Category Archives: A.R.Rahman

Happy Birthday, Rahman!

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At the end of an exhausting day, here I am wide awake after a night nap! I look at the clock. See it turn 12 midnight here in Singapore and that’s when I remember it is Rahman’s birthday today!

The one Rahman’s song that I have been listening to the last few days is Humma Humma from OK Jaanu. While the memory of me and my sister listening to Andha Arabic Kadaloram as children and enjoying it very much is still vivid in my mind, today seeing my little one who is not even 2 years old sing ‘Ammaa’ mazhalayaa and dance away following the steps taught by his sister brings back those memories afresh to my mind. My kids are loving this foot-tapping remix as well as the original Andha Arabic Kadaloram, my most favourite song from Bombay. I feel happy seeing Rahman’s music appeal so much to the gen-next too.

Rahman, your music has always been an instant energy-booster to me. And it has always been there with me through all the ups and downs of my life. Happy Birthday, Rahman!

Rasaali

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Along comes a song like a whiff of fresh air – literally, since the music and lyrics make you feel as though you are the one who is on that fast, carefree, breezy drive having the time of your life!

வாழ்வில் ஒரு பயணம் இது
முடிந்திட…விடுவேனோ!

Seriously! One just doesn’t want either the music or the lovely voices and words to stop! Ever! Wish the song would just go on and on! I just love the way the word ‘viduveno’ is sung.

The lazy, leisurely pace at which the song starts doesn’t give you a clue on what’s in store as the song progresses. The song opens with the chirping of bird, distant and near, which again appears prominently when Shashaa sings

பறவை போலாகினேன் போலாகினேன் இன்று…

Apt, isn’t it?

Who would have thought that the charanam of the beautiful Valachi varnam replete with all the classical Carnatic musical accompaniments and my personal favourite Shri raagam chittaiswarams in it could so easily blend with a song like this! And did we foresee Arunagirinathar’s ‘Mutthaitharu’ on a foot-tapping instrumental making an appearance either? Wow! And not to forget the ‘Ninnu Kori’ replete with all the brighas that just pulls you even deeper into the song. Just love the blending of so many musical forms together!

முன்னும் இது போலே புது
அனுபவம்
கண்டேன் என சொல்லும்படி
நினைவிலை
இன்னும் எதிர் காலத்திலும்
வழியிலை…மறவேனே!

Lilting words that speak of the wonderful aspects of life, the most memorable and cherishable phases of life. Shashaa’s voice oozes with the perfect emotion needed for these words.

On the personal front, this song is a perfect cocktail of my own musical taste and preferences. It has been having me humming Valachi varnam non-stop the last few days, especially the Shri raaga swarams which is probably my most favourite part of all the varnams. This song made me realize that it has been ages since I last sang it – one of my most favourite varnams to sing. This song has made me get in touch with the old-me. I just had to come out of hibernation to write about the experience of ‘Rasaali’ here. I have been listening to this song non-stop for more than a couple of hours now and I still can’t have enough of it! Only you, Rahman, can connect with your fans this way!

– A crazy Rahmaniac lost completely in the music of A R Rahman!

Enjoying Rahman’s music with Gen-Next!

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Nowadays, the best unwinding moments during the day are when my children and I together enjoy the music of A. R. Rahman! 🙂 When my 1-year old son (As cliched as it may sound, I still can’t believe he has already turned one! Time flies!) who is busy playing with his toys, read spoons, cups, wires, paper 😉 , suddenly forgets everything and starts dancing the moment a foot-tapping beat starts appearing in parandhu sella vaa! When my daughter keeps singing moozhgaadhe shippe friendship dhaan! 🙂 When both of them who had been fighting for the same toy forget it and start dancing away to the music of ARR!

My mind does go back to those good old days when my sister and I, back when we were kids, used to listen to Gopala Gopala, Chikku Bukku, Chinna Chinna Aasai, Pudhu vellai  mazhai, Kucchi Kucchi Rakkama, Andha Arabic kadaloram on a cassette….

