Music of Enthiran

Albeit a little late, here is my take on the music for the most anticipated movie of its time, Enthiran-The Robot.

I was personally looking forward to this album from Rahman, as this is his playground. He is known to experiment with new sounds and this sci-fi flick gives him enormous scope to score big time.

Of the 7 tracks, "Chitti dance showcase" is more instrumental and is an eclectic mix of Konnakol (performing percussion syllables vocally), percussions, guitars and a brief but beautiful western classical string passage.

'Pudhiya Manidha! Bhoomikku Vaa", the track introducing "Enthiran", starts off with SPB's & ARR's robotic voices before switching to the hypnotic voice of Khatija Rahman. Yes, the daughter of the academy award winner's voice sounds quite ethereal, as she sings "மாற்றம் கொண்டு வா..". SPB pitches in with super energy in the CharaNams, where the various attributes of the Robot are listed out. Vairamuthu dishes out some nice lines like "கருவில் பிறந்த எல்லாம் மரிக்கும், அறிவில் பிறந்தது மரிப்பதே இல்லை" and "பன்மொழிகள் கற்றாலும் தந்தை மொழி தமிழல்லவா!"


"Kaadhal ANukkaL" will see the scientist Rajni romancing Ash, in his super cool looks. The strumming guitar sets the tone for this breezy track. Vijay Prakash and Shreya Ghoshal glide through the lilting notes with utmost ease. The bagpipe like sound in the first interlude is nice. The loop in "Oh Baby" ensures that the song stays in loop. You are gonna hear this song a lot more in the days to come.


"Irumbile Oru Idhayam" sung by Rahman in the company of Lady Kash n' Krissy (this Tamil rapper duo from Singapore had also lent their voices to the song composed by ARR for the World Classical Tamil Conference) is my pick of this album. The song is the Robot's proposal to the heroine. Watch out for some super imaginative lyrics by (Madan) Karky (s/o of Vairamuthu). Sample this.

"உன் நீலக் கண்ணோரம் மின்சாரம் பறிப்பேன்,
என் நீலப் பல்லாலே உன்னோடு சிரிப்பேன்"
or
"தொட்டு பேசும் போது shock அடிக்கக் கூடும்
காதல் செய்யும் நேரம் motor வேகம் கூடும்
இரவில், நடுவில் battery தான் தீரும்!

The rap at the end is quite infectious. Robotic..Hypnotic..Hypnotic..Supersonic..

"Arima Arima" begins with trumpets and a march past like rhythm. The lyrics eulogize Enthiran in this mandatory hero worship track (இவன் பேர் சொன்னதும், பெருமை சொன்னதும் கடலும் கை தட்டும்!!). Hariharan and Sadhna Sargam are apt. Wait for the movie to release to see the impact this song is gonna have! One for the music channels!

"KiLimaanjaaro" is for me the weak link in the album. Paa. Vijay's lyrics are mostly quite pedestrian in comparison with the other songs in the album. We have heard such descriptions of the heroine atleast once in some context in the past. Nothing new! Again, lets wait and see if Shankar can work his magic with the visuals.

"Boom Boom Robo da" sung by Keerthi Sagathia, Swetha Mohan, Tanvi Shah and Yogi B (yeah! Kajah Balm!) is a passable track with lyrics that sound repetitive after listening to all the other songs in the album.

Rahman manages to strike a neat balance between the tastes of both his fans and those of the Superstar leaving enough and more space for Shankar's imaginative visuals.

I am ready to welcome Enthiran-the Robot!

Once Upon A Time In Mumbai-Movie Review

"Once upon a time in Mumbaai" (No, its not a spelling mistake..that's how the title rolls out!) directed by Milan Luthria starring Ajay Devgn, Emraan Hashmi, Kangana Ranaut, Prachi Desai and Randeep Hooda among others, is a plot (yet another!) based on the Mumbai underworld activities and the thirst for power.

A lot has been said and written about the film in the last week or so, thanks to the controversies surrounding the plot and its inspirations. The disclaimer makes it even more obvious as to whose life this film/plot is based on.

