I (Tamil) [Movie Review]

Tamil Cinema has seen a lot of successful and impactful collaborations off-screen. One such memorable collaboration is that of director Shankar and writer Sujatha. Having collaborated on many a movie including the very successful and entertaining Anniyan, Mudhalvan and Sivaji, the combination was sorely missed in parts of Endhiran (due to the death of Sujatha). Shankar did a quick and dirty project Nanban which didn’t need much creativity in the story or dialogues considering it was a scene-by-scene remake of 3 Idiots. With all these factors, Shankar had a pretty important litmus test on whether he would have a successful outing in I, without Sujatha. In a way to compensate for this, Shankar had roped in the actor Vikram, I guess. And he almost gets lucky.

A revenge-drama entered around Lingesan (Vikram), a local guy who shoots up to prominence, I definitely has Vikram in a very satisfying outing since Raavanan. Giving a 100% physically and perhaps mentally, Vikram definitely needs to be lauded for his performance throughout the movie, including the few scenes which showcase his acting prowess completely.

I is a story that could have been condensed to a fast-paced thriller of 100-120 minutes. With a total of five antagonists/villains, and a back-story for each of them with Vikram, the story definitely appeared stretched. To add to this, Shankar along with the writer Subha decides to insult the audience’s intelligence by replaying a few sequences which were quite obvious to ensure that the viewer places a piece of the jigsaw puzzle with just five pieces which already has four pieces in place. This tedious nature of the narrative does not help with the length either and makes it a dragging 189 minutes long movie.

One can always trust Shankar to work with A.R.Rahman well. And he sure has this time too. From the ’damaal-dumeel’ U-turn that I made (of not relishing the songs on the first listen, putting away the songs in a cold freezer and then getting called by the songs after a good two months to love them entirely), I was sure that the songs would be picturized in a way that would to justice to it. It is almost a blind faith that Shankar gets what he wants from Rahman, like Mani Ratnam (and perhaps Imtiaz Ali now). Starting the wonderful Ladio and Aila Aila, which turn out to be product commercials, to Mersalaiyten that shows even the not-so-enticing parts of Chennai as a wondrous spectacle, the songs are placed in the movie well and picturized well. The staple romantic duet in any Shankar movie is the Pookale Sattru Oyvendungal, which is shot in China and has the grandeur of nature showcased very well. I particularly want to mention ‘The’ song of the album and its picturization here. Ennodu Nee Irundhal is that song that perhaps a lot of us hated on the first listen only for us to go back and listen to it in a loop. With a Beauty and the Beast theme, even the video takes its time to grow on you. And how!

Amy Jackson, introduced by Vijay in Madrasapattinam, does what she supposed to do very well. She looks good. She dances well. She emotes well. And in one scene where she is supposed to talk in a local dialect, she throws in the attitude casually without much discomfort. A lot of this is to be credited to the voice Raveena. Upen Patel is the major antagonist here and will perhaps find chances in Tamil cinema to play the good-looking Hindi-speaking villain (who essentially speaks one two three baa baa black sheep and gets saved by the dubbing artist). There’s Suresh Gopi, Ramkumar (late actor Sivaji Ganesan’s son) Ojas M Rajini, and another actor who are up against Vikram. Santhanam is not a major annoyance in this movie, especially after the disastrous Lingaa, has some good one-liners and helps the storyline move, like how Vivek did in Anniyan. (Ojas M Rajini's character in the movie will definitely make a few of the activists for sexual equality gang up against the movie and the movie could have done without this character. )

Shankar, thanks for enabling Vikram win this one! Better luck to you next time!

PS: This was my first movie review in over 4 years with the last one being that of Shankar's Endhiran with Rajini! Time to get back to writing more I guess!

In search of myself

(Impulsive post. I am sure I'll be embarrassed when I read it after a few days/weeks/years) :-)

We change. In many ways. We change as a friend, as a son/daughter, as a significant other and in many other ways. Whether the change is for good or not, is something that’s unknown. There’s this thing, I miss the old me. How this change occurred is something that’s unknown to me. Was it me, the place, the people, or life as such? I am unable to pinpoint at one thing.

It’s interesting how you can relate to a song, especially with its lyrics, even though the meaning of the lyrics and the reason for you to relate to it needn’t necessarily have a connection or a common premise. I miss the old me, or rather an old part of me. And I don’t think I could have summarized it better than a few lines in this song. However narcissistic this might sound, considering the old me was a part of me, in fact my better half, is what I’ve come to believe. Running away from myself is something that’s probably happened.

thalaivaa sugama sugama? un thanimai sugama sugama?
How is your solitude doing?

sirumai kandu thavitthen en siragail ondrai muritthen, ottrai chiragil oona paravai etthanai dhooram parappen?
I ended up breaking one of my wings, and how far can I fly with just one wing?

anbae unnai veruththen, en arivai naane eriththen, uravin perumai pirivil kandu uyiril paadhi kuraindhen
I absolutely hated you and in the process burnt my intelligence, I realized the importance of relationships and lost half of my soul.

After all, vaazhkkai or vattam pol mudindha idatthil thodangadha, is surely what one wants, right? :-) (can life not start at an ending point like how a circle does?)

And nothing better than this to ask myself: Unn poigal ellaam sugamaa-aaa?  (Are your lies all fine?)

And does ‘Kuraigal ullathu manitha uravugal puriyadha?’ (aren’t human relationships allowed to be flawed?) answers it all. With respect to I, Me and Myself.

(These lines from Azhage Sugamaa and Anbe Sugamaa, two absolutely wonderful songs from the movie Paarthaale Paravasam. Sung by Sadhana Sargam and Srinivas and composed by A.R.Rahman)

New posts on Rahmania and Passion of Cinema

To enable listing things at one place, I'll have a few short updates about Rahmania posts and my Passion for Cinema posts (if any) here henceforth, regularly.

A Post on the Journey of A.R.Rahman (1992-2011) on Passion for Cinema - http://passionforcinema.com/journey-of-a-r-rahman-1992-2011/ (broken link, contents of the post follow)

Posts on the year 2010 in music, A.R.Rahman's sabbatical, and colorful collage (by Aishwarya) have been posted on Rahmania.

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Journey of A.R.Rahman from 1992 to 2011

It was not so long back that the music of Roja made ripples in the Tamil music industry and went on to change the face of the music in Tamil films and later in the Indian film music too. Much has been said about A.R.Rahman, his successes (and failures), his highs (and lows), and his innovative composing skills (and the lack of it). This post is an effort to summarize the peaks in the twenty-year long musical journey of the Mozart of Madras on the eve of his birthday. All of the statements made here are with due respect to the many composers that ruled the music industry before A.R.Rahman made a beginning.

Entry

In 1992, it was Roja that introduced Rahman to the Indian music industry (he had a release earlier in a Malayalam movie Yodha), and what was a highlight of this movie was the fact that he introduced (and re-introduced) many singers including the legendary Hariharan to mainstream music, and each of them went on to make a great career of their own. The different types and tempo of the drumbeat in the interlude of the song Rukkumani showcased a different touch to the usage of percussion instruments, which were probably mastered only by Ilayaraja otherwise. As said by all, it gave a new dimension to music, a different listening experience, and probably a reason for many people like me to begin learning music to help appreciate the music compositions better.

Sustenance

The problem faced by any new music composer including to the current heartthrob Amit Trivedi, is to be able to deliver consistently without being stereotyped or fading away after a few albums. The competition in 1992 was probably not as fierce as it was in 2009-10, but there sure is an expectation on a music composer following a huge hit, and many composers who started off with a bang have bitten the dust in no time. Rahman continued to deliver critically and commercially in Tamil with timeless classics like Duet, Pudhiya Mugham, Gentleman, Pavithra, May Maadham, Thiruda Thiruda, Karuthamma, Kaadhalan, Bombay and more. A lot of these movies were dubbed into Hindi and gave A.R.Rahman a visibility in the non-Tamil speaking segments.

