A Musical '2009'

Unlike 2008, 2009 has turned out to be a musical year with back to back musical hits. I believe there have been atleast 20+ good albums. I really could not arrive at a list of 10 good songs as there were too many good songs. A tough job indeed.

Here is my list of Top 10 songs that I most visited, of 2009. Not in any order.

1. Kannil Parvai (Nan KAdavul) by Ilayaraja
2. Chinnansirisu (Kungauma Poovum Konjum Puravum) by Yuvan Shankar Raja
3. Oru Vetkam Varudhe (Pasanga) by James Vasanthan
4. Aval Appadi (Angadi Theru) by Vijay Antony
5. Kannil Thagam theerumo (Achchamundu Achamundu) by Karthik Raja
6. Pemmane (also Thaai thindra Manne. Aayirathil Oruvan) by G V Prakash kumar
7. Yogi theme in Sarangi (Yogi) by Yuvan Shankar Raja
8. Mella Oorndhu (Nandhalala) by Ilayaraja. -
9. Thuli Thuli (Paiya) by Yuvan Shankar Raja
10. Katrukulle (Sarvam) by Yuvan Shankar Raja

Few other songs that were worth listening.

* Azhagai Pookudhe (Ninaithaale Inikkum) by Vijay Antony
* Nan Pogiren (Naanayam) by James Vasanthan
* Kooda Varuviya (Valmiki) by Ilayaraja
* Padhi Kadhal padhi mutham (Modhi Vilayadu) by Hariharan, Leslie
* Vizhi Moodi (Ayan) by Harris Jeyaraj
* Om Shanthi Om (Muthirai) by Yuvan Shankar Raja

Smashing soundtracks of the Year:

1. Paiya, Sarvam by Yuvan Shankar Raja.
2. Nan Kadavul by Ilayaraja.
3. Aayirathil Oruvan by GV Prakash Kumar.

Best Music Director of the Year:

Undoubtedly, it is Yuvan Shankar Raja for delivering albums almost every month with quality ranging from average to mind-blowing. He is ready with hands full of projects to repeat the magic in 2010 as well.

Top non-tamil songs that I have listened to:

* 'Hindi' Masakkali from Delhi 6 by AR Rahman
* 'Telugu' Anakoledenadu and Seheri from Oy (Oye) by Yuvan Shankar Raja
* 'Hindi' Mudhi Mudhi from Paa by Ilayaraja
* 'Hindi' Emosnal Atyachar from Dev D by Amit Trivedi


Share your opinion.

Regards,
Vinith....

Keywords: top tamil songs of the year, best music of 2009, best music director of 2009, list of top tamil music, top 10 music, hindi, telugu

Theeradha Vilayattu Pillai music is Brilliant and Innovative, yet, Average

With a mysterious prelude and astonishing vocals of Vijay Yesudoss and Vinaitha, 'En Asai ethiraliye' easily becomes the pick of the album along with Poo Muthal sung by the composer himself. The mysterious feel continues to haunt in the former while interesting lyrics and cool rendition from Yuvan elevate the latter. Yuvan clearly brings the attitude of a playboy in this voice.

However, the most innovative track of this album is, "En jannal vandha katre" sung by three female singers. With the same base tune, Yuvan gives three different styles of music to explain the character of each girl in this movie. Starts off with a gorgeous melody (with interesting anu pallavi), that soon changes to a hip-hop kind of song then ends with a rocking kuthu song. The music during the transition of each song is simply brilliant and doesn't affect the flow. That's Yuvan for you!

Despite the brilliant vocals from Ranjith and interesting interludes, the melody "Oru punnagai thaane" fails to make an impact as the main tune is boring and flows aimlessly. You really do not get hooked to the title song even despite it's groovy orchestration.

The short "Introduction" is all about Yuvan's music for this movie. Aah.. This is something new that no one else has tried before. Thumbsup Yuvan.

Overall, a satisfactory album for Yuvan fans. We have to wait and see if our audience will prefer it. Brilliant and innovative. Yet, fails to create a big impact.


