"Music of my directorial venture Dhoni will be a soulful experience", says Prakashraj, giving credit to maestro Illayaraja.

"Isaignani has done live recording for all the songs, one hardly ventures into that now, given the advantage of technology. I am grateful to him", he says.

Prakashraj is making Dhoni simultaneously in Tamil and Telugu. "These days parents and the society put a lot of pressure on children. There is a general perception that formal education alone would groom a young mind into a responsible citizen. This is partly right and partly wrong. So I conceived a story which would strike a fine balance between education and other beautiful things in life", he says.

"I immediately decided that Illayaraja sir should do the music. When I approached, he accepted my request and that's how it happened."

Prakashraj, a huge fan of Illayaraja, said, "He is the real maestro who knows the finer elements of life and how to bring it on music. His songs and background scoring would be the highlights of the movie. Not just highlights, but pillar of strength for Dhoni. Hats off to him."