Pallavi Anu Pallavi
There’s a scene in the Jack Black-movie School of Rock where he first gets to know that the fourth-graders in his school can play. He starts putting a band together with them, starting off with a kid playing two notes on a piano, another playing a single note on the base guitar, the drummer sticking to a beat and the lead guitarist takes up the ‘Smoke on the Water’ riff. Now, the riff is only a four-note melody, known worldwide, but watching the build-up to it is captivating. This build-up is something that can be heard in many Ilayaraja songs.
Listen to the interludes in ‘Nagu Endide Manjina Bindu,’ and the first thing that strikes is the layer-upon-layer of instruments effects that Ilayaraja brings to the song. There is the bass guitar, the guitar, violins and the flute, where on their own, they would have made for a soulful track. But together, they create something magical-sounding, and comforting. Add to that the richness of S. Janaki’s voice, and you have a song that — when you listen to it with your eyes closed — takes you back to happier times.
Unaru
‘Theeram Thedi Olam Padi’ opens with the magnificent-violins-opening that Ilayaraja so loves. The entire song is rich, bursting with violins throughout. Compare that with its Tamil counterpart — ‘Roja Ondru Mutham Ketkum’ from Komberi Mookan , and one is bound to hear the obvious differences. Apart from the tune, there is little else in common with the two songs.
The entire song has been redone either for Unaru or Komberi Mookan , something we’ll have no way of knowing unless the composer himself says so. ‘Roja Ondru’ serves as a duet that is about first finding love and the silliness that follows it, but ‘Theeram Thedi’ is heavier. It’s a solo, and has a yearning to it.
Pagal Nilavu
Jeyachandran’s voice in ‘Poovile Medai’ is quite unlike his other songs — it’s lighter and a bit jaunty. But in Pagal Nilavu , what stands out is the unforgettable background score. The tune of ‘Poovile Medai’ plays in the background when the protagonist first sees his love interest. And each accompanying dialogue has a distinctive voice in the background.
The first interlude for ‘Poovile Medai’ is also beautiful — to the listener, it sounds as if the guitar and the flute are having a conversation with each other. While ‘Poomalaiye’ may be the most popular song of this album, the background score is worth at least a few hundred listening sessions.
Idhaya Kovil
It’s a sappy film with a wantonly tearjerking plot — quite unlike the Mani Ratnam we know today. But the music it produced was wondrous. Take the cry of ‘Vaanuyarntha Solaiyile’ or the fun ‘Paatu Thalaivan,’ or even the complex ‘Kootathile Kovil Pura.’ All are distinct in their sound and in the roles they fulfil.
One song that stands out is ‘Naan Paadum Mouna Ragam,’ which gave the title to Mani Ratnam’s next film. It’s almost embarrassingly sad, brimming with so much emotion that the listener wants to push it away. But it draws you in. S.P. Balasubrahmanyam’s vocals lend such heaviness that one would think the singer was constantly sighing when recording the song.
Mouna Ragam
Everything that has to be written and said about Mouna Ragam has been written and said. The background score is so popular that it served as a ringtone a good 20 years after the film came out. You have Revathi doing a Gene Kelly in ‘Oho Megam Vanthatho.’ ‘Mandram Vandha Thendralukku’ is a song that drives fans crazy and was refashioned in a new avatar in Cheeni Kum . And ‘Chinna Chinna Vanna Kuyil’ showcased Janaki’s vocals with such astounding effect.
But there is one other song that doesn’t get as much screen time as the others. That’s ‘Panivizhum Iravu.’ It’s one of those only-80s songs that served as a stand-in for sexual tension, where you’d have two people looking intensely at each other. And it’s a brilliant composition too. The percussion gets you hooked and the chorus is almost eerie.
Nayagan
‘Thenpandi Cheemayile’ has got all the traction it needs from being revered to parodying similar situations in other films. ‘Nee Oru Kadhal Sangeetham’ is one of those songs that we all sing along with. You have the jubilation of ‘Andhi Mazhai Megam’ — a contrast with all the other songs and even the theme of the film itself. It’s possibly the only time in the film where everyone is happy.
‘Naan Sirithal Deepavali’ is beautifully inserted into the film, with Jamuna Rani’s voice sounding almost childlike. It’s unsettling and it works.
A song that brings out the rawness of the entire film is ‘Nila Adhu Vanathil Mela.’ Ilayaraja’s voice seems to have been made for this song. The entire song is unapologetically masculine, with the singer’s baritone pummeling it into you.
Agni Nakshatram
Next came one of Ilayaraja’s best albums. Each song, and that mesmerising background score seems to have been crafted with so much care, that you could almost feel the composer wincing every time someone on a reality show gets it wrong.
And in this, is the little-spoken-about ‘Oru Poongavanam.’ It’s light, a woman’s celebration of herself sung with just pure joy. And at the same time, it’s a hard song to sing, even though it sounds simple. Even without watching the video, one can visualise a young, carefree woman swaying about singing this song.
Thalapathi
Pathos is the overarching theme of this album, with ‘Kattu Kuyilu’ alone breaking the line. It’s a song where the percussive elements compel you to move. But one other often-ignored song is ‘Putham Pudhu Poo.’ It’s haunting, and makes you listen to it over and over again.
Another is ‘Margazhithan Odi Pochu.’ It’s set in the festival of Bhogi, a plot point throughout the film. The song starts sounding as if it has no finesse, but as it builds, a pattern emerges. The tune is rural, folksy and simple. There are no frills added, but what a great sing-along it makes for!
Geethanjali/Idhayathai Thirudadhe
‘Kattukulle Paatu Sollum,’ in small parts may sound fun, but creepy overtones shadow the entire song. Chitra’s voice gives a slightly frightening touch to the song. It’s a weird song, and that’s what makes it so enjoyable.
It also sounds different from the rest of the album. There is a cold wind blowing in the background through the song, the backup vocals are reminiscent of horror films, and the second interlude has the male vocals pitching in to make it sound even more strange and scary.
Anjali
It’s hard to convey secrecy through a song. The easiest thing to do would be to slap in one person shushing another. But ‘Mottai Maadi’ sounds as if the singers, children at that, have secrets to tell you. The entire song whispers to you, notwithstanding the bold interludes, about a discret rendezvous.
Almost every song in this album, excluding ‘Vegam Vegam’ and ‘Rathiri Nerathil,’ has a huge chorus singing along. In that, ‘Vanam Namakku Veedhi’ is marvellous. Children sing in an exclusively high pitch, and most of the song plays around in the higher octave.
