Ilaiyaraaja To Compose For Mari Selvaraj's 'Manjanathi'

Mari Selvaraj's upcoming Tamil film Manjanathi will have legendary composer Ilaiyaraaja on music. The Tamil director made this announcement on social media, expressing his joy at the collaboration. "THE TRANSCENDENT MOMENT HAS FINALLY HAPPENED” FROM ILAIYARAAJA X MARI SELVARAJ," he wrote on X. Mari last directed Dhruv Vikram's Bison.

The announement came along with a video of the duo beginning their association. In the video, Mari can be seen saying that he was waiting to write a mature and well-rounded script to approach the composer with. "I don't have to tell him anything. I knew that I just needed to narrate the script and he will take care of everything. I can simply sit and watch," he says.

While cast and crew details of the film haven't been confirmed yet, Mari also has 'D56', a film with Dhanush in his pipeline.

Meanwhile, Ilaiyaraaja will also compose for Karthik Subbaraj's upcoming film. Subbaraj's earlier work has depicted deep admiration for the legendary composer's music in various inventive ways. The upcoming project marks a significant crossover between two of Indian cinema’s most distinctive voices — Guneet Monga Kapoor and Achin Jain’s Sikhya Entertainment, known for championing rooted, globally resonant storytelling, and Subbaraj, one of Tamil cinema’s most inventive contemporary directors.

Sikhya Entertainment, the Oscar-winning Indian production house behind The Elephant Whisperers, will produce the Tamil film. The yet-untitled feature began filming on recently in Madurai after a traditional pooja ceremony. The project will mark Subbaraj's 10th film and Ilaiyaraaja's 1540th film.

llaiyaraaja's other projects include Sathya Jyothi Films' upcoming Tamil film Lenin Pandiyan. The banner made this announcement with a special video, featuring songs from the composer's earlier work for the production house, including iconic films such as Moondram Pirai (1982), Pagal Nilavu (1985), and Kaakki Sattai (1985).