Colorful Bollywood Entry

The true visibility of Rahman in the Hindi film industry came via a Ram Gopal Varma musical, Rangeela, which was a significant landmark in his Bollywood career. Bringing back Asha Bhosle to mainstream movie music, and Rahman successfully made the nation croon to the sultry Tanha Tanha track whose musical highlights were the flute and the violin usages all through the track. Rangeela Re was an instant hit, with it topping all musical countdowns including Philips Top 10 on Zee TV, which was a reason for me to watch the show. Even though Rangeela brought him to the mainstream Bollywood music scene, Rahman had very few releases in Hindi till the end of the millennium. His strength in the south further increased with albums such as Kadhal Desam, Indian and Love Birds.

New Indian

When an independent India turned 50 in 1997, it was Rahman's Vande Mataram track, which yet again became an instant rage among the old and the young. A jean clad Rahman was the new face of music in India, and went on to make the album with six other different songs, including a collaboration with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, a bestseller. It was during this time that A.R.Rahman also lapped up a National Award for Minsara Kanavu (dubbed in Hindi as Sapnay), came out with a critically appreciated Iruvar and had another collaboration with Ram Gopal Varma for Daud.

From the Heart

The next peak in Rahman's career was via a song to which Shahrukh Khan and Malaika Arora Khan danced on top of a train for Mani Ratnam's Dil Se. Sukhwinder Singh's energetic  Chaiyya Chaiyya was the highlight of this popular soundtrack which also had Lata Mangeshkar singing for Rahman for the first time. It will not be wrong to say that the song Chaiyya Chaiyya was the most popular song of 1998 and beyond, and also appeared in the Hollywood movie, The Inside Man.

Millennium Musical Magic

Following Dil Se, A.R.Rahman became a name to reckon with in Bollywood with musical hits including Doli Sajake Rakhna, Thakshak, 1947-Earth, Taal and Pukar, while entertaining the southern audience with a plethora of releases including En Swaasa Katre, Kadhalar Dhinam, Padayappa, Sangamam, Taj Mahal, Jodi, and Mudhalvan towards the end of the millennium. The new millennium began with a bang with the release of his two best-selling works Alaipayuthey and Kandukonden Kandukonden, with the latter holding a record for the highest amount paid by a label for audio rights, back in 2000.

Crossing the Borders

In 2001, Rahman appeared to cross the borders of Bollywood and gained an exposure among the non-Indian audience, thanks to the Oscar nominated Lagaan, for which he scored the soundtrack and the background score. This was probably the second instance (after Iruvar) when Rahman scored the music for a period film, and won the National Award for the best music composer, yet again. This opened new avenues in Hollywood and beyond, including an opportunity to work with Andrew Lloyd Weber in the stage production Bombay Dreams, which brought him immense appreciation.

This was the time when Rahman reduced his Tamil and Hindi commitments and had no more than 4-5 releases a year starting 2002 until 2008. A few of the key albums in the 2002-2004 time frame include Kannathil Muthamittal, Boys, Kangalal Kaithu Sei and Kadhal Virus in Tamil, The Legend of Bhagat Singh, Tehzeeb, Meenaxi, Swades and Yuva in Hindi and The Warriors of Heaven and Earth in English/Mandarin.

Oscar Glory – well almost

Critical appreciation poured in from all quarters when a few songs from the soundtrack of Rang De Basanti and Water were shortlisted for the nominations for the Academy Awards. This surely was a first for a mainstream Indian composer, and brought a lot of recognition to his work, even though it didn't make it to the final list of nominations. Rang De Basanti was a cult hit, both as a movie and as a soundtrack.

A Slump in form??

Rahman's further releases in 2007-08 Guru, Jodhaa Akbar, Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na, Yuvvraaj, Ghajini definitely showed a slump in form from an Indian audience and a hardcore Rahman fan's perspective, even though each of the albums had a couple amazing tracks or even more. The Tamil albums during this time frame Sivaji, Azhagiya Tamil Magan, and Sakkarakati were an instant hit among the Tamil audience, but surely the audience had seen a better output from Rahman at an earlier stage.

Oscar Glory and more - Finally

It was Danny Boyle's directorial venture Slumdog Millionaire that gave him the ever-eluding international attention in the forms of Oscars, Grammy Awards, and the BAFTA awards. The track Jai Ho was probably the first Indian anthem that became so popular, and brought in the most laurels for Rahman till date. Indian audience brushed aside the movie as poverty porn, and the soundtrack as yet another average track, and that Rahman has had better music in the past. It was indeed unfortunate that Rahman was not recognized for his earlier efforts internationally, but Slumdog Millionaire was the vehicle that showed his prowess to the international audience. He further made progress in the international scene with Danny Boyle's 127 Hours in 2010, yet again.

Rahman's subsequent releases Blue, Raavan, Endhiran and Jhootha Hi Sahi were not unfortunately well-received by the audience, with the only exceptions being Delhi 6 and Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya, which were well-received by the masses and classes alike.

The Brand ‘A.R.Rahman’

A.R.Rahman is no longer just a composer. He is not just an entity either. He is a brand. Movies like Ada, Sakkarakatti and many others were solely marketed as an A.R.Rahman musical. And as with any brand, there is a certain level of expectation to churn out popular and classy output all the time. Rahman has reached a stage in his career where he surely doesn't have to prove himself to anyone, but just has to provide the evergreen music that his albums provided in the past. There is not one music lover who will complain about the releases he had in the early 90s, because that was the time when Indian music came of age, and Rahman was the identifying factor for that. His recent albums sure are musically superior to many of the other composers' albums, and surely a treasure for the hardcore fans. But an eight-year old of today surely needs a Roja to repeat the same phenomenon that happened 20 years ago with many of us. Hope the much-needed sabbatical brings a refreshing change in his style of composition.

Happy birthday, A.R.Rahman, Your music has brought meaning to many a life!

2010 - In a Nutshell

-       A memorable year, a year that I’d want to relive

-       A year that almost showed me the light at the end of the tunnel in my research,

-       Also, finally showed me the way the tunnel called professional life, and I hope to traverse the path and reach the destination soon.

-       A year that I saw God; attended one of the concerts in Jai Ho concert tour and witnessed some A.R.Rahman musical magic, in person.

-       Showed me how addicting a gripping TV series can be, and also probably showed why leaving a few things open-ended, is good. And the TV series is Lost. Never before and never again will I be able to see 10 episodes of a TV series back-to-back.

-       Showed me that I can have ‘followers’; I’ve spent a good amount of my 2010 on Twitter, and had a good time conversing with like minded people (a blog post on that coming up)

-       And the year I gave up on my friends, oops Facebook. I am a #youremember on Facebook now.

Amit Trivedi – Music with a difference

Considering the plethora of talent in the Indian music industry, thanks to the numerous talent hunts, it is not often that a singer or a music composer leaves an everlasting impression on you, in the very first song or album. With A.R.Rahman probably being the only exception who made it big in his first film composition Roja, I am sure many talented composers have come, established themselves after a couple of movies, and stuck on as a few of the reliable music composers before fading away or getting stereo-typed with the same music genre forever.

In 2009, there was a new composer who came with a promise and had a good outing in a relatively less-popular soundtrack in Aamir, which probably didn’t make a name for itself as much as the movie did (Trust me, Aamir has wonderful soundtracks including a great Sufi composition). Amit Trivedi, who calls A.R.Rahman as his god, made his presence felt in the Indian film music scenario with the cult classic Dev.D (an Anurag Kashyap movie that I am yet to watch), and instantly struck a chord with the youth of today with the number ‘Emotional Atyachaar’. The movie had a total of 20 songs in different genre and a majority of them became chart-busters, apart from blending well with the movie and its theme (from what I hear).

