Alaipayuthey
This is going to be very difficult to write. Though I have been writing about only some of my favourite scenes from the movies, how can I pick a few scenes from this movie as the ones that I like, when I love almost all the scenes in it!
Continue reading
Kannathil Muthamittal
Say Kannatthil Mutthamittal and the dialogues/scenes that come to my mind are:
Introduction scene of Amudha: “En paeru T.Amudha. Naan 5D la padikkarraen.” (Why do kids always say their section along with their class?)
Continue reading
Roja
I am going to start with the climax! I love the climax and the location where it was shot too. Perfect choice! Madhubala runs down the steps and Arvind Samy too runs towards her. The first time he slips and falls, she hurries down the steps. Then, when he rolls down the steps, she lets out a cry and rushes towards him. Now, they are just a few feet away from each other. Unlike other movies where the heroine will run towards the hero immediately to help him, here, she herself becomes so weak with joy on seeing her husband after a long time that she is unable to even stand! Then, when he finally reaches her, they let their eyes and tears do the talking, he then calls her ‘Pattikkaadu’ and they both hug! No unnecessary dialogue between the couple. Their eyes and actions do all the talking! Wow!
Continue reading
Well, it seems that was how the song, Sandai kozhi/Kabhi Neem Neem from Aayitha Ezhuthu/Yuva was referred to by A.R.Rahman! I heard some RJ (if I remember correctly, it was Suchi) telling about it in Radio Mirchi at the time Aayitha Ezhuthu was released. It seems Mani Ratnam had initially wanted a song to picturized on the hero and heroine with the hero singing it to the heroine, tapping a bucket! It’s another thing that the song later got changed to the heroine singing it, but Rahman still called the track as the bucket song.
Coming to the picturization of this song, I like the picturization of Kabhi Neem Neem more than Sandai Kozhi. Abhishek and Rani is one pair that I like very much and is there anyone better than Mani Ratnam who can picturize a romantic song this beautifully! Enjoy watching the song here:
It seems ‘Guru’ is the first hit of the year and it has completed 50 days! I very badly wanted to watch Guru in Inox but somehow I couldn’t make it all these days and when I finally decide that I will go this weekend, I see that since yesterday the movie is running only in Woodlands, not in Satyam too. 🙁 Anyway, I am happy that Mani Ratnam’s Hindi film has finally been declared a Hit in Bollywood.
I got this album (released by Rajalakshmi Audio last year) of T.M.Krishna last month. This has Muthuswami Dikshitar’s Krithis on Lord Rama. Check out the website of Rajalakshmi Audio for the list of krithis in this album. This has many not-so-often-heard raagas like mAhuri, kOkilAravam, rAma kali. T.M.Krishna has sung all the krithis with so much bhava! R.K.Shriramkumar plays the violin in this album, K. Arun Prakash the mridangam and V. Anirudh Athreya the kanjira. Everyone knows what a great combo TMK, Shriramkumar and Arun Prakash make. I would rate it as one of the best albums of T.M.Krishna till date!
The first song that I got hooked onto in this album is santAna rAmaswAminam in raagam Hindolavasantam. Every time I start listening to it, I listen to it atleast for a couple of times before moving onto the next song. The Nottu swarams in sankarAbharanam are very nice to listen to (rAmachandram is my current favourite Nottuswaram). I have only one complaint with this album: It would have been nice if T.M.Krishna had sung raaga alapanas for raagas like Hindolavasantam, nArAyanagowlai, mAhuri etc.
This one is a must-buy for all the T.M.Krishna and Dikshitar Kritis fans! If you haven’t got it yet, get it soon!
After a long time, I watched TV for more than 7 hours today. But, even as I was doing channel surfing, one thing that struck me was that the number of good Indipop songs has come down drastically in the past couple of years (In fact, there is no new Indipop song worth listening to now. And to top it, the video is also bad).
My favourites in Indipop:
(Not only the songs but the video of some of these songs were good too. I think quite a few of these songs will be in the list of everybody’s favourites)
1. Tanha Dil by Shaan – Shaan’s best till date! The lyrics of this song will be good too.
2. Euphoria – Though almost all the earlier songs of Euphoria were very good, the recent ones by them have become too repetitive and a bit boring too. Some of my favourites of Euphoria are Maaeri, Dhoom Pichuk Dhhom, Kabhi Aana Tu Meri Gully (the one featuring Vidya Balan in the video), Raja Rani(?).
3. Kitni Haseen Zindagi, Oh Sanam, Gori Teri Aankhen (along with Kavitha Krishnamurthy) by Lucky Ali – Again his songs too became repetitive after sometime.