Tags: Theeratha vilayattu pillai music review, theeradha vilayaattu pillai songs review, theeradha vilayaattu pillai, yuvan, vishal, thiru, yuvan shankar raja, neetu

Movie Review: Yogi - A Shameless remake of Tsotsi.

Yogi is definitely one of the good movies of the year. With a good screenplay, brilliant direction in few scenes, excellent performance, wonderful cinematography and stunning background score, Yogi is certainly worth watching.

Plot: The story is all about, how the life of a slum dweller (a ruthless human, played by Ameer) changes when a baby comes into his life. That's the one liner.

Yogi is more of Ameer's than Subramaniam Siva. On seeing the movie, the narrating style, the camera angle, one can easily say that the brain behind these is Ameer. There were some brilliant scenes which evoke emotion to the audience. Ameer and Madhumitha's performance were excellent and laud-worthy. Ameer shined well as an actor.

The biggest plus here is Yuvan Shankar Raja's background music. Brilliant music. His music conveyed the emotion so beautifully in some scenes. Background score of Yogi is sure to take Yuvan one step further. Kudos!

The biggest minus point is that the movie is almost a ''frame-by-frame' remake of South African movie "Tsotsi". Shamelessly copied. Though there were rumors that this movie is inspired from tsotsi, I was confident that Ameer would not take that route. But it was a complete shock to me that the whole movie is a rip off. WTF!!!!!!!!!!!The moment I saw the set up of Ameer's house in the movie, I could guess the amount of plagiarism. About 70 minutes of Yogi are lifted from Tsotsi. Why they couldn't copy more than 70 minutes? Because, Tsotsi runs only for 90+ minutes. LOL. It's a sin to copy Tsotsi without mentioning any credits. Tsotsi is a classic. The movie has to be experienced. Now that I have watched Yogi, I want to watch Tsotsi once again, to nullify the sin.

Trivia: The movie is gonna be screened in Dubai Film Festival where there will be juries from all over the world. Wondering how Ameer is gonna manage them. Is Ameer aware of this fact that the movie is copied? Or it is Sub Siva who the real culprit is? Let's see!

Regards,
Vinith.

Keyword: Yogi movie review, yogi yuvan ameer madhumitha, yogi copied from Tsotsi, yogi inspired, Yogi review, yogi background score.

What's this?

Here is my take on Paiya! (Dated 23rd November) and here is Indiaglitz's! (Dated 24th November)

Paiyaa Music Review
Paiyaa - Fantastic five
IndiaGlitz [Tuesday, November 24, 2009]

If someone say Yuvan Shankar Raja is not in his best form this year, it is obvious that they had not listened to songs from ‘Paiyaa’. The music composer has come out with a beautiful album in association with Lingusamy, which has five scintillating songs that make you fall in love as soon as you listen to them.

Lending ample support to Lingusamy’s claim that the Karthi-Tamannah starrer would be a racy and breezy entertainer, the songs by Yuvan set the perfect mood besides raising the levels of expectation on the movie.

1. Adada Mazhaida - Listen here
Singer: Rahul Nambiar, Saindhavi

Reminding you ‘Dhavani Potta Deepavali…’ from ‘Sandakozhi’ is ‘Adada Mazhaida…’ The song by Rahul Nambiar and Saindhavi sounds good and creates a peppy mood. Saindhavi's rendition towards the end is noteworthy. Yuvan’s folk template works well.

2. En Kadhal Solla - Listen here
Singer: Yuvan

It touches the soul straight away. Yuvan, as usual, excels in orchestration particularly in the first interlude. The humming part that comes mildly in the background in between is addictive. Yuvan has improved a lot in rendition, one can say by all means.

3. Poongatre Poongatre - Listen here
Singer: Benny Dayal

A catchy tune, ‘Poongatre Poongatre’ gives a mesmerizing feeling living true to the lyrics. Benny Dayal’s rendition adds value to the lyrics. The song has got all ingredients to strike a chord with younger generation.

