CHENNAI: Recent comments by maestro Ilayaraja that he was refused help by noted freedom fighter and communist veteran I Mayandi Bharathi, to make his entry into the the film industry, has irked left leaders.
In an interview to a private TV channel, broadcast on Friday, Ilayaraja said when he and his brother Bhaskar came to Madurai to work in drama companies before setting off to Chennai tried to secure help from Bharathi.
Answering a question about his early career, Ilayaraja said,”Even though he (Bharathi) was planning to rent out a room in his residence at West Masi Street, Madurai, he was ready to rent it out.”
“I knew about the world only after a leader of his stature who talks about working class and imperialism was not ready to help two young commoners”, he added.
This statement has irked several top communist leaders and the freedom fighter’s close aides.
Condemning this statement, S A Perumal, Mayandi Bharathi’s friend and editor of a Tamil magazine said, “Before Ilayaraja set out to Chennai along with his brothers, Mayandi was the one who gave them a stage during the famous 1949 Devikulam-Peermedu election campaign.”
Chowba, author of ‘Seevalaperi Pandi’ and one of Mayandi’s close aides said, “I have seen letters written by Pavalar Varadarajan (Ilayaraja’s elder brother) to Mayandi seeking help after these campaigns. For which he gave money from his own pocket to send the troupe to Chennai and it was unfortunate that they have forgotten the help.”
“Even in his death bed, I remember him talking about Ilayaraja fondly and was proud about his growth,” he added.
The same Ilayaraja and his brother Gangai Amaran had written in separate articles published in news magazines about how Mayandi had helped them. He didn’t even visit Mayandi to pay the last respects during the funeral”, Perumal told Express.