A musical journey of Dev.D began with Nayan Tarse, which floored me with just the attitude of the singer himself, following which I moved on the classically rich ‘Paayaliya’, which featured the best usage of the instrument Veena in recent times. ‘Dil Mein Jaagi’, ‘Dhol Yaara Dhol’, ‘Duniya’, ‘Ek Hulchul Si’, and ‘Yahi Meri Zindagi Hai’ had a fresh feel to them, which was probably earlier seen when A.R.Rahman first composed for Roja. And it came as no big surprise when Dev.D won the coveted National Award for the best Music of 2009, after being ignored by most award ceremonies, that relegated it to just a background score, rather than considering it as a complete album.

Amit Trivedi could have been yet another one-film wonder following Dev.D (or a two film-wonder considering Aamir). There were no albums from him for close to 18 months except the soulful ‘Iktara’ in Wake Up Sid and a composition ‘Bombay Bombay’ in the movie Striker. He made a wonderful comeback with the albums Udaan and Aisha in the summer of 2010. While Aisha was a routine romantic comedy with the storyline based on the premise of Emma, it had some immensely likeable music including the evening melody ‘Sham Bhi Koi’, the Punjabi dance number ‘Gal Miththi Miththi’, and a peppy title track. My personal favorite from the album was ‘Lehrein’, which features among my favorite tracks of all-time, for its sheer brilliance with the violin and Anusha Mani’s amazing vocals.

Udaan, as such, is a movie that moved me emotionally, because of its coming-of-age theme, which was very well-accompanied by the soundtrack that featured a gem of a track ‘Aazadiyaan.’ It will be blasphemy if I don’t mention the main strength of the movie apart from the performances. It is its subtle music. Probably the best example for a movie where silence is used as the strongest emotion, and its remarkable how Amit Trivedi underplayed the background score such as to make an everlasting impression on the audience.

At the fag end of the year 2010, Amit Trivedi struck back with another album ‘No One Killed Jessica’, which is currently on my ‘now-playing often’ playlist. The songs Yeh Pal, Dua and Aitbaar have grown on me instantly, while Dilli has been catching up too!

Amit Trivedi, the rightful successor to A.R.Rahman, you sure have arrived, and we just hope you don’t fade away or get stereotyped. Best wishes for a successful long musical career, we sure want to hear more from you!

New blog on A.R.Rahman music

Along with another friend, I've begun blogging about my thoughts on A.R.Rahman music at a new location. We hope to have regular posts there (much more often that what I have here).

Here's a link! http://rahmania.posterous.com/

Endhiran - A True treat to the Rajini fan boy - PFC review link

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“Originally published on Passionforcinema.com”

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Here's a link to my review on Endhiran. My second post on Passion for Cinema :)
(Broken link) http://passionforcinema.com/endhiran-%E2%80%93-a-true-treat-to-the-rajini-fan-boy/

For more than two years, a Tamil movie that has been in the spotlight even during its making process itself is Endhiran or Robot. An idea of the late Tamil writer Sujatha, was in the process of being visualized on screen by Shankar, who calls it his dream project as well. With the initial choices of the protagonist being Kamalhassan and Shahrukh Khan, the role finally ended up going to the Rajinikanth, with whom Shankar had previously worked with the blockbuster Sivaji. In addition to the buzz that surrounds any Rajini movie and a Shankar movie, this movie was the talk of the town for its budget alone. A staggering Rs. 185 crores!!! While movies like Ghajini and 3 Idiots boasted about their revenue to be above Rs. 200 crores, here’s one movie made on a comparable budget. While it is no unknown fact that a portion of the budget went to the female lead Aishwarya Rai and the music composer A.R.Rahman, it still is a budget that’s probably not going to be surpassed until Shankar surpasses it himself.

While I choose not to review the movie completely or divulge the storyline, the movie Endhiran is a must watch for just it’s grandeur. The old formula of many movies ‘No logic, only magic’ holds, and full credit must be given to Shankar for being able to realize his imagination on screen wonderfully.

The movie involves Dr. Vaseegaran (Rajini) who creates a robot Chitti (Rajini again) and how his life, and more importantly the robot’s life changes through the course of learning how to live in the world of humans, is what forms the crux of the movie. Sana (Aishwarya) is the ladylove of the scientist and is one of the reasons for the change in Chitti’s life.

Special effects and animation play a major role in the movie and these are truly inspired by Jurassic Park, Godzilla, Terminator and the like. But, what must be appreciated about this movie is that, the special effects don’t look forced or artificial, and hence it looks like a top-class movie technically. Whether it’s when there are hundred guns in Chitti’s hands, or when hundreds of Chittis make many different formations in the climax sequence, the special effects are one among the best seen in Indian cinema.

Coming to the performances in the movie, it sure is Rajini’s way all through the movie. As the robot scientist Vaseegaran, he’s underplayed the role with no heroics or unnecessary dialogs. He sure looks good with the new hairstyle and beard, apart from the cool scientist glasses. Chitti, the robot, on the other hand is what makes the movie what it is. Whether it is the comical instances during the first segment of the movie or the time when he realizes a few human feelings or when he gets on to be the destructive Robot, it sure is one of Rajini’s best performances. Be it the sarcasm, the style, or the evil laughter, it is a Rajini that has not been seen on screen in a long time. This can definitely be said that no actor (even Kamal or SRK) would have fitted this role or carried out this role this way. Just for the fact that this is a Rajini movie, and audiences consider him to be a larger-than-life actor, this works.

Aishwarya Rai is the same pretty lady who made her appearance in Shankar’s Jeans more than a decade back. While, she does look slightly aged, and has very little to contribute to the movie, a lot of focus is on her during the song sequences, which are of Shankar’s signature style. With her voice dubbed (Savitha), she does get on to the nerves at most times, and it almost seems like a competition to the role of Asin in Dasavatharam (in terms of irritability!).

Danny Denzongpa as the competing scientist and Vaseegaran’s professor Dr. Bohra also has very little to do in the movie which is dominated by a destructive Chitti in the second half. The comedians Karunas and Santhanam have literally nothing to do, and the supposedly comic scenes are not funny either.

The other hero of the movie is cameraman Ratnavelu. In capturing the wonderful locales of Machu Pichu in Kilimanjaro and in the locales that come in ‘Kadhal Anukkal’ song, he’s done a really stunning job. While paying attention to the computer graphics on screen, is really easy to lose focus on the scenes captured, and he sure makes each frame look wonderful, without hurting the eye much.

The music by A.R.Rahman is surely not his best (which has been the case in the recent years), and a lot of songs seem to be forced into the second half of the movie (four of them). My personal favorites Arima Arima and Kadhal Anukkal have the expected grandeur on screen, the former technically and the latter visually. Shankar, as always, has shot each of the songs aesthetically, and the location for Kilimanjaro and Kadhal Anukkal are locations that are new to the Indian audience. Cutting down songs like Chitti Dance showcase, Irumbile Oru Irudhaiyam would have made the second half crisper.

Director Shankar is one person who has a good vision, both in terms of screenplay, and in terms of delivering what the audience will like. He utilizes the on-screen image of Rajini to the greatest extent possible and it sure works! While, a compromise was seen in Sivaji taking this image into account, I feel this movie gave the perfect opportunity to Shankar to show his skills as a director directing a star of Rajini’s stature.

