Legendary music director Ilaiyaraaja is reportedly no longer part of director Thiagarajan Kumararaja's upcoming film Pocket Novel, which features a lead cast including Vijay Sethupathi, Raj B Shetty, and Malavika Mohanan. Rumors regarding a change in the music department began circulating after the veteran composer's name was left off the team credits in the recent announcement celebrating the completion of filming. An industry insider has since confirmed that GV Prakash Kumar has stepped in to score the movie.
Speaking on the development, a source verified that GV Prakash Kumar is now heading the music composition for the project and that Ilaiyaraaja is no longer connected to it. The specific circumstances leading to the alteration in the film's audio team have not been disclosed. Previously, Ilaiyaraaja had worked with Kumararaja on the filmmaker's segment for the anthology series Modern Love Chennai.
The shift in composers arrives as Pocket Novel finishes its principal photography. This venture marks Kumararaja's comeback to feature-length cinema following his critically lauded 2019 second directorial effort, Super Deluxe, which drew widespread praise for its unique narrative style and diverse ensemble.
The collaboration reuniting Kumararaja and Vijay Sethupathi was initially made public in February 2026, followed by announcements revealing the official title and supporting cast members, including Raj B Shetty, Malavika Mohanan, and Kishore. The story and screenplay for the feature were penned by Andrew Louis, recognized for his work on Vadhandhi.
The technical crew features cinematographer Nirav Shah, editor Sathyaraj Natarajan, art director V Shanmugaraja, and stunt director Dhilip Subbarayan. The production is being managed by Kumararaja and SD Ezhilmathy under the banners of Tyler Durden and Kino Fist, with Ezhilmathy additionally contributing as costume designer and Natarajan acting as executive producer.
Following the wrap of production, the creative team has yet to establish an official release date for Pocket Novel. Additional updates regarding the film and the transition in the music department are anticipated in the near future.