4. Kabhi To Nazar Milao, Tera Chera, Nain Se Nainon Ko by Adnan Sami
5. Colonial Cousins – Their first album and then, Khaizala(I don’t remember the name of the album)
5. Meri Neend by Band of Boys
6. Char Din Ki Yeh Zindagani by Seven – Listen to it here (A big thanks to the reader who gave me the link)
7. Breathless by Shankar Mahadevan – Almost all the songs in the album ‘Breathless’ are good. But, I find that many songs composed by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy are based on the tunes in this album.
8. Falguni Pathak’s Yaad Piya Ki Aane Lagi (I can’t stand Ria Sen in this video), Meri Chunar, Teri Main Prem Deewani.
9. Khoya Khoya Chaand by Alka Yagnik and Babul Supriyo
10. Piya Basanti Re by Ustad Sultan Khan and Chitra.
11. Sonu Nigam’s Deewana – I love this song!
12. Tum Aaye by Hariharan and Alka Yagnik
13. Mujhe Pyar Hai Tumse by Pankaj Sarawgi
14. Pal, Aapki Dhuan and Yaaron Dosti by Kay Kay
15. Raat Shabnami by Asha Bhonsle
16. Sitaron Mein Tu Hi by Yesudas
17. A song from the album,’Punjab’ by Karunesh (Starts with ‘Aao Huzoor Tumko Sitaron’)
18. Baahon Mein Chali Aa, Hum Bewafaa, Raat Kali remixed by Instant Karma.
19. Bheegi Bheegi remixed by Leslie Lewis and sung beautifully by Sujatha and Srinivas.
20. Hai Re Hai Tera Ghoongta remixed by Leslie Lewis and sung by Kunal and Sowmya Rao.
I went to a concert of T.M.Krishna after more than a month. The concert was at Nageshwara Rao Park, Mylapore, held as part of the ‘Chennai Sangamam’, a cultural festival aimed at highlighting Chennai’s cultural ethos (as ‘The Hindu’, had called it), that started yesterday. Though it was only a 1-hour concert, T.M.Krishna made sure everyone enjoyed every moment of it!
Accompanists:
Amritha Murali – Violin
Manoj Siva – Mridangam
Umashankar – Ghatam
Songs list:
1. Thoadudaiya – GambhIraNattai
2. Kaalai Thooki – Yadhukula Kambhoji
3. Aazhi Mazhai KaNNa – Varali
4. Nattakurunji RTP – (A quickie RTP – Surprise of the concert!)
5. Chinnanchiru KiLiye – Raagamalika
6. Suttum Vizhi – Raagamalika
7. Senthamizh Naadenum – ? (don’t remember)
8. Irakkam Varaamal – Behag
9. Eppo Varuvaaro – Jonpuri
10. Vaazhiya Senthamizh – Madhyamavati
Highlight of the concert:
Of course, the Nattakurunji RTP! I least expected him to sing a RTP in this concert. Though it was a quickie, Nattakurunji being my favourite raaga, I just loved it! He sang the pallavi ‘nAttakurunji enbaar engaLadhu sirandha’ in two other raagas too (Mohanam and the other one I forgot 🙁 (HamirKalyani?)).
Then, the way he sang Chinnanchiru kiLiye with bhava was too good. After that, someone asked him to sing Suttum Vizhi and he said he was not sure whether he remembered the lyrics! When the girl said that she knew it, he asked her to sit in front of him and tell him if he forgets the lyrics somewhere! If I am not mistaken, it was after the line, ‘vaalai kumariyadi’ that TMK sang ha-ha-ha-ha in a beautiful way instead of the word ‘kaNNama’ twice, before singing the word ! Irakkam Varaamal is yet another song that I like hearing T.M.Krishna sing.
On the whole, the concert was excellent as any concert of T.M.Krishna will be. By the way, it was a nice to hear the concert sitting in the park, surrounded by trees with a surprisingly cool breeze blowing.
I still can’t believe I actually saw Rahman! I got his autograph too! I have taken a few photos and video clippings. (I couldn’t take one with him though) Will upload those very soon.
Yet to come back to earth! 🙂 A detailed write-up coming up very soon.
All the radio stations seemed to be playing one song again and again today. It seemed a ‘remixed’ version of the superb old Tamil song, ‘Vasanta Mullai’. Not only have the lyrics of all the lines except the first one been changed, adding beats to the song has made the song lose its beauty. Look at how stupid the lyrics are: Kaadhal enbadhu coffee pola….aari ponaa kasandhu pogum! (Don’t remember the exact words. Are these words even worth remembering?) Btw, which movie does this song belong to? I hate it.