4. Suthudhe Suthudhe - Listen here
Singer: Karthik, Sunitha Sarathy

The cream of the soundtrack is ‘Suthudhe Suthudue’. The song, which starts in an ordinary note, picks up soon and enthralls as it progresses. The ‘ra-ra-ra-radhe’ bit is awesome and is sure to be hummed by the audience in the coming days.

5. Thuli Thuli - Listen here
Singer: Haricharan, Tanvi

The song is so beautifully rendered by Haricharan and Tanvi. The music in the beginning and the ’sel sel avaludan sel’ part is too good, though they remind of me some catchy earlier songs. The tune and Na Muthukumar's lyrics complement each other.

Overall, 'Paiyaa' strikes an instant chord with all qualities to top the charts. In other words, Lingusamy has extracted the best from Yuvan.

-------

LOL. What you say guys??????

Regards,
Vinith

Music Review: Paiya - A Yuvan Musical

//Click here for Paiyaa movie review//

Wow............................

Well, this is how I can begin.. I'm so excited after listening to Paiya songs. A beautiful album filled with romantic melodies.

Beautiful Guitar opens up the lilting melody "Thuli Thuli mazhaiyai", so beautifully rendered by the upcoming young talent Haricharan (Yeah. The voice that we heard in "arabu naadE" song). The tune and Na. Muthukumar's lyrics complement each other. 'Sel sel avaludan sel' part is too good in this song and that's the highlight of this song.

"Suthudhe Suthudhe bhoomi" starts off pretty ordinarily but soon picks up and enthralls you as it progresses. What else can I say when there is Karthik? He definitely elevates the song to greater heights. The lines "ra ra ra radhE, radhE, azhagiya raadhE" are sure to be hummed by the audience in the coming days.

"En Kadhal solla" sung by composer himself is another brilliant melody with excellent rhythm. Yuvan, as usual, excels in orchestration particularly in the first interlude. The chorus/humming part that comes mildly in the background in between is addictive. I have not been a big fan of Yuvan's rendition rather I complaint a lot. LOL. But this time, I must say that Yuvan has improved a lot in rendition. He has given a very good feel especially in the charanam parts. Do not miss to observe the way he sings 'Yaarum paarkkamal enai paarkkiren' in the second stanza. Mesmerizing. Touches my soul!

There isn't anything new in "Adada Mazhai da" song. It simply gives you the feel of listening to "Dhavani potta" song. Tried and tested orcehstration. Yuvan simply recycles his earlier works in this. But, the song sounds good and creates a peppy mood. Rahul nambiyar's rendition is too good and Saindhavi's rendition towards the end is another highlight of this song.

The only song that failed to impress me is "Poongatre poongatre" sung by Benny Dayal. Not a bad one though. A passable track with very less innovations.

Overall, Paiya is an instantly likable album. Linguswamy has extracted some excellent melodies from Yuvan. Yuvan, who usually goes overboard in orchestration even for a simple melody has refrained from it in Paiya. Orchestration here is very simple and catchy. The songs are sure shot winner. Barring the few recycling works, the album is very much satisfactory. Go get it. Drench in the rain!

PS: Writing a very detailed review after a long time. This is purely because of the excitement that I got after listening to the songs. Except 'Poongatre" all other songs are in loop for since Saturday. Just cant get me out of this. Very addictive!

PS2: Yeah, I know, some of you may feel that I'm overrating this album. LOL. Just my opinion. At least for next few months I will be madly listening to the songs. Isn't that enough? He... He...

Keywords: Paiya music review, payya, paiyya songs review, paiya yuvan songs, paiya linguswamy karthi album review, yuvan shankar raja paiya.

//Click here for Paiyaa movie review//

Regards,
Vinith.

Yuvan's Paiya

At last, the much awaited Yuvan's Paiya albums is out. Linguswamy has managed to get some good stuffs from Yuvan. Youthful songs. Two cool melodies.