Most reviews I read have been going gaga over the film and have drawn comparisons to films with similar plots in the past.

First things first. If you have seen gangster films based on the Mumbai underworld, the likes of Company or Satya, "Once upon a time..." pales in comparison. Its a tad too long and the slow narrative doesn't help much. It can easily do with atleast half hour of trimming.

Every character speaks cliched, long winding, phrase-laden dialogues. Maybe its the Ekta Kapoor connection!

Ajay Devgn is good as Sultan Mirza, the smuggler, who is head over heels in love with the Bollywood actress Rehana (Kangana Ranaut in a role that lacks any scope).

Emraan Hashmi is the films biggest let down. As Shoaib Khan, he plays the ambitious petty thief who idolizes Sultan Mirza and wants to emulate him. At most places, the expressions fall flat and with them the ambitions of the character too. The scene where Shoaib and his friends go to a pub and start dancing is risible stuff. Prachi Desai does not have much to do either, except looking pleasing to the eyes, which she does with aplomb. I am not sure how much such roles are gonna help Randeep Hooda's career in B-town.

The songs, except Pee Loon and Tum Jo Aaye, do not make any sense in the narrative and could easily have been done away with. The background score is good at most places and is one reason why you sit through most parts of this snail paced film. The guitar theme is quite catchy.

Cinematography is good and easy on the eyes. It also helps that there aren't any violent or gory scenes in the film, which is generally the case with most gangster flicks. Milan Luthria deserves a pat for this.

In my opinion, its a pretty average film that is benefiting from the hype and controversy around it. Watch it, if you don't have a better option.

Inception-Movie Review

Give this a thought...

When you are fast asleep and in a dream state..a person intrudes...starts sharing the dream...and in the process gains access to your thoughts & ideas. Now, what if this person is a complete stranger, a thief, an exceptionally skilled one at that, who with the help of an ally (who can forge his identity and appearance within your dream!!), makes use of the dream space at its most vulnerable moment and ends up phishing an idea you have built over years!

Sounds scary? To some, it might even sound a little foolish as a concept. This is the very premise of  Christopher Nolan's "Inception" starring Leonardo Di Caprio. The aforementioned concept, is termed as "Extraction" in the film. So, then what is "Inception"? It is to use the same dream state to intrude someone's mind and plant an idea! Confusing? This was precisely what I felt like when the movie started rolling. Initially it also sounded like folderol (no.. its not a medicine..means 'foolishness'! learnt this word this week..have to use it somewhere right!)  to me.

But, it is to Christopher Nolan's credit that he makes you believe in such a thought with his astonishing writing, leaving you bewildered by the time the end credits roll.

Nolan's exceptional writing/narrating skills, as most of you would know, came to the fore in the Guy Pearce starer "Memento" (its a different story that it took me 3-4 viewings to get a grasp of things..) . I have also had the fortune to watch his other acclaimed works in "The Following", "The Prestige" and "Insomnia" (Yeah..I am yet to watch is 2 batman films!). Incidentally, the voyeuristic thief in "The Following" was also called "Cobb", which is also the name of the protagonist played by Di Caprio in "Inception".

Plot line/Premise: The basic plot revolves around how Cobb (the extractor) is entrusted (by a Japanese biz bigwig) with the job of planting an idea, in the mind of the heir of a business tycoon, to break up his Dad's multi-billion dollar business. If he successfully pulls of this "perfect heist" he will get to go back to his family in the US and all charges (including one of killing his wife) against him quashed. To accomplish this, Cobb and his team have to travel into a "dream within a dream within a dream"!! Nolan also throws in some concepts like how if someone is killed in a dream they merely wake up from sleep in real life and that 5 minutes in real time is one hour in level one of the dream and 10 hours in level 2!! I will restrict myself from giving away any spoilers here.