Endhiran is best watched in a theater, with audience who cheer for every scene in the movie. And it sure deserves it! It sure made the Rajini fan boy in me and many others satisfied. As a friend puts it, ‘If Endhiran cannot satisfy a movie experience, nothing can satisfy. Dot.’

 

A soul departs, the voice remains....

Not many would have missed the female voice in the Rangeela track - Hai Rama. A voice, that along with the versatile Hariharan, made a thumping impact on the audience, and give Urmila Matondkar a new voice on-screen. It was Swarnalatha, a singer who made quite an impression on the music lovers in the country by this track.

The music fans in South India knew her as the singer of 'Aattama Therottama', a popular number from Captain Prabhakaran that was made lively onscreen by Ramya Krishnan. In a very unconventional yet charming voice, Swarnalatha achieved a breakthrough in the early 90s with her rendition of Poovoma Oorkolam, and there was no looking back. She was also the female vocal lead for the song Raakamma Kaiya Thattu (Dalapathi) that went on to become one of the top songs in a poll conducted by BBC.

As a Rahmaniac, I've listened to a lot of her songs ever since A.R.Rahman came into the limelight. Starting with Usilampatti Penkutti in Gentleman till Kummi Adi from Sillunu Oru Kadhal, Swarnalatha has been an integral part of his albums for more than a decade. Listing a personal favorite among them is a difficult task, however the two songs that will remain closest to my heart are Evano Oruvan from Alaipayuthey and Poraale Ponnuthaayi from Karuthamma. She also won a National Award for the Best Playback Singer - Female for the latter song. A few of her popular tracks include Mukkala Mukkabla (Kadalan), Maya Machindra (Indian), Kadhalenum Thervezhudhi (Kadhalar Dhinam), and Kuchi Kuchi Rakkamma (Bombay).

Though I am not a music expert, it was clearly evident that Swarnalatha was one of the very few female singers who could reach the higher octaves with ease, especially in songs such as Mel Isaiye (Mr. Romeo). And she voiced for my favorite actor Jyothika in Poovellam Un Vassam for the song Thirumana Malargal Tharuvaya, too! And, one song that I loved after repeated listenings (thanks to Sun Music) is 'Maalaiyil Yaaro', and I still feel no one else could have done justice to that song other than Swarnalatha.

It was from A.R.Rahman that I got to know that this singer with a unique voice and a humble nature was no more. It was a moment of sorrow for me in an otherwise joyous 'once in a lifetime' experience of an A.R.Rahman concert. You will be missed by us, but your songs will remain etched in our hearts for the years to come!

In her own lines,
'Andha Kuzhalai Pol Azhuvadharku, Athanai Kangal Enakillaye'

(From Evano Oruvan - Alaipayuthey, which translates to, I just have two eyes to cry, unlike the flute with many eyes (referring to the holes in the flute)).

A few of my favorite tracks featuring a few popular ones and a few unnoticed gems (as always):

Evano Oruvan - Alaipayuthey
Ulunthu Vedaikaiyile - Mudhalvan
Kuliruthu Kuliruthu - Taj Mahal
Thirumana Malargal - Poovellam Un Vaasam
Poraale Ponnuthaayi - Karuthamma
Senyore Senyore - Kannathil Muthamittal
Hai Rama - Rangeela
Madrasa Suthi Paaka Poren - May Maadham
Hai Rama - Rangeela
Sunta Hai Mera Khuda/Sollayo Solai Kili - Pukar/Alli Arjuna

Alaipayuthey – Waves of Feel-Good Romance (My first PFC Post)

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“Originally published on Passionforcinema.com”

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This was a post published on Passion For Cinema (Broken Link), one of the websites which aims aimed at spreading awareness about good cinema.
 
In 1984, a genius director Mani Ratnam made his debut in a Kannada movie called Pallavi Anu Pallavi. In that movie, he embarked on a new journey with an entirely different genre of filmmaking. He ventured into the waters of Tamil cinema and made everyone turn around with his simple and subtle Mouna Raagam. As the name suggests, it is a ‘silent melody’, and this sure holds good as an adjective for Mr. Ratnam too! A brilliant post on the movie was posted on PFC recently. A short but effective romance segment in Mouna Raagam (a few bits borrowed from Pallavi Anu Pallavi) showed this man’s taste for romance. Without going overboard, he handled the romance in all of his films really well. Here’s mentioning a few more of his movies that had a very different and memorable approach romance segments: Roja, Kannathil Muthamittal, Nayagan, Bombay, Dalapathi, Geethanjali, Aayitha Ezhuthu/Yuva. Though, romance was not the main premise of most of these movies, these segments can be regarded as a few of the best-handled romance segments in Indian films.


In 2000, the ace director came up with an out and out romantic movie called Alaipayuthey (remade as Saathiya by Shaad Ali in 2002). With movies with heavy subjects such as Bombay, Dil Se and Iruvar being his past outings, this movie came as a surprise to everyone. I first saw this movie as a 15 year old, and I repeatedly watch it, and each time I watch it, this movie gives me a different perspective, even ten years after its release. A tribute to this evergreen movie follows, with the disclaimer that no amount of applauding will suffice for this brilliant effort by Mani Ratnam.

Alaipayuthey is initially the simple story of Karthik (Madhavan) and Shakthi (Shalini), who meet, fall in love, get married without informing parents and live separately with their parents. This is probably where a regular Tamil/Hindi cinema would end with the couple uniting. But, Alaipayuthey goes on to discover what happens when the couple moves in together, how the romance changes post marriage and times get strained too, and finally how the couple re-discovers the love that is lost between them.
The Mani Ratnam in this movie is definitely the hardcore romantic, and as always pays attention to the simple detail in day-to-day life. A movie based on war/politics maybe difficult to make, since it is really hard to imagine on that large scale and portray the same effect on screen. But what is more difficult is to compile casual happenings of everyday life, and present it in a way that the audience is not bored, but instead remark saying ‘Hey that happened to me too!’, ‘Why did the girl behave this way?’, ‘We faced similar troubles too when we ran away from home and got married!’ etc.

The romance segment, creative as it could ever be, took place with mostly the Chennai electric train stations and trains as the background. Karthik’s character is almost carved out of the same mould as that of Mouna Raagam (Karthik) in Mouna Raagam. His playful attitude when Shakthi first spoke to her, screaming ‘Yay, Ava Enna paatthu pesita’ (Yay, She talked to me), is probably the reaction of every guy in his late teens or early twenties. The responsibility he showed (within that childish nature) was well demonstrated by the fact that he introduced her to his parents in a house ceremony, with some comical moments. Waiting for his wife for two hours immediately after marriage was bliss to him, but eventually that changed, probably thanks to the boredom setting in after wedding. The final moments of the movie where Karthik talks to Shakthi while on her hospital bed are probably the cutest and the most romantic segments in the entire movie. Karthik appears as the caring husband just waiting for his wife to talk them. Madhavan scores a hundred percent in that scene.

Shakthi on the other hand is this simple homely girl, who definitely longs for Madhavan, yet hides it within herself due to familial pressures, but later succumbs to the love with Madhavan, asking him to marry her. A similar character portrayal was seen in Bombay, Saira Banu (Manisha Koirala), but it is definitely not right to compare the two characters in entirety. The transition from the pampered and playful girl to the girl-in-love and then to the ‘almost’ neglected wife is so very well very ‘lived’ by Shalini. The scene were Shakthi hands over a burning newspaper to Karthik saying, ‘Indha chuda chuda news’ (here’s your burning hot news) was one among the many interesting post-marriage scenes. She should definitely be proud of her performance in this movie, which was her swan song too.

