As he steps into his 81st year today, Ilaiyaraaja’s hunger for excellence remains undaunted and he continues to fascinate us with his music, touching our hearts and soothing our souls.
“
Dhudh ki nadiya wahe ja
Koyal ku ku gaye
Hey mare ghar angana na bhulo na”
The folksy Gujarati song from the film Manthan in the lilting voice of Preeti Sagar touches your heart every time you hear it. So captivating was the song that dairy major Amul used it as its corporate tune and went back to the extraordinary genius who composed it - Vanraj Bhatia - time and again for more pieces. “The Manthan music gave a good identity to our co-operatives and is a signature tune of our campaigns,” says R S Sodhi, Managing Director of GCMMF, which owns brand Amul, describing how the versatile composer’s last work for the company was the chimes of the clock at IRMA, the rural management institute at Anand.