RGV's tribute to music maestro Ilayaraja

Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma says the background score of his upcoming Telegu film 'Rowdy' is a tribute to music maestro Ilayaraja.
Varma has worked with the composer in his 1989 film 'Shiva' starring Nagarjuna. The filmmaker says he particularly remembers the background score in the scene where Nagarjuna and the girl on the cycle are being chased by goons.
"I have been a huge fan of background scores ever since I became a film buff and one of my all time favourite of music piece is the cycle chase back ground score given by maestro Ilayaraja in my debut film 'Shiva'," Varma said in a statement.

"I still can't forget the goose bumps I got back in 1989 when Ilayaraja was scoring music for that sequence. I wanted to bring the attention to track number 17 in the album 'Rowdy' and whoever liked and remembered that cycle chase music in 'Shiva', will enjoy listening to this background track," he said.
The 'Satya' director asked music composer Sai Kartik to do an integration of the brilliant cycle chase theme from 'Shiva' into the main theme of 'Rowdy' and says it turned out to be brilliant.
"As a huge fan of this legendary musician my main interest is to bring back this composition and to express the great idea of the genius Ilayaraja's 1989 sound track to 2014. This is my salute to Ilayaraja," Varma added.

'Rowdy' stars Mohan Babu and his elder son Vishnu Manchu with Jayasudha and Shanvi Srivastav in pivotal roles. The film will open in US theatres on April 3 and rest of the world on April 4.