Here is a Short take:

> Thuli thuli mazhayai - Absolutely a delightful melody sung by Haricharan. Haricharan-Yuvan combo rocks. Awesome song. Sure shot winner.
> Poongatre Poongatre sung by Benny Dayal. A Fast paced melody.
> Suthudhe Suthudhe bhoomi. Karthik's rendition is a big plus.
> En kadhal solla is another pick of the album sung by Yuvan. Minimal yet beautiful orchestration.
> Adada mazhaida is the only song where Yuvan recycles his own Dhavani Potta song.

Overall: Very decent album with romantic melodies.

Will post a detailed review soon.

Detailed review is here.

Music Review: Yogi by Yuvan Shankar Raja

At last the wait ends. Yogi album is out. Soundtrack has 6 tracks in total including two theme music.

Yogi theme in Sarangi is the pick of the album. A brilliant music with wonderful orchestration. Ustad's vocals that comes in between, leaves us haunted. Another amazing number is Yaaradu Yaaro sung by Yuvan himself which has outstanding orchestration with mind-blowing Sarangi interludes and meaningful lyrics by Snehan.

Despite the aversion I have for folk/kuthu songs, I liked the remix (of various old songs) Seermayvum Koovathila, sung by Lyricist Snehan. It's the change in the beats, thappu sound that impressed me. The short "Yogi theme" proves that Yuvan is the king of theme music. Another feather in his cap.

The hero glorifying number Yogi yogi thaan (Ver I and Ver II) is the only track that did not invoke any interest even though they are good orchestration wise. It may take sometime grow I believe.

Overall, Yuvan has given what Yogi needs. Yuvan's idea of using Sarangi as the main instrument in all songs (in BGM also if my guess is right) is laud-worthy. Hats off!

Yogi - A must buy!

Share your thoughts,
Vini...

Keywords: Yogi music review, Yogi songs review, Yogi album, Yuvan shankar raja, snehan song, yogi Ameer, ameer sultan.

Movie Review: Kandhasaamy

At last, the much awaited movie of the year is out! Here's my take on Kandhasaamy!

Story:

You can compare the story of Kandhaswamy with Sivaji. Yes it is all about black-money and about the saying "Rich get richer, Poor get poorer". Kandhasamy (Vikram), the CBI officer raids the money from the rich and gives it to poor. How? Go watch it!

What's new???

The concept of using God Kandhasamy's name to serve the poor is quite impressive. People tying the prayers written paper on the tree, Vikarm reading all those prayers and answering them in the name of "God Kandhasamy". Good one.

Performance:

As far as acting is considered, Kandhasamy doesn't disappoint. Everybody has done a good job. Just that there wasn't enough scope for Vikram to showcase his talents.

What's good?

The second half is far better than the boring, rubbish first half. The Mexico episode in second half is very much satisfying with interesting twists, suspense elements, outstanding Camerawork and Vikram's performance. In fact I would rather say that Mexico episode was the only relief for me. Krishna (father of Telugu Superstar Maheshbabu) who comes as senior officer for Vikram, impressed with his short but sweet role. He did a great job.

What plays spoil-sport?

First half progresses aimlessly. Screenplay sucked. Too much of glamor, skin show from Shreya. Songs that act as Speed-breakers. Vadivel's torture in the name of "comedy" and his disgusting double entendre dialogues too. Sonorous background score that damages our ears.

Verdict: Kandhasamy, a big disappointment! Movie fails to live up to the hype.

Tags: Kandhasamy review, Kandhasamy movie review, kandhasaamy review, kandhaswamy movie review, Vikram, Shreya, Susi Ganesan.

Music Review: Aadhavan by Harris Jeyaraj

Much awaited album is out! What does this successful "Harris-Surya" combo have to offer! Let's check it out!

"Hasli-Fasli" is the pick of the album (Probably the only good number). This peppy number with catchy English verses is impressive at first listen itself. Karthik at his best once again! While the passable "Varaayo" sung by Unni Krishnan and Chinmayi, is a trademark melody from Harris. Unni Krishnan seems to have lost enthu. Strangely, his rendering isn't impressive this time. "Yeno Panithuli" flows aimlessly.