Every form of relationship along with the relationship between the lead pair was very well developed and portrayed realistically. Whether it was Karthik’s father pointing at his carefree and careless attitude, Shakthi’s mother talking to her and sister Poorni during breakfast, or the girly talk between Shakthi and Poorni at bedtime, each of these seemed so natural and unforced into the movie. A few memorable scenes also include, the marriage registrar asking one of Karthik’s friends if this is a marriage without elder taking part and saying there is a different thrill in that too, the lady in the bus that conversing to Madhavan and Shalini saying she is married for 15 years, or Shalini’s potential suitor ‘Evam’ Karthik voicing out his reaction after his father decided to ask for Shalini’s hand in marriage for his son. In addition, the interactions between Madhavan’s friends were something we would have definitely seen at some point of time in our lives.

A few characters might have got very little screen time, but each one of them definitely captured our attention. Each of the supporting characters SwarnaMallya, Vivek, Ravi Prakash, Jayasudha, Sukumari, Pyramid Natarajan, KPAC Lalitha alongside the other characters including Madhavan’s group of friends, all of these people have contributed in their might to this legendary movie.

The tribute to this movie will be incomplete without the mention of the contribution of the off screen technicians. A.R.Rahman had one of his best soundtracks in this movie, and the songs are a favorite even to this day. These included the soulful Evano Oruvan, where Shakthi yearns for Karthik’s presence, Snehidhane where Shakthi meets her ‘secret friend’ Karthik, the chirpy wedding song Yaaro Yaarodi, the colorful Pachai Nirame, and the mischievous Kadhal Sadugudu. The background score was effective, and contributed to the theme of the movie so very well. The cinematography by P.C. Sreeram was out of the world, especially in the song ‘Pachai Nirame’, where he brought colors alive on screen. This cinematography has been adapted by a lot of movies, even 10 years later. Crisp editing by A. Sreekar Prasad ensured that the segments were all short and effective. The movie had a non-linear screenplay, with flashbacks interspersed between current happenings, and this surely was one among the first Indian movies to adapt such a technique.

All in all, no amount of writing would do justice to this magical masterpiece of Mani Ratnam. Such romantic movies are not made everyday. Even if they are made, they do not cause an impact, like Alaipayuthey! Not even its remake Saathiya!

Cast/Crew of Alaipayuthey:

On screen:
Madhavan, Shalini, Jayasudha, SwarnaMallya, with special appearances by Arvind Swamy and Khushboo.

Off screen:
Mani Ratnam  (Direction), Mani Ratnam and R. Selvaraj (Writing), A.R.Rahman (Music), P. C. Sreeram (Cinematography), A. Sreekar Prasad (Editing).

Star Singers and Music Directors 2000 - 2009

While this decade 2000-09 was the time that I paid close attention to music, movies, and the trivia, there are many people that started off during this decade and have continued to excel in their respective fields. This list is not complete in any sense, and is just limited to Tamil and Hindi movie and music. I am just listing the names and a line about each of them, probably which catapulted them to a great position. I can probably write a blog about each of them. And no specific order as usual :)

Music

Shreya Ghoshal – For her Dola Re to Jaadu Hai to Barso Re to her numerous Kannada melodies, she indeed was the queen of Indian music this decade.

Sonu Nigam – Though he sure was popular in the last decade, his popularity grew exponentially this decade, specially the title track of Kal Ho Na Ho and many Kannada songs brought him to the forefront in Indian music.

Harris Jayaraj – Entralled everyone with Vaseegara in Minnale (Zara Zara in RHTDM), and continues to do so occasionally when he doesn’t get repetitive.

Pritam – While his music being sourced from Korean/Malaysian music is a known secret, this man has carved a niche for himself in Hindi cinema and is unstoppable.

Himesh Reshamiya – For a nasal guy who braved to act, he has surely come a long way, with some foot-tapping numbers amidst noise.

Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy – The inimitable trio who started off just before the last decade ended, have redefined popular music by making it classy; and Kal Ho Na Ho, Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna, Jhoom Barabar Jhoom and many other albums are witnesses to that.

Vishal-Shekar – The duo behind quite a few wonderful numbers in the Hindi cinema including Tu Hai Aashiqui Hai and Om Shanti Om are not behind the trio either and excel in their own right.

Bombay Jayshree – The husky voice behind Vaseegara in Minnale (Zara Zara in RHTDM) was surely a welcome break from the sugary voiced female vocalists.
Yuvan Shankar Raja – Not exactly my favorite, but gave quite a few good numbers especially with the director Selvaraghavan.

Sadhana Sargam (in Tamil) – My favorite and will not be left of this list, got a big break in Snehidhane in Alaipayuthey with A.R.Rahman and went on to sing as many as 200 Tamil songs this decade apart from winning the National Aware and Filmfare Awards for the Best female Singer in Tamil. Quite an achievement for a non-Tamil singer.

Chinmayi – From Kannathil Muthamittal title track to Tere Bina and Mayya Mayya, and being a TV host, RJ and dubbing artiste, she’s made her presence felt well.

Un-noticed A.R.Rahman albums and songs

A post on largely unnoticed Tamil albums and songs of A.R. Rahman.

Anbae Idhu from Rhythm - This song depicting one of the elements of nature, sky was largely unnoticed. A song of sheer brilliance in terms of music arrangement, lyrics and rendition (except a few mis-pronunciations) was probably not picturised well and not shown on TV to make it popular among the masses. A classy song, and will always remain one of favorites.

I Miss You Da - This song probably features in an earlier post, but did people even know that this song existed? Too futuristic in terms of the music arrangement and the rendition, this song was probably the one well picturized song in the movie 'Sakkarakatti.' The singer and her alter-ego ooze passion into this song, and this song definitely deserved a better recognition.

Kaiyil Mithakkum and Nenjae Nenjae from Ratchakan were probably over-shadowed by the more popular Soniya and Chandiranai songs. One of the very few melodies that were rendered with a full heart by the singers.

Thigu Thigu from Ah Aah, just like I Miss you da had a futuristic feel to it, and a excellent instrumental arrangement, just to be ruined by a over-acting lead pair on screen.

Kadhal Vettukili from Parasuram was one song that I didn't know ARR had composed. One of the fast paced numbers and beautiful orchestration, was largely unnoticed yet again by the masses. Apparently, an RJ in Chennai plays this song often, since it is his favorite.

Kuliruthu Kuliruthu from Taj Mahal has such a wonderful feel to it, and the singers Swarnalatha and Unnikrishnan have done such a good job in this flawless melody.

Udhaya had a few good songs including the popular title track, but thanks to the delay in the movie release, the songs found a disinterested audience. Pookum Malarai is a wonderful track by Hariharan.

Not a comprehensive list as usual, but features a few of the missed ones. It's a nice thing to note that Mani Ratnam's songs have not found a place in this list. He somehow does just to the songs, though he might cut short a major portion of the song. This includes my ever-favorite Ay Hairathey Aashiqui in Guru, one song that I will never excuse Mani Ratnam for not picturizing completely.

My favorite singers in Indian music - Part 2

Continuing with the list of singers whose voices ae special to me, next on the list is a immensely talented Shankar Mahadevan. With his 'Varaga Nadhi' (the first song of his that I listened to during on the Kargil benefit matches in 1999), 'Breathless' and 'Yenna Solla Pogirai', he surely captured the attention of the music lovers. As a part of the successful composition trio - Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, he has been able to deliver classy-yet-popular albums like Kal Ho Na Ho, Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna, Salaam-E-Ishq, Bunty Aur Babli, Jhoom Barabar Jhoom etc. Coming to my favorites in his CV, Enna Solla Pogirai - Kandukonden, Varaga Nadhi - Sangamam, Vennilave (sad version) - Minsara Kanavu, Hey Goodbye Nanba - Aayitha Ezhuthu, Merke Merke - Kanda naal Mudhal, Kadhal Vandhucho - Hey Nee Romba Azhaga Irukkey, Uppu Karuvadu - Mudhalvan and among his compositions I love the Hindi soundtracks in the movies mentioned earlier.

