IQ to IR - Let us help media :-)

IQ = Intelligent Questions

As always, I try to get as +ve as possible in this forum and this is yet another thread in that direction.

We've often talked about "how dumb the interviewer was" when discussing about some interview of our fav. celebrities. Especially the real talented ones. 

It's not a mere feeling but can be safely called a fact, as showcased by one fellow's inappropriate question to which IR hit back "அறிவிருக்கா?"

So, this thread is an effort to create a "question bank" to help media or any independent amateur / professional fellow who will go talk to IR

In the next post, I'll set the criteria for questions! (As usual, I'll publish this thread in twitter and solicit questions there too and copy/paste them here whenever I get a relevant one)...

I'm sure this will be fun


Disclaimer : 
No - No - I'm not thinking about interviewing IR in the near / far future in USA or anywhere else!
I consider him illustratively as a nuclear power plant (e.g. Sun is one such) and being away at a right distance is beneficial for me   
So, all this collection is only for those who will have use for them in a future opportunity!

The disclaimer was disappointing App! I thought you will mention something on these lines : "While these questions may appear intelligent, it is no guarantee that you will emerge in one piece from the lion's den!" Why this visha parichai?

The criteria is not much, mostly basics :

1. While the question can "stimulate" or "excite" IR, it should not be with the sole aim of provoking or irritating. (e.g. "Why don't you work with VM again?"  or "Why did you file a lawsuit against XYZ for caste / copyright / royalty / ABC / DEF / blah blah?" are strictly NO!)

2.  Some unknown extraordinary history stuff can be exciting to ask about but those common knowledge items - that have been written about 10000 times / interviewed 10000 times - must be avoided ( "how / what related to EVK songs" may be OK but strictly NO on things such as paNNaippuram / vaigai dam / pAvalar bros / Dhanraj master / GKV / MSV / annkkiLi / Bharathi Raja / Manirathnam / sundari kaNNAl oru sEthi etc)

3. Questions related to hardcore musical stuff should not get too technical, to turn-off even the "current IR followers" ( e.g. "What prompted you to shift from A Major to E minor at 3 min 12 sec in that XYZ song" and such kinds  )

4. No dumb questions (typically asked thinking oneself quite smart), such as "இசைன்னா என்ன, ஆன்மிகம் பற்றிய தங்கள் கருத்து என்ன" 

In short, it should encourage IR to share something hitherto not written about and not boring. 

Much like a new director telling a FRESH situation to IR and getting very FRESH music! 
(And not asking "ஐயா, அந்தப்பாட்டு மாதிரி ஒரு பாட்டு வேணும்யா" nonsense)

My not-so-intelligent sample, to start with

We have heard / read often that you keep learning something in music all the time. 
So, what are your current lessons? Is there something you want to learn in the near future?

(இசையில் நீங்கள் எப்போதுமே ஏதாவது கற்றுக்கொண்டே இருப்பதாகக் கேள்விப்பட்டிருக்கிறோம். தற்போது நீங்கள் அப்படிக்கற்றுக்கொண்டிருப்பது என்ன என்று சொல்ல முடியுமா? அடுத்து என்ன கற்றுக்கொள்ள வேண்டும் என்று உங்களுக்கு ஆவல்?)

The objective (when asked in the right tone) is to bring the childlike-ever-learning-IR to speak enthusiastically about it...it may not happen and depending upon the mood, there could be cryptic adi also...however, this is a current / future question with not much vambu.

Also, if answered in detail, it could create some expectation as to what next  (Sometime back he talked about learning Jazz and we got the terrific treat of interludes in pA songs, for e.g. - that classic second interlude of gum sum gum)

வாட்ஸன் என்ற கணிணிக்கு சங்கீதம் சொல்லித்தர முடியுமா?

"Enakku Thaan Thalaivargal En Rasigargal.... Avar Virumbum varaiyil virundhu padaipaen....".  You had declared this 25 years back.. Whether this declaration still holds good today....?  Is your perception about your die-hard fans changed.... or still they are your "Thalaivargal" in your heart..?

Article on salida.com

Another time, Salil told Gautam about a guitarist who was in his orchestra. “He is from Madras. I think he’s going to be the best composer in India.” This guitarist turned out to be Ilayaraja.

A question based on this quote

Read that Salilda predicted you will be the best composer in India. Also heard that you had much appreciation for him. Can you please give us more insight as to your connect with Salilda (what did you do that make him utter that comment / any influences / any specifics you admire / any plans for future, like perfroming for his centenary or a memorial song)?

This is not an intelligent question but a lingering question
(Well, I've just posted something on the "Anything on the net about IR" thread related to this subject, with a link to BRangan's post on mouna rAgam).

While you've told that works of many predecessors inspired you on occasions (as in idhayam pOgudhE), the case of 'kanavu kANum vAzhkkai yAvum' of neengaL kEttavi seems to be different, as it sounds more like a remake of a Kalyandji-Anandji song, rather than an inspiration.

What was the situation that led to such an incident? 

Did BM give emotional appeal to you to use that melody?

Or, did Kalyandji-Anandji themselves asked you to take it to Thamizh in exchange for neelE neelE?

I have lots of such questions, as in my mind I have interviewed IR several times already :-) Also a lot of my questions are very specific concerning particular aspects of specific songs which might have intrigued me and so on.. In other words these questions might only interest me, not necessarily others.   But copyrights yaar kuduppaanga?
app_engine do you really want to gift away these questions freely to media? Let them also put their thinking cap on.

But here's a sample or two from me:

(opening with a bang....)
1. You had chosen to predominantly adopt a tune-first-lyrics-next approach to composing unlike some of your predecessors. was this a conscious choice to be different or is there a deeper musical/philosophical reason to this approach?

2. andha paazha pona RPO symphonya yen sir release pannala? eppo pannuveenga? naanga yedhaavadhu adhukku udhavi paNNa mudiyuma? having crafted something like that we wont let that go unreleased.

3. After having composed for 1000 movies and practically seen all filmi situations possible what still keeps you motivated enough to work on routine commercial films that keep giving out the same situations?

4. why did'nt you compose more of HTNI or NBW like soundtracks at the expense of some of the bad films that came your way?

5. what would you like your TFM legacy to be known as?

6. what is your current musical pursuit? what else are you trying to explore? do you think there is still some new musical form/approach waiting to be uncovered in the context of TFM?

innum niraya irukku...but free'ya kudukka maatten :-) Those are reserved for the imaginary occasion when I get to meet the man himself.

app_engine if some of the qns you are compiling can be passed on to him via his official website or youtube channel and if he can address some of these it will be great. After all not all of us will be lucky enough to get to have a casual chat with him on one of his good-mood days.

counterpoint


I think one of the questions had been earlier asked by some (why not more like HTNI) and he replied citing financial reasons. (Something like if someone can fund it, he can write...he won't spend money and create something, only for people to download free).

BTW, the latest dumb question by media (in Washington DC I think) : What is your opinion about ARR  

aRRpamAna kELvi, azhagAna badhil

One question I would have is:

When you analyze your works over the years, what are the changes that you have made, especially in terms of orchestration, over the years and what influenced those changes?

Ank, good one But I suspect he'll say that "I dont analyze my own works once they are done" or something along those lines :-)

App, see that's the tragedy here. People like you, Ank, or others here we think over what to ask, self-filter our questions and put in some basic thought into it. But it is unlikely most of us will ever get to talk to him like that given our personal constraints, geographical coordinates etc. But most of those who get easy access to him either happen to be idiots or just forget what to ask in the spur of the moment.

That's why I suggested compiling these and picking some and passing it onto one of his site coordinators or even Karthik Raja who can appreciate the thought behind these questions. Media guys are rather interested in questions that have a high controversy/sensationalism potential. Maybe an online music magazine or a serious film/music journal might be able to do some justice.

Talking of media, our Tamil/English media don't even have a culture of serious film music critique. While for reviewing December season carnatic concerts they recruit musicologists or vocalists with some musical knowledge to analyze in depth, for Tamil film music reviews(which requires an even  broader knowledge of musical idioms/genres besides IFM history) they recruit the likes of Karthik(milliblog) to do the job. Or sometimes even film reviewers double up as music reviewers. Sad. Really sad.