Its a maze that you will keep unraveling long after you are finished with the film. For most part, to be honest, I found it difficult to keep pace with the narration and be on the same page with the characters. For this very reason, "Inception" is a must watch, as it challenges the movie buff in you (unlike most films that ask you to leave your brain behind) and takes the movie watching experience up several notches.

Leonardo Di Caprio carries the film on his shoulders, being the only familiar "star" in the film and is first rate. The rest of the cast fit in quite effectively. Use of CG is good and blends in well. Hans Zimmer's score is brilliant in keeping with the mood and pace of the movie.

My Verdict: Go figure out this puzzle! Its a big thumbs-up from my side for this master-stroke in story telling and screen writing. Nolan seems to have set his claims on some coveted prizes for writing, yet again. Hope he gets lucky atleast this time around.

Aham Brahmaasmi!

Found a video of Vijay Prakash singing "Om Shivoham" from "Naan KadavuL" (I am God). He has sung a few for Rahman including the melodious "Man Mohini" in 'Yuvvraaj' and 'Jai Ho' of course! But I believe this one is in a different league altogether.

When this audio released in Jan 2009 I was hooked to it for about 3 months. A unique composition by Maestro ILaiyaraaja, this one is without a doubt one of my all time favorites. Will write in detail soon as to the reasons. But for now, enjoy this!

Infinite Joy!

"விரலில் சுதி மீட்டவா?
வரும் இசைக்கு உயிர் ஊட்டவா?
(Viralil Sudhi Meettavaa? Varum Isaikku Uyir Oottavaa?)

எந்தன் கற்பனையில் வடித்தேன்,
விற்பனைக்கு இல்லையே!
உந்தன் கையில் கொடுத்தேன்,
இன்பம் இங்கு எல்லையே!"
(Enthan Karpanayil Vadiththaen, Virpanaikku Illayae! Undhan Kayyil Koduththen, Inbam Ingu Ellayae!)

The above means "Shall I play the shruthi (music) with my fingers and fill the music that comes out with soul? The music that is a result of my imagination is not meant for business. I gave it in your hands for infinite joy!"

One man with a harmonium, who makes music from his staggering imagination and talent, fills it with soul and gives it to us to reminisce and derive infinite joy! 

The first two lines of the above lyric, coz of the beauty of Thamizh, can also mean " Come (Vaa), play the shruthi with your fingers and fill the music with soul!", when the words "Meettavaa" and "Oottavaa" are split as "Meetta Vaa" and "Ootta Vaa". I believe this is how it was meant to be in the context of the film. But when I heard it the first time, I felt as if the Maestro (probably Vaali is the lyricist) was making a statement and hence chose to interpret it as mentioned in the earlier paragraph.

This one is a rare gem for the simple reason that I haven't heard or seen this one before and I believe this one is a composition quite unknown to a lot of his Raaja's fans.

"Viralil Sudhi Meetta Vaa" is from the film "Nandhavana Theru" that had Karthik in the lead and was directed by R.V Udhayakumar. "Velli Nilavae" sung by SPB and Uma Ramanan was a run away hit when this film released and was played over and over again. But the flip side was this brilliant song also managed to eclipse some other brilliant songs in this album.

Apart from "Viralil", this album features some fabulous compositions like "Enna Varam Vendum", "Ramana Venkata Ramana", "ANNiyai Kaattu", "Un Munne Naanum" etc. I am sure we will visit each one of them in the days to come.

Chitra begins "Viralil" quite flamboyantly with the swara singing supported by the flute. The Veena takes it forward as the plea for support gains momentum. I understand that this one is in Sindhu Bhairavi. I leave it to the experts to throw more light on the finer nuances.

The CharaNam is adorned with some awesome swara singing that is sure to leave a goosebump or two and the final aalap, though brief, is a fitting finale.

இசையின் சுகத்தில் உலகம் வியந்து, மகிழ்ந்திட!
(Isayin sugaththil ulagam viyandhu, magizhnthida-meaning "when the world is admiring and enjoying the heart-warming music/composition")
How true!

This way to infinite joy----> http://music.cooltoad.com/music/song.php?id=489660