Rahman’s ‘Never Give Up’!

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This track from the movie ‘Million Dollar Arm’ couldn’t have been given a more apt name than this! This track of just 2 minutes and 21 seconds duration has so much music and emotion going on in it.

To me, the first minute symbolizes that internal contemplation and conversation which one goes through while mulling over a lot of things in life, the complexities and the uncertainties. And then as the tempo builds gradually and explodes at that 1:14th minute, its as though the mind has freed itself, broken free from the complexities and crossed over all the obstacles and has embraced the ‘Never Give up’ attitude!  From then on, even as things are only improving and it is only happiness knocking at the doors as depicted by the music, after that 1:39th minute, it is just happiness after happiness, celebration after celebration and success after success,  as the happy, happy music very aptly symbolizes! This song is just pure vintage Rahman’s music and has an immense motivating factor in it!  

Pacchai Nirame – Happiness!

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Listening to Pacchai Nirame on a loop, after a long, long time, I realize yet again that

  • despite the years that have passed by, the song still sounds as fresh as it did the very first time I listened to it!
  • the happiness oozing out of it still continues to rub off on me and makes me feel so very happy!
  • its music is as vibrant and cheerful as the colours portrayed in its picturization and lyrics!
  • every time I am in awe of the rich colours of nature, it is this beautiful song that will come to my mind first!
  • this is a song to turn to for celebrating those simple, boundless joyful moments of life, for, after all, wasn’t this song created to portray that simple happiness evoked by getting a smile from the lady the man is attracted to?
  • this is THE song which makes me forget everything else and brings back nostalgic memories after memories which are ALL happy ones!
  • this is THE song which makes me feel like the awestruck teenager that I was who went gaga over Alaipayuthey, Rahman, Mani Ratnam and the very handsome Madhavan 😉
  • this is one unique song by Rahman which doesn’t have similarities with any other song
  • I can never have enough of writing about Alaipayuthey and everything associated with it
  • the song and its movie have so many memorable blog memories too associated with them
  • it will always remain THE most special song!

It’s Raavan everywhere!

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Newspapers, magazines, websites, Abhishek Bachchan’s tweets, mail forwards, posters on newspapers and on the walls, trailers on all the Hindi and Tamil channels! After more than a couple of years of rumours initially about Mani Ratnam’s next film Lajjo that were doing the rounds in all the newspapers and websites and then the endless news about what next Mani Ratnam’s movie was all about, the initial names for the Hindi and Tamil versions – Raavan and Ashokavanam, the cast & crew, the problem with forest officials, rumours about the climax, etc., etc., interviews with the cast & crew & the director himself and not to mention all those non-informative news items which seemed to have been published just for filling up the space, the day of the release of the movie is just a couple of days away!

Having watched the last two movies of Mani Ratnam on the day of the release itself, I hope that I get to watch this too on the first day. Can’t wait to see Mani Ratnam delve deep into the numerous minds of Beera! My plan, as of now, is to watch Raavan first and then Raavanan. What about you?

Raavan Theatrical Trailer

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Isn’t this newly released trailer intriguing? Don’t the sun rays filtered through the trees in the shot where Abhishek & Aishwarya are going on a boat look surreal? The music at 0:24 in this trailer reminds me of the BGM in Roja for the scenes featuring the terrorists. As I read the line ‘The bond between the hunter and the hunted – between the captor and the captive’ in the ‘Director’s note’ in the website of Raavan, I immediately started thinking about how Mani Ratnam has already shown a bond between the captor and the captive in Roja too. Anyway, the trailers are making the wait for the movie release seem longer by the day!

Kadhal Sadugudu & Alaipayuthey

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With this song, Mani Ratnam shows he needs neither exotic locales having nature’s beauty in abundance (Pacchai Nirame) nor a fort (Snehidhane) nor a festive atmosphere (Yaaro Yaarodi) and with just brick and cement (and not to forget those yellow and white bed spreads) as a backdrop, he can create stunning visuals too.
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