Director Karthik Subbaraj has revealed that legendary composer Ilaiyaraaja’s first reaction after watching the first cut of Dorothy was simply that it was a “beautiful film”, an appreciation that left the filmmaker thrilled.
According to Karthik Subbaraj, he showed the first cut of Dorothy to Ilaiyaraaja and waited eagerly for his reaction. After a few moments of silence, the composer told him that the film was beautiful and suggested that they begin work on the music the following morning. The director said he was particularly excited not only by the appreciation but also by the fact that Ilaiyaraaja had agreed to score his film.
The composer then made another unusual suggestion — that the film’s background score should be released as an album even before the movie reaches theatres. Karthik readily agreed and proposed releasing the music on vinyl as well. The film reportedly has 18 background-score tracks, apart from three songs, making music a significant part of the project. The makers are also planning a special Dorothy musical concert featuring a live orchestra performing the film’s score.
Dorothy marks the 10th directorial venture of Karthik Subbaraj and brings him together with Ilaiyaraaja for the first time. The film stars Keerthy Suresh in the lead, alongside Sananth and Rishikanth. Set in the 1990s, the project has cinematography by S Thirunavukkarasu and editing by Ganesh Siva, with Dinesh Subbarayan handling stunt choreography.
The film has already earned international recognition with its selection for the Centrepiece section of the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival, where it is scheduled to have its world premiere. It will subsequently release worldwide in theatres on September 25.
For Karthik, the collaboration appears to be more than just another film project. Having the legendary composer respond so positively to the first cut and insist on giving the background score an independent identity has added another layer of anticipation around Dorothy. With its distinctive setting, Karthik’s filmmaking and Ilaiyaraaja’s music coming together, the film has emerged as one of the more intriguing Tamil releases of the year.