VAARANAM Aayiram’s remarkable opening on Friday should come as little reason for director Gautham Vasudev Menon to rejoice. Only a couple of days after it was confirmed that he will not be doing Ajith’s next movie, it now seems like favourite music director Harris Jayaraj has turned his back on him, hinting that he wouldn’t work with the director again, owing to creative differences.
Gautham and Harris began their journey in tinsel town together, with 'Minnalae' in 2001. 'Kaakha Kaakha', 'Vettaiyaadu Vilayaadu', 'pachaikili Muthucharam' and 'Vaaranam Aayiram' four movies later, they still seemed to have an inexplicable hold on the charts, which each of their movies topped. In fact, 'Vaaranam Aayiram', their latest and perhaps last offering together, still remains the best selling album of the year, with over 80,000 units sold and still counting.
However, differences between the music director-director began cropping up when Gautham Menon opted for AR Rahman for his fifth movie, 'Chennaiyil Oru Mazhaikaalam', instead of Harris Jayaraj. When contacted, Harris brushed it off saying it wasn’t an issue at all because he already had his hands full and COM wasn’t his kind of a subject. “Actually, Gautham never asked me to do COM because he knew it wasn’t my style of music that he required. We’re good friends and mature enough to understand this,” he told Expresso.
Harris had also gone to the extent of stating that the two knew each other’s tastes perfectly well, and so he cautioned Gautham not to do 'Pachaikili Muthucharam', a dampener in the Box Office. It was something even Gautham vouched for at the audio launch of 'Vaaranam Aayiram'. “My good friend, Harris told me I shouldn’t be doing PKMC. I still went ahead and the movie didn’t do well,” he said. The duo’s bonding at the audio launch silenced scribes about any differences among them. Adding to that, there was Gautham’s next 'Suraangani', for which Harris Jayaraj was signed up as the music director.
With that movie junked now and Harris’ statement, it’s clear now that the two have parted ways. In fact, the industry was abuzz with theories that the relationship between Gautham and Ajith soured when the former had insisted on having AR Rahman as the music director, which didn’t find favour with Ajith, who wanted the film to be completed quickly.
Harris, in his note to the press, has also added that he wishes Gautham the best in all his endeavours.
And in an industry where friends and foes never last too long, it remains to be seen whether this duo will come together again in the times to come.
Sharadha@epmltd.com