/> The Tamilian musical genius Ilaiyaraaja, known to compose imperishable tunes within seconds, will be doing his first ever live concert in Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai in collaboration with the Hungary Symphony Orchestra.

The Mumbai concert will take place on January 26.The other two concerts will follow.

Ilaiyaraaja is currently in Budapest recording music with producer Sheetal Talwar and and filmmaker-wife Bhavna Talwar.

The couple now plans three concerts in the metros with Ilaiyaraja where the super-genius will play Tiruvacakam (ancient sacred hymns) with the Hungary Symphony Orchestra and its conductor Laszlo Kovacs.

The softspoken Ilaiyaraaja speaks from Budapest. "Yes, we're planning a concert in Mumbai and other places. I wouldn't mind coming to Mumbai more often.

But I think the city is afraid of me. I've heard that's why people from the Hindi film industry don't come to me. I'm not bothered with such things as long as I have food on the table.If some people are shying away from giving me assignments I'm not bothered. It's their problem, not mine."

Ilaiyaaraja has visited Budapest on many occasions for musical collaborations. "Working in collaboration with symphonies is not difficult for me. It only requires far more preparation. All the music has to be written down in detail before work begins."

Ilaiyaaraja says live concerts are not an extra burden on his creativity. "It's still music in another form. Whether I'm composing for a film or playing at a concert I'm doing music. The medium is secondary.I'm only concerned with music. You know that."

When asked about his renowned aptitude for reflexive composition Ilaiyaraaja laughs, "Who knows how many births I had to go through before music coming so easily to me?

It's not about how much music I know, but about how well music knows me. The greatness is not in me, but in the music. I don't compose the music. It's just there within me and it comes out. I don't make an effort to create music. It just flows out, like the conversation I'm having with you."