Karthik is yet another singer whom was unravelled by A.R.Rahman and I have a dedicated blog for this energetic singer, whose discography is filled with great numbers like Uyire En Uyire - Totti Jeya (one of my favorite non-ARR number of all times), Anarkali - Kangalal Kaithu Sei, Nendikitten - Star, Ale Ale - Boys, Oru Ooril - Khakka Khakka and many more. (I have purposely left out many immensely popular ones just to reduce the length of the blog).

Among the classical singers who've made their presence felt in film music, it is an undeniable fact that Bombay Jayshree is one singer, who made justice to her unconventional voice (for movies). Though Vaseegara - Minnale shot her to fame, it was Narumughaiye - Iruvar which was her first film-song and it will be remembered as a evergreen classic by music enthusiasts. In her not-so-extensive discography, she has had numbers like Uyire En Uyire - Totti Jeya, Ondra Renda - Khakka Khakka, Suttum vizhi - Ghajini, Paartha Mudhal - Vettaiyadu Vilayadu, Uppu Kallu - Karupasamy Kuthagaidhaarar (my personal favorite), Yaaro manadhile - Dhaam Dhoom, Minnalgal Koothadum - Polladhavan, Thithithidave - Janaa etc. With her really unique voice, I am sure she has a fan following in Hindi, thanks to her only song - Zara Zara (Vaseegara in Hindi).

Shreya Ghoshal with her wafer-thin yet divine voice is one of the great discoveries in this decade. Her Jaadoo Hai Nasha Hai - Jism, made a otherwise normal song (due respect to the sultry Bips and John), an instant hit and made the careers of the two stars in the song along with Shreya's (though she sung in Devdas earlier). She has been a regular in the Kannada films with her excellent diction in Araluthiru and Ivanu gelayanalla in Mungaru Male and Male Ninthu - Milana. In Tamil, she has been successful as well and pretty decent in her diction. And she does sound good with Sonu Nigam, who could probably be the next singer-jodi.

Just that Sonu Nigam thinks he has sung enough and is not singing too many songs these days. He is a classic singer too with many songs including the unforgettable title track of Kal Ho Na Ho.

Among the other popular singers, I have like the following singers at one point of time or the other.
Kay Kay - Alvida (Life in a Metro), Pani Thuli (Kanda Naal Mudhal), Khuda Jaane - Bachna Ae Haseeno.
Sujata Bhattacharya aka Madhushree - Tehzeeb ghazals, Sandai Kozhi/Kabhi Neem Neem - Aayitha Ezhuthu/Yuva, Tumhen Aaj Maine Jo Dekha - Kuchh Naa Kaho, Marudhaani - Sakkarakatti, In Lamhon Ke Daaman - Jodhaa Akbar.
Harini - Nila Kaigrathu - Indira, Sudum Nilavu - Thambi, Theekuruvi - Kangalal Kaithu Sei, Enakena Yerkanavey - Parthen Rasithen.
Mahalakshmi Iyer - Bol Na Halke - JBJ, Kandukonden title track, Yaaro Yarodi - Alaipayuthey, Velli Malare - Jodi.


With due respect to S.P.Balasubramanyam, S. Janaki, K.S.Chitra, K.J.Yesudas, Alka Yagnik, Kavitha Krishnamurthy, Udit Narayan who have sung innumerable songs, it was a kind of monopoly with these singers in till the early 1990's. These singers have had their gems in the past and in current times as well. But, it is just the fact that they had far more opportunities than the current singers to showcase their talents.

Thanks to the numerous reality shows and talent hunts, there are new singers introduced in every movie. It's just that not everyone sustains for a long time. Among the recent singers the following captured by attention greatly. I might have just heard one of their songs ;)

Benny Dayal - A singer who was brought out best in Sakkarakatti, Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na by A.R.Rahman with songs like Chinnamma, Taxi Taxi, Pappu Can't Dance, Nazren Milaana
Naresh Iyer - The guy who didn't win the Indian Idol but won the Indian hearts with Roobaroo - Rang De Basanti.
Sowmya Raoh - The voice that made Shauk Hai from Guru sound so special
Krish - An Harris Jayaraj import who sounded great with Bombay Jayshree in Yaaro manadhile -Dhaam Dhoom, Minnalgal Koothadum - Polladhavan.

Javed Ali - Arziyan - Delhi 6, Jash-ne-Bahaara - Jodhaa Akbar.
Saindhavi - Kelamal Kaiyile - Azhagiya Tamil Magan, Andankakka - Anniyan

For those who might doubt my music sense/appreciation skills (:P), this is in no way, a comprehensive list of my most-liked singers. It is probably a subset of that :)

My favorite singers and their songs in Indian film music - Part I

Till early 2000, I paid no attention to the music credits of an album/movie. I really didn't realize the importance of the singers contribution to the song. This could partially be because of my lack of exposure to music apart from Ilayaraja songs which (until then) featured the usual SPB, KJY, S. Janaki and Chitra. A.R. Rahman did introduce new singers in every album of his, but as I said I was not exposed too much to his songs.

Alaipayuthey's music in March/April 2000 made a big difference to my ears. The Bru coffee commercial with 'Snehidhane' in the backdrop made me wonder who sung this song. It surely was not Chitra, Sujatha, Kavitha Krishnamoorthi, Nithyashree or Harini (the ones that sung a lot of songs then). It surely was a North Indian singer, but not Alka Yagnik. I got the cassette of Alaipayuthey along with Kandukonden (both of them musical wonders) and went over the cover and it was a singer named Sadhana Sargam. I was like - 'Have I heard her before?, Why hasn't she been singing too many songs?.' Right after that I saw she had Konjum Mainakkale in Kandukonden. I started liking her a lot after 'Anbae Idhu Nijamthana' - which was a totally overlooked song in the album Rhythm. The instrumentation in the song is near perfect.
It was then that I started following the singers and I can proudly say - I can recognise most of the singers in songs (atleast until 2005 or 2006, now there are lot new singers).

Sadhana Sargam - She was, is and shall remain one of my favorite singers in Indian music. Her tamil pronunciation may have not be good during her initial years, but for a North Indian - she surely sings better off now with the subtleties in zh, la, and La these days. And probably, I didn't really understand the lyrics of the songs. She won a national award for rendering a Tamil song 'Pattu Solli', I felt it was not her best and definitely had better songs before that and after that. A few of her songs (actually many of them) which are my favorites (in no specific order) can be found at the end of this blog (I removed it from here since it was a tad too long list :P ):

In most of the songs, Sadhana was accompanied by Hariharan, who happens to be another of my favorite singers. Hariharan, introduced to the regular people like me by A.R.Rahman in Roja is probably one singer who does a lot of improvisations on stage and never will his rendition on stage sound like the actual one. With a crispy voice, he had gems like Pachai Nirame (Alaipayuthey), Vennilave, Poi Solla Koodathu Kaadali (Run), Uyire (Bombay), Ay Hairathey (Guru), Thottal Poo Malarum (New), Irava Pagala (Poovellam Kaettupar), Kandukonden, Nila Kaigiradhu (Indira), Nahin Samne (Taal), Yamuna Theeram (Anand) and many more. I was lucky enough to watch him perform live in Phoenix and also had a picture taken with him.