"Dheko Dheko" has some impressive music arrangement, but falters tune wise. I like the interludes particularly the second interlude. "Masi Paasi" (Sung by Mano, Mega) and "Damukku Damukku" are forgettable numbers. It's disheartening to hear the versatile singer Mano's voice in the weakest track of the album!

To put it in nutshell, Aadhavan turns out to be a big disappointment! The sound, music, arrangement are very monotonous and thus very very boring! Considering that Harris Jeyaraj's next album will be out only in 2010, Aadhavan music is not enough to fill this gap. Hope we will not forget this composer! :)

Keywords! Harris Jeyaraj Aadhavan, Adhavan music review, aadhavan review, adhavan songs review, aadhavan album review, Harris surya combo.

நானும், என் புகைப்படங்களும் - பகுதி-1

சிலருக்கு புகைப்படம் எடுக்கப் பிடிக்கும். சிலருக்கு புகைப்படம் எடுத்துக்கொள்ளப் பிடிக்கும். சிலருக்கு இரண்டுமே பிடிக்கும். நான் 3வது வகையை சேர்ந்தவன். எடுப்பதோ, எடுத்துக்கொள்வதோ, புகைப்படம் என்றாலே தனி குஷி தான் எனக்கு.

இதனை வெளியிட ஒரு உந்துதலாக இருந்த வெங்கி அவர்களுக்கு என் நன்றிகள்.

என்னுடைய கைப்பேசி சோனி W810. சுமார் இரண்டு ஆண்டுகளுக்கும் மேலாக என்னுடன் இருக்கிறான். இவன் எனது வலக்கரம், தோழன் என்று சொன்னால் மிகை ஆகாது. இவன் எனக்கு எடுத்து் தந்த புகைப்படங்கள் ஏராளம். நிக்கான் L18 கேமிராவிலும் சில படங்கள் எடுத்துள்ளேன். இதோ நான் எடுத்த, முயற்சித்த, சில புகைப்படஙள்.

1. இரவும் பகலும் உரசிக்கொள்ளும் நேரத்தில், சோழங்கநல்லூர் அருகே உள்ள ஒரு கோயிலின் தோற்றம்.


2. எங்கள் குடியிருப்பு பகுதி அருகே உள்ள ஒரு வயல்வெளியில் எடுத்தது. சும்மா சொல்லக்கூடாது. சோனி எரிக்ஸனில் "மேக்ரோ மோட்" கச்சிதமாய் வேலை செய்கிறது.


3. முத்தமிடுவதைப் பார்த்துவிட்டேன் என்று தெரிந்தும், கோபப்படாமல், சிரிக்கும் மலர்கள். துல்லியமாய் படமெடுக்கும் அதே "மேக்ரோ மோட்".



4. காரினுள் நான், வெளியில் மழை. கண்ணாடி வழியே எடுக்கப்பட்டக் காட்சி. என்னை மிகவும் கவர்ந்த ஒன்று.


5. (Nikon L18) கிணறு வெட்ட பூதம் கிளம்பிய கதையாக, கிணற்றை படம் எடுக்கப்போய், பூதத்தையும் சேர்த்து எடுத்துவிட்டேன். ஐயோ. மன்னிக்கவும். அது பூதம் இல்லை. என் அண்ண்ன். ஹா ஹா...


மேலும் சில படங்களுடன் பகுதி இரண்டில் சந்திக்கிறேன்.

இன்னும் எடுப்பேன்...
விநித்...

Vamanan, 'Following" the path of Plagiarism

Plagiarism and Indian cinema are like two sides of a coin. Plethora of movies have been made in Tamil, Hindi, which were directly lifted from Hollywood or Foreign movies. Some of them are Kadhal Konden (Said to have been a remake of a German Movie), Saroja (Copied from Judgment Night). Debutant Director I. Ahmed's Vamanan is not an exception. This affirms that the Indian Cinema is still following the path of plagiarism.

