It is music maestro Ilayaraja’s 1000th film. And, it should come as no surprise that the film, Tharai Thappattai, seeks to capture the interaction and tension between the world of classical and folk music.
For, it was Ilayaraja who infused folk elements, in all its dimensions, into film music. The film also marks the coming together of some of the best talent in Tamil cinema.
And joining hands with director Bala, actor Sashi Kumar and Malayalam music director and singer Sharath in their venture is thavil player Haridwaramangalam A.K. Palanivel, who has played a solo for the film. Ilayaraja has already recorded the songs for the film and Sharath, a student of eminent vocalist Balamuralakrishna, has rendered a song based on a classical raga.
Given the storyline, Ilayaraja has roped in Palanivel to present authentic percussive elements. “Though I am not fully aware of the storyline, I am told that I am playing for the hero’s father, a classical musician. The son drifts towards folk music,” said Palanivel, who had earlier worked with A.R. Rahman for the song kannodu kaanbathellaam thalaiva in the film Jeans . “I have also toured the globe with Rahman,” he said.
Palanivel recently attended the shooting of Tharai Thappattai along with Bala, Ilayaraja and other members of the unit at Karanthai in Thanjavur. In the beginning, writer Jeyamohan wrote the script. But, the task was subsequently given to the lead actor Sashi Kumar.
“There is no good music or bad music. How one presents it is more important. You can play a korvai or sangathi elegantly, or in a perverse manner,” said Palanivel, the first thavil player to receive the Padma Shri award.
Palanivel, who learnt thavil from Tirucherai Muthukumarasamy Pillai, first played for Kaathoduthaan Naan Pesuven , a film by Girija Pakkirisamy, the mother of actor Sripriya, which did not see the light of the day.
Palanivel has teamed up with Saxophonist Kadri Gopalnath and tabla player Zakir Hussain apart from well-known nagaswaram players. Recalling his gurukulam days in Tirucherai, Palanivel, nicknamed vandu (beetle) for his diminutive figure, said the local people, frequently spotting him swimming in the Saranatha Perumal temple tank, used to warn his teacher that he might drown. “They advised him to send me home. But he said I would survive and earn a name. His words proved prophetic,” the thavil player recalls.
