty vacuous claim and I hope you may have realized this now.

w.r.t Hey Ram, you again made this accusation 2 weeks back and said you remember reading from an interview that L Subramaniam accused Raaja and Kamal of using his tunes. The only interview of LS's, which I have archived with every other interview during Hey Ram's time from everyone involved, is this: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/lis4td94xxawai4/AAAujD2ZtGWwZ9svbPX5d7Tsa/09FEB00KM-5.jpg LS wishes Raaja all the best and thanks Kamal, admittedly after being replaced and before the film released. But nowhere have I ever come across LS accusing Raaja and Kamal and unless you can provide proof to back your claim (in which case we are all ears), this does not stand analysis. In any case, Raaja and LS have been on excellent terms since my memory can stretch back and sometime in the mid 2000s, he was publicly appreciative of Raaja, attended his How To Name It concert with his son in 2012 and even 4 days back, was presented a lifetime achievement award by Raaja in the Krishna Gaana Sabha: http://amas32.wordpress.com/2014/07/07/%E0%AE%87%E0%AE%9A%E0%AF%88%E0%AE%9E%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%A9%E0%AE%BF-%E0%AE%87%E0%AE%B3%E0%AF%88%E0%AE%AF%E0%AE%B0%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%9C%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%B5%E0%AF%88-%E0%AE%9A%E0%AE%A8%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%A4%E0%AE%BF/ doesn't seem like the relation he'd share with someone who'd used his tunes without crediting him?

Now coming to our bone of contention, Punnagai Mannan. You had SK's interview during Sangamam time which you peddled as proof for IR using ARR's tune without crediting him. But turns out, an ARR interview (during 1997, post Minsara Kanavu, when Isai Puyal was awarded his second National Award, funnily 2 years before SK's interview), ARR was asked this question by SR Ashok Kumar and the answer he gave was shown as proof to you on 26th April 2009 by one mbthuglak here: https://www.mail-archive.com/arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com/msg64700.html this is what he says:

Quote
------
Can you tell something about your contribution for Illaiyaraaja's score in
``Punnagai Mannan.''

I was only an operator and not a composer. When I first bought the computer,
Illaiyaraaja called me and we had lots of work sessions. He composed the song
and I programmed it.

End Quote
---------

And you presumably responded to this interview of ARR's the next day here: https://www.mail-archive.com/arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com/msg64713.html you thank him for this interview.

Which we gave as proof 2 weeks back, archived in another webpage here: http://www.pvv.ntnu.no/~kailasan/interviews/perfection%20is%20his%20key%20to%20success.htm

It is clear you raked this issue up 5 years back, was given ARR's interview clarifying his role and you were happy then. So why did you rake it up again 2 weeks back? Now if some other ARR fan had raised this, who has not read that ARR interview before, we would understand. But you? You see, this is not even about ARR or his multitude of fans now, but your stand vis a vis 5 years back and now.

If you say you were merely providing this as proof to shut mafia's mouth which was asking for proof (in response to ARR fans who claimed ARR did this), you were provided with a counter proof, from no less an authority than ARR himself, far more authentic than SK (who clearly seems to not know the difference between composing and programming), especially for ARR fans, 5 years back. So as an ARR fan who sets himself the highest standard, would it not have been apter to correct the fellow ARR fans by providing the right link? Or if you say you did this to just react to the mafia despite knowing about ARR's interview, can we dismiss you for reaction mongering in this particular issue? In which case, we have nothing more to discuss rather than suggesting you to look at yourself in the mirror. Before you accuse the mafia of reaction mongering, which some of us do (naanga rowdy dhaan), let me gently point out again the comparatively higher standards you set for ARR fans and yourself. You may continue looking into the mirror if you so wish now.

If you say you forgot about this conversation that happened 5 years back (quite natural, we forget stuff we read from 5 days back), again who is at fault for prematurely peddling SK's interview? Agreed, you did acknowledge the fact that we gave solid proof here: https://twitter.com/amabirdman/status/481762999347068930
But you accuse us of vidhaNdAvAdham. Was it w.r.t this case or in general? In general, you may have a point. But w.r.t this case, isn't it quite a case of the pot calling the kettle black? Which in turn reduces your authority to point out our vidhaNdAvAdham even in general, if I may cockily add. Also, let us also point out to the fact that you did not publicly acknowledge ARR's interview 2 weeks back on your TL (especially in the light of having enthusiastically gone to town with SK's interview as "proof" here: https://twitter.com/amabirdman/status/481681846514638848). We were waiting for you to do so (just to tell the same TL you stood corrected) but eventually, we were a trifle disappointed that a fan who sets such high standards for himself could not bring himself to publicly correct his stand in the light of having accepted ARR's interview as solid proof to me. We let it go then, but couldn't resist sharing our thoughts today because we found the link from 5 years back.

Another point which you ARR fans rightly feel proud about is the fact that ARR's music has no relation to IR's in structure or orchestration. It is a fact and ARR has our respect there, which no other successor of IR has had till date. In which case, you must also have an ear to see that this theme's tune and orchestration clearly has IR's stamp all over it?

You (or your friends) may now ask us why so much ado about one interview. But the larger point here is, over the years, you have an impression, which you have going to town with, that IR at times takes credit for others' compositions. You are questioning the integrity of the man here and think he is unethical in these particular cases. We feel duty bound to reiterate the facts in the particular instances you accuse him of.

Having said this much,

If you felt this post was worthy of your time and wish to respond, we are all ears.
If you felt this wasted your time, we are glad (ok that was just a joke. An edgy post such as this can do with a lighter end. No? :-))

Adios,


Mafia.

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