It is now known that National Award-winning star Dhanush will play the lead role in the Ilaiyaraaja biopic. It was announced on March 20 that Captain Miller director Arne Matheswaran will direct this biopic and music will be done by music maestro Ilaiyaraaja himself. But the surprise announcement was that actor-writer-producer Kamal Haasan himself will be writing the screenplay for this film.
Speaking on the occasion of the movie announcement on March 20, Dhanush stated, “I firmly believe in the phrase, Ennam pol vazhkai (What you think, you will become). A lot of you might have spent several nights listening to Ilaiyaraaja’s music, but I have spent sleepless nights thinking about his life and how to portray him, and it has now manifested.”
Dhanush went on to say, “Ilaiyaraaja’s music has not just been my companion, but also my acting guru. Before shooting, I listen to an Ilaiyaraaja song or BGM that matches the mood of the scene and that helps me deliver my performance. Playing him is not a big responsibility because his music will teach and guide me through this process.”
Kamal Haasan then said, “This journey started with me calling him ‘Sir’ and slowly progressed to ‘ayya’ and ‘anna’. I look forward to this film’s journey.”