In 2002, I awaited for the movie that stirred up emotions - Kannathil Muthamittal. The title track sung by Chinmayi and Jayachandran was simply spectacular, and the versatile Chinmayi found a fan in me. Her song for the TV soap - Anbulla Snehithiye is probably one of the very few title tracks of soaps that was remembered for its softness and sereneness (as opposed to the loud ones). Chinmayi has evolved as a successful film singer, RJ, TV anchor, dubbing artiste apart from the classical singer and dancer she originally is. A few of her songs that are my favorites - Tere Bina (Guru), I Miss you da (Sakkarakatti), Oru Nanban Irundhal (Ennake 20 Unakku 18), Santipomma (E20U18), Oru Deivam Thantha (Kannathil), Sahana Saaral (Sivaji), En Uyir Thozhiye (Kangalal Kaidhu Sei), Enna Ithu (Nala Damayanthi), Enadhuyirae (Bheema). As a dubbing artiste she did a real good job in Jillunu Oru Kadhal, amongst many others. She also was a good anchor on the show Airtel Super singer.

Speaking of Super Singer, the three judges on the show - Unnikrishnan, Sujatha Mohan and Sreenivas have been my favorite singers at some point of time. Unnikrishnan had gems in Ennavale (Kadalan - his very first song), Narumughaye (Iruvar), Kuliruthu (Taj Mahal), Sudum Nilavu (Thambi), Verenna (Minnale), Poovukkul (Jeans), Kaatre En Vaasal (Rhythm), Thirakadha (En Swaasa Katre), O Vennila (Kadhal Desam), Thendrale (Kadhal Desam), Veesum Katrukku (Ullasam), Nejodu Kalanthidu (Kadhal Konden).

Srinivas - the melody breaker 'Netru Munniravil Unnil' in Snehidhane is probably the only male singer with such a soft voice who made it big by singing select songs that provided justice to him and the song. His 'Mangalyam thanthunanena' will probably have taught most people (including me) the unforgettable wedding sthotram. 'Kaisi Hai Yeh Rut' from Dil Chahta Hai is one of the unforgettable melodies in Hindi cinema. Add Azhage Sugama (Paarthale Paravasam), Ennai Panthada (Ullam Ketkume), Kadhal Solvadhu (Badri), Chotta Chotta (Taj Mahal), Alangatti Mazhai (Thenali) to the list of my favorite songs. His one minute song - Mouname Unnidam from Mozhi was a good one and and fitted well in the movie too. The fast-paced Asathura in E20U18 was yet another song by this soft-spoken singer.

Sujatha mesmerized everyone in Netru Illada Maatram from Pudhya Mugham. Re-discovered by A.R.Rahman in Pudhu Vellai Mazhai (Roja), Sujatha was an integral part of many good albums that came out in the late 90's and early 2000's. Poo Pookkum Osai (Minsara Kanavu), Athisayam (Jeans), En Veettu Thottathil (Gentleman), Nejodu Kalanthidu (Kadhal Konden), Aasai Aasai (Dhool), Ishq Bina (Taal), Paadava (Little John), are few of my favorite songs of this ever-smiling singer whose daughter is beginning to make waves in the music world.

To be continued.... with many other singers and their songs.

Sadhana Sargam favorites:

Vennilave (Chanda Re) - Minsara Kanavu (Sapnay)
Chudithar Anindhu - Poovellam Kaettupar
Snehidhane (Chupke Se) - Alaipayuthey (Saathiya)
Anbae Idhu - Rhythm
Anbae Sugama and Azhage Sugama - Paarthale Paravasam
Dil Mera Ek Tara - 16 December
Pehla Nasha - Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander
Akkam Pakkam - Kireedam
Swaasame - Thenali
Amma Un Pillai - Naan Kadavul
Udhaya Udhaya Ularaile - Udhaya
Naina Neer Bahai, Piya Ho, Aayo Re - Water
Poo Vaasam - Anbe Sivam
Merke Merke - Kanda Naal Mudhal
Ragasiyamai and Un Perai Sonnale - Dum Dum Dum
Aao Naa - Kyun Ho Gaya Naa
Kitni Baatein - Lakshya
Kuch Naa Kaho - Kuch Naa Kaho
Gup Chup Baatein - Love You Hamesha (unreleased)
Ahista Ahista - Swades
Pani Katre - Run
Manmadhanae - Manmadhan
Kaadu Thiranthe - Vasool Raja MBBS
Kadhal Vandhadhum - Poovellam Un Vaasam
Kadhal Vettukili - Parasuram
Enadhuyire - Bheema
Kalaiyil Dhinamum - New
Thigu Thigu - Ah Aah

And I guess this list got a little too long :) .

Recent memorable movies

Some movies that I watched recently and thought were memorable for some reason...

Fashion - A typical Madhur-Bhandarkar movie focussed on the Showbiz, had powerful performances from Priyanka Chopra and Kangana Ranaut. And not to forget, some good music as well. A confident Piggy Chops surely walked away with lot of trophies for this one :)

Dasvidaniya - What I expected to be a tear-jerker was a total surprise. With its amazing cinematography and good performances by the lead and the supporting cast (mainly Vinay Pathak and the female actor who played his mother), it was good weekend watch. Another form of bucket list and well made to suit Indian audience unfortunately found very few takers in the box office. Who appreciates off-beat movies anyways?

My Brother Nikhil - A very sensitive film with a protagonist who is HIV positive, and how his sister and friend stand by him and fight till the very end. I simply admire Sanjay Suri, Purab Kohli and of course Juhi Chawla for enacting the roles with such maturity. Hats off to director Onir for giving this masterpiece to Indian Cinema. My eyes were totally moist during the movie and after that too!

Varanam Aayiram - Not a favorite of everyone, the movie indeed was colorful and packed with emotions and at times things went overboard. But the genuineness of the director trying to portray a father-son relationship in that way needs to be appreciated. Whether it was completely realistic or not, is yet another topic. The music made the movie memorable too :)

Abhiyum Naanum - A counterpart of Varanam Aayiram -a father-daughter story told from the father's view. An interesting aspect was every daughter could relate to the movie and so did every father. With a near-perfect performance by Prakash Raj and ably accompanied by Aishwarya, though this movie could not recreate the magic of Mozhi (director Radha Mohan), the director needs to praised for providing clean entertainment. Trisha could have enacted the role a lot better.

Delhi 6 - I like and dislike the movie. Initially, I didn't realize what the movie was about, but later realized there were layers underneath and there was another interpretation of the movie within. I like it for making me think and I hate it for the same reason. A.R. Rahman had good music on this one, and there were used efficiently in the movie.

Mumbai Meri Jaan - An excellent portrayal of the aftermath of the Mumbai blasts and its effect on the lives of 5 individuals. A different and effective attempt, and good performances by Paresh Rawal, Kay Kay Menon, Irfaan Khan and Madhavan.

Changeling - A pretty slow movie and you know the theme of the movie from it's trailers itself. Angelina Jolie did great in the movie with her subtle emotions and with the 1920's style of dressing and mannerisms. It indeed was a depressing at times, but am sure it was a well-crafted and well-made movie. And Angelina sure deserved an Oscar nomination for this one.

I also felt Tehzeeb and Subramaniyapuram were different in their own right. But (with due respect to the directors) I didn't feel they impacted me too much :)

Slumdog - worth the hype?

It in fact was one of the very very over-rated movies I had ever seen. Especially with memories of India still afresh in my mind, it showed India in such bad light. India sure has its elements that were not showcased in the movie. For a lead actor who could not act for nuts, for a non-realistic quiz show host (can anyone mock at the contestant that way), and for a 1980's movie storyline of brothers seperated while young, it sure was a disasatrous package. If at all there was anything that made up for all this was the sincere portrayal of the roles by the kid actors. They were the best things about the movie :) .

