Rosy welcome: Music maestro Ilayaraja being garlanded at the inauguration of College of Engineering’s cultural festival on the Guindy campus of Anna University on Wednesday. Vice-Chancellor D Viswanathan is in the picture.

His unbeatable record stands at 858 films in several languages. And he is still improving it. Maestro Ilayaraja, who made one of his rare public appearances for the inauguration of College of Engineering’s Techcofes 2008 in Anna University’s Guindy campus on Wednesday, said perhaps if he had learnt music formally, he might not have reached this position in life.

“The only songs I heard as a child were those sung by my mother and my brother Pavalar Varadarajan. In the village where I was born there were no music teachers,” he said. Life, he said, offered unending education and it threw up enough surprises.

“As students studying particular degrees and aiming to become something in life, you would know where you are headed to. But you will still have questions about every step you take. And there are Tamil songs for every situation that you can think of,” he said.

Speaking about his recent work, he said he had just finished recording the BMG for his 857th film, a Malayalam film titled “sms” and started work on a film “ Ajantha ” He is also working on Ram Gopal Varma’s “Shiva” and a film titled “Uliyin Osai,” the story for which has been penned by Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi. As a prize for the students, he played the audio recording of a song “Kallaai Irundhen Silayaai enn vadithaai.” Lyricist Snehan said he was working on a biography of Illayaraja. Anna University Vice-Chancellor D Viswanathan and Dean M. Sekar also spoke.