Music maestro Ilaiyaraja during a press conference regarding the announcement of 'Ilaiyaraja 50' to support 'Music for Meals', in Bengaluru on Monday.
Credit: PTI Photo
Bengaluru: Akshayapatra is collaborating with music maestro Ilaiyaraja for a fundraiser music concert next month in Bengaluru.
Called ‘Music for Meals’, the concert will celebrate 50 years of Ilaiyaraja’s musical journey and 25 years of Akshaya Patra.
Ilaiyaraja is known for composing for movies such as 'Nayakan' (1987), 'Thevar Magan' (1992), 'Payanangal Mudivathillai' (1982), 'Thalapathi' (1991) and 'Vaidehi Kathirunthal' (1984), among others.
Talking about the organisation’s milestones, Chanchalapathi Dasa, co-founder and vice-chairperson of Akshaya Patra Foundation, said that they have grown into 78 kitchens in 16 states.
“We are feeding about 23.5 lakh children everyday. Our mission is to make sure no child is deprived of education because of hunger,” he said at a press conference on Monday.
Akshaya Patra is one of the not-for-profit organisations that contributes to the PM Poshan scheme, earlier known as the Mid-Day Meal Scheme.
Ilaiyaraja recalled beginning his career in Bengaluru as music composer GK Venkatesh’s assistant in over 200 Kannada films. “I know the Bengaluru audience very well from my days of working with GK Venkatesh. There is no area in the city I haven’t walked in. The Bengaluru you see today is very different from the city I saw,” he added.
Akshaya Patra collaborated with the music band Agam, in June as a part of the ‘Music for Meals’ programme.
For every Rs 100 Akshaya Patra receives, Rs 92 goes to the programme and Rs 8 to cover the costs. “That’s why we try to keep our costs under tight control,” said Sridhar Venkat, CEO of Akshaya Patra Foundation.
‘Music for Meals’ will be held on January 10, 7 pm onwards at NICE Grounds, Madavara, Bengaluru. Tickets start from Rs 1,500. Tickets online.