And though I am really really happy for A.R.Rahman for getting an Oscar nomination, a BAFTA amongst many other awards, it honestly was not his best scores. With his best scores noticed in India itself being a great thing, I am glad he found his recognition outside the world. I personally like O - Saya and Latika's theme from the soundtrack and it sure deserves an applause. I hope to watch A.R.Rahman perform during the Oscar ceremony on TV :).

All said, Slumdog Millionaire is not an Indian movie - but just a movie based on India. I would call it 'Over-rated load of over-emphasized crap!'. Come on there are far far better movies, or may be was director Priyadarshan said - the ace director Mani Ratnam should have directed the movie and I am sure we Indians would have liked it too!

Good audio, bad video

It hurts to see songs really soothing to the ear, picturized in a non-imaginative way. Especially with the graphics taking over most of the background in the songs these days, it’s been long since one saw a natural picturzation of a good song.
The first one on my attack list would be the ever-refreshing – Kangalal Kaithu Sei, which was a gem of a sound track. But the bad picturization ruined it all, I will never forgive the artistes, choreographer, the director, and above all ARR for not having a peek into the video.

Now, the trailer of the Sakkarakatti (whose music I crave for, despite the very ordinary lyrics) shows another sad tale of a good music slaughtered badly in the video. The two minute clip on Youtube! (also echoing reactions from the audience) is such a sorry video again. The Chinnamma Chilakamma song in M. F. Hussain’s Meenaxi, though shot in a brothel, was picturized very aesthetically. But that is not the case of its Tamil counterpart, which looks like an 'ambulimama' song. The Taxi Taxi song, apparently re-shot to cater to the taste of the urban audience is still worse. I have no idea why there is such a sad end to these melodies. The only hope is on the picturization of Marudhaani, which should complement with the non-sensical lyrics – I hope the use of such lyrics is justified in the video.

Music still rejuvenates

An addendum to an earlier post about musical rejuvenation, or call it a sequel. The quality of Indian film music has mostly seen a downward trend these days, with most movies having soulless music, but there are a few movies with really good music. I list a few songs which I think are a class apart from the run-of-the-mill stuff.

A classical composition in Reethigowla raagam - Kangal Irandal from the movie Subramaniyapuram, is a sure shot on the list. Apparently the movie is refreshing too, so is its music. Two new singers with a classical background have made a big difference to this song. Takes you back to the good old feel of 1980’s (not that I know how it was!)

‘Ada – The way of life’ is a a long-delayed project of A. R. Rahman, and I feel it is the album of the decade with the class of songs varying over a decade. ‘Meherbaan’ by the Mozart of Chennai is a classic, and Gum Sum, a simple number is my next favorite.

The audio release of Ada was on the same day as that of Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na, I guess only Rahman can give two albums with different themes at the same time. Ada is a long-term classic, while Jaane Tu is an instant classic. One shouldn’t compare the two albums ever.

While I have written a lot of not-so-good things about the song Marudhaani in Sakkarakatti, this song along with all the other songs in the movie is my favorite. I miss you da is the best one, (even though people have mixed opinion about it) followed by Taxi, Chinnamma, and Elay. I am sure, I will have my girlfriend sing ‘I miss you da’ in the same cute way, or better – even cuter.

The title track of U, Me Aur Hum by Shreya Ghoshal and also by Vishal is one more of the good stuff in recent times, and surely suited the tempo of the movie as well.

The Konjum Mainakkale of 2008, ‘Mukundha Mukundha’ is something that made me wonder if Himesh Reshamiya had actually composed the song. A good devotional song sung by one of my favorites Sadhana Sargam, had a bad rendition on-screen with an over-acting Asin. A good work by HR, the lyricist and the singer too. Only if she had not sung Varam thaa as Varam dhaa, (at times I felt it would become Verandah :) ).

While all the songs in Jodhaa Akbar had good music, my favorite is In Lamhon Ke Daaman Mein. Flawlessly rendered by Sonu Nigam and Madhushree, it indeed is a definite addition to the top romantic melodies of all time. And one more good thing about the movie is that all songs were picturized well in the movie (Hrithik in the state of trance in Khwaja Mere Khwaja was ……..)

Minnal Koothadum from Polladhavan is a good one too, with Bombay Jayshree giving her best again.

I also heard the songs from Dhaam Dhoom and Saroja, and am beginning to like a few. But not enough times as Sakkarakatti or Ada or Jaane Tu, to write about it.

As usual, ARR songs form a major chunk in this list. Plus, I am back to the habit of writing long blogs. Wonder who reads them though :)

Cute moment in Jaane Tu, Music of Sakkarakatti and Tempe rain

In the movie Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na, there was a really cute moment. While Genelia asks, 'How did the 5 years of college pass by so quickly?', the mother is quick in saying 'Phone pe beta!' (On the phone!). So very true! Be it the not-so-far times when we used landlines or now when we have the cellphones, I guess most of the time after college goes in phone calls :)

The new ARR album 'Sakkarakatti' sounds refreshing, with tunes set in a futuristic way, however the Tamil rendition of the two of the singers in their respective songs is not so good. While they have sung it really well, they should have paid more attention to their pronunciation. Since I am not a great speaker of Tamil, I have no qualms about listening to the songs the way they are. Benny Dayal and Chinmayi are two singers who have utilized their potential to showcase their talent. Hats off to both of them. Even the Chinnamma song from Meenaxi which is reused in this movie sounds very different. I miss you song, reminds one of so many things :)

It poured in Tempe last Sunday, for pretty long. Long enough to flood the roads and probably a few apartment complexes.

Shauk Hai

Kaash ye zindagi Khel hi khel mein kho gayi hoti... - How true? If only life were a child's play....

This has been one of my Google talk status messages in the past few day. It's from a track from the movie Guru called Shauk Hai. I made a mention of this in one of my earlier posts. But I felt the need to put down an entire blog in dedication of the song itself....

A subtle one, featured on Vidya Balan mainly in the movie, did not make it to the audio CD's or Cassettes, but did come out in a A.R. Rahman Special MP3 cd by Sony. A heavenly voice, Soumya Raoh, breezes through this song and the picturization of the song fits in well in the movie.

It's one of ARR's simplest songs ever, mainly accompanied by keyboard notes. The interlude 2:36 - 2:57 is ARR at his best. The song never fails to grow on me, and I am tempted to repeat the track several times, each time I hear it. The 'subah ki roshni' has a nice outburst, proving that ARR is a musical genius once again.

I could go with a lot of adjectives for this one - soft, gentle, subtle, tender and so on.... but nothing could capture the entire essence of the song.

At times, I feel that the song did not get enough attention as the other songs in the movie. But, I am sure there is a silent majority that loves this song. There is no full video on this one, as in any Maniratnam movie, it appears in parts. However Youtube does have a remix video, which doesn't have the same feel though (makers of the video, kindly excuse me).

And some kind souls put up their versions of the English translation of the song up on the web. Though, I read them, 'kavidhai variyin suvai, artham puriyum varai' doesn't hold hold in this case, since I come up with a new thought everytime I listen to this song....

Different views!

"mugha nagha natmadhu natpalla nencha thaghanaga natpadhu natpaagum"
Friendship not seeks one's look but seeks their heart

"kaRka kasadara kaRpavai katrapin maRakka seivadhu love aagum"
Love makes you learn everything and forget.

A few lines from the song "Dating" in Boys. One of my favorite songs for its theme and contradicting views of a boy and girl towards love. It is an irony that the song "Shakalaka Baby" from another movie Mudhalvan of the same director Shankar runs in the background and it is an exact reversal of roles.

The lines posted make a lot of sense, however not in entirety. I would incur the wrath of a lot of my friends and others, if I endorse the views of the anti-love portion of the song. Playing it safe! :)