In a historic milestone for Eelam Tamil cinema, Maestro “Isaignani” Ilaiyaraaja is composing music for the full-length feature film Anthony, produced by OSAI Films. The film stars Kayal Vincent as the male lead and TJ. Banu (of Kadhalikka Neramillai) as the female lead, alongside a majority of Eelam Tamil artists and several renowned Indian actors.
The film began with a traditional pooja ceremony in Jaffna, Sri Lanka, on 05.03.2025. Shooting continued relentlessly, day and night, for over 45 days and was completed on 30.04.2025. Post-production began in the Tamil month of Chithirai with editing, followed by dubbing works, and by 10.08.2025 the film was ready for music composition.
From the early stages of production, the filmmakers envisioned bringing in a globally renowned composer for Eelam Tamil cinema. It was unanimously decided that Maestro Ilaiyaraaja would be the perfect choice. When approached last month, he listened to the story and immediately agreed without hesitation. After watching the film, he began composition within two days, and the work has now reached its final stage.
For the very first time in history, Ilaiyaraaja has composed music for an Eelam Tamil film — a love story set in Jaffna. This marks not only a milestone for Eelam cinema but also adds to the Maestro’s illustrious body of work.
Celebrated as the “Pinnacle of Symphony” and adored by millions worldwide, Ilaiyaraaja has scored for over 1,500 films in multiple Indian languages. Anthony will be his 1524th film overall and his first Eelam Tamil film. At the age of 82, with a legacy of more than 8,000 songs, his music continues to breathe life into audiences around the globe.
Anthony is directed by two young filmmakers, Sugirthan Christuraja and Jenoson Rajeshwar, with Kalaivalari Sakha Ramana serving as the associate director. The film is produced by OSAI Films founders Kalaivalari Sakha Ramana and Suganthini Ramanathas, with co-producers Vijayan Balasingham (Vijay Films) and Sriskantharaja (Dreamline Productions), and line producer Vicky (Kana Productions).
With its unique narrative rooted in the soil of Eelam, Anthony is expected to stand apart from other Sri Lankan releases and is already creating great anticipation among Tamil audiences worldwide, especially across Europe, where millions of Tamil viewers eagerly await its release.
Made on a lavish budget, the film’s post-production is progressing rapidly. Announcements regarding the audio launch, trailer release, and worldwide theatrical release date will be made very soon.
On the joyous occasion of Maestro Ilaiyaraaja’s Golden Jubilee (50 years in cinema), on 13.09.2025, OSAI Films and Kurinji Creations take immense pride in making this historic announcement about Anthony to Tamils across the world.