It is a surreal debut for filmmaker Sujith N Subramaniam, who worked as a cinematographer in Kudumbasthan, to be associated with the who's who of tinseltown in Raja's Playlist. After the film's official title launch on Sunday, Sujith says he couldn't have asked for anything better as he is making his debut in a tribute to the legendary musician Ilaiyaraaja. "This year also marks Raja sir's 50th year. I couldn't ask for more. Raja's Playlist is a truly fascinating journey. The film is a beautiful alignment of Raja sir's admirers from the universe," Sujith begins, to share his admiration for Ilaiyaraaja’s legacy. "It is not at all a mean feat for Raja sir, Gangai Amaren sir, and Bhaskar sir to come from a nondescript town to change Tamil cinema forever. Their legacy keeps growing with Venkat Prabhu sir and Yuvan sir ."
Opening up on his playlist of the unparalleled composer, Sujith says Thiruvasagam tops his list. "Where do I even start? My day starts with listening to his Thiruvasagam, so that is a regular song. Also, 'Thulli Ezhunthathu Paattu' is one of my favourites of his," says Sujith, as he shares his awe of collaborating with some of the greatest minds in the industry, like Venkat Prabhu, Yuvan Shankar Raja, and Sudha Kongara. "With Venkat Prabhu sir (story) and Sudha ma’am (creative producer), I witnessed how an interesting idea turns into a story in real time. My experience with them can be described with one word: precision. Their perspectives were so uncluttered, and under their guidance, I learned where a scene should begin and how it should transition. I am a big fan of Yuvan (Shankar Raja) sir. As I explained the scene, I saw how the music hits him first before my words do. It was fascinating to see how music emanates from him. My very first composition session with him moved me to tears."
Even though he worked as a cinematographer, Sujith says filmmaking was on his mind since he began studying visual communication. "I am interested in cinematography and editing, but direction was always in my head," he adds, circling back to the origins of Raja's Playlist, which he says simply started from him wanting to do a small tribute video. "I just wanted to do a small tribute video or a telefilm for Raja sir. I was in discussion about that. That was when I met Jaiyan, who is Ilaiyaraaja's nephew, and also plays the lead in Raja’s Playlist. He told me about Venkat sir’s idea and said it would be great if we worked on that. So Raja's Playlist is an assemblage of Raja sir's fans."
Describing Raja's Playlist as a genre-bender with music, romance, and family emotions, Sujith says the film is about how Raja sir's music changes a person. "The film is a rom-com, featuring Jaiyan and Sona Olickal (Arjun Das' Once More), and it also has family sentiments and a lot of music. The pivot to all these elements is how Raja sir's songs transform a person. From an IT employee to a farmer in Usilampatti, the film will resonate with everyone," he signs off.
