Today, with top music directors being stars as much as actors, they are paid exorbitant amounts as salaries.

According to director Seenuramasamy, this has resulted in small-budget filmmakers not being able to approach them to compose the music for their films.

Speaking at the audio launch of composer Nivas Prasanna’s Thegidi, the National Award-winning director said, “MSV used to work on MGR’s films, but at the same time, he also used to compose for small-budget films. Ilaiyaraaja, too, did the same.”

However, he rued that today, an AR Rahman or a Harris Jayaraj do not take up small-budget films as their salary is equal to the budget of these films. “When a big-name music director composes for a small film, it gets noticed by the audience, who will consider watching it. But are today’s music directors like that,” he questioned.

He added, “Today, small-budget films give importance to the script, and it’s in these films that you can have good music. I see this habit of not taking up a project because of its budget as being dishonest to art.”