Some websites reported that the theme of Vamanan has been copied from a Hollywood flick "Following", directed by Christopher Nolan. Caught by Curiosity, I wanted to watch "Following". Watched it. I would rather call it "Lifted". Not just the theme, the scenes, the conversation between hero and villain (Rahman and Jai in Vamanan), the dialogues, the twist in the climax, everything has been ruthlessly lifted by I. Ahmed, a debutant director. What irks me is, Ahmed in an interview said that he has tried a new technique in screenplay which will be a trend setter and many movies would follow this trend. LOL. Ahmed, don't think you are smart. Tamil audience are not fools. You are being watched. Bag it in mind!

'Following-Vamanan' Connection:

Jeremy (Lead actor of Following) follows Alex to find inspiration for his novel.
Jai follows Rahman and contemplates his bodylanguage, style to find inspiration for his acting career.

The conversation between Jai and Rahman in a hotel (When Jai gets caught by Rahman) is exactly the same as the one between Jeremy and Alex in a Cafe when Jeremy gets caught by Alex for same reason.

Alex, a burglar, breaks into the apartments and surfs through the personal matters, diaries, of the residents. That's exactly what Rahman does in Vamanan. Worst part here is, in a scene Rahman takes a sip of Cool drinks in a house and shares the joy of having cool drinks in a house when the family people are not there. Even this dialogue has been lifted.

And last but not the least, the final twist in the climax.

So, I. Ahmed, what do you have to say? What about your next movie?

Aah... one more, Thanks Ahmed. Had you not done this, I would not have watched "Following". A must watch movie! Thanks once again!

Share your thoughts,

Regards,
Vinith...

Tags: Vamanan lifted, Vamanan inspired, Vaamanan movie copied from following, I. Ahmed Following movie, Christopher Nolan.

Movie Reviews: Muthirai, Vamanan

Just thought of sharing my opinion on these two movies.

Muthirai - A crap movie with some nice twists towards the climax. Yuvan is the real hero of this movie. He's elevated this movie with his amazing background score. Beautiful songs have been picturized pathetically with expressionless Lead heroes. We only get frustrated on seeing Nitin's romance in Azhagaana Neeyum song and Daniel's horrible face expressions in July Madhathil, Uyire Uyire songs. Huh. However, it serves as a nice laughter therapy if you go with your friends as a gang. Muthirai's Background scores have been recorded (good quality) and uploaded by me in Yuvan's freeforums. You can download it from there! Here you go. Do register if you have not done already. :)

Vamanan - A run-of-the-mill plot (which is quite similar to as that of Muthirai) that has been narrated in an entertaining way. Even though the movie (particularly the second half) lacks logic, the first half is very much entertaining with Santhanam and Urvasi providing a great laughter therapy. Santhanam has raised to a newer level in this movie with his rib-tickling comedy. Suspense elements in the movie are quite interesting. Another major plus point is Yuvan's songs and above average background score. All five songs have been placed aptly without disrupting the pace of the screenplay. Jai has done a commendable job. Aravind Krishna's camerawork is awesome! Can watch it once.
PS: It is said that this movie has been inspired from a hollywood flick called "Following". Let me watch that movie and get back to you with proper information.

Tagged under: Movie reviews, Vamanan review, vaamanan movie review, vamanan jai, I. Ahmed, Vamanan following, Muthirai review, muththirai movie review, muthirai yuvan, daniel balaji, nitin, srinath, santhanam, urvasi.

Regards,
Vinith.

Playlist Jan-June 2009

I'm back :-)

First half of 2009 has really been great for music lovers. Here is the list of Top 10 Songs. Not in any particular order.

1. Azhagana Neeyum (Muthirai, Yuvan Shankar Raja)
2. Om Sivo ham (Nan Kadavul, Ilayaraja)
3. Vizhi Moodi (Ayan, Harris Jeyaraj)
4. Pemmane (Aayirathil Oruvan, GV Prakash)
5. Oru Vetkam Varudhe (Pasanga, James Vasanthan)
6. Kannil Thaagam (Achchamundu Achamundu, Karthik Raja)
7. Paathi Kadhal (Modhi Vilayadu, Hari Leslie)
8. Aval Appadi ondