The huge success of Mahanati demonstrated the way audiences relate to biographical dramas in Indian cinema. After its impact, a number of production houses queued up biopics on iconic personalities. But the flop of the much-hyped NTR biopic in Telugu brought the craze down to a slow pace and made filmmakers more careful about investing in such ventures.
One of the most highly discussed announcements was a biopic on music legend Ilaiyaraaja, one of India’s greatest composers. The project caused massive buzz when it was announced that Dhanush would be playing the role of the legendary maestro. Praise-worthy director Arun Matheswaran, who made his presence felt with Saani Kaayidham and Captain Miller, was signed up as the director. The movie was officially launched last year amidst high expectations.
But as with Dhanush’s other initiatives that had gone along smoothly, this Ilaiyaraaja biopic never flew off the ground. This had people guessing whether the film was secretly shelved.
Now, the latest reports from the industry indicate that the biopic has been postponed indefinitely. Producers, after weighing the cost and business potential, allegedly thought the venture was not viable at the box office. Although Ilaiyaraaja enjoys a gigantic fan base for his classic music, there were doubts over whether fans would respond equally enthusiastically to a copious cinematic representation of his personal life. With enormous risks at stake, the makers are said to have shelved the idea.
Although there has been no formal announcement regarding the cancellation of the movie, people close to the project are firmly of the view that it is not going to happen.
Meanwhile, Dhanush has moved on to other projects. Dhanush is already directing his own project called Idly Kadai and, interestingly, is also going to team up with Adipurush director Om Raut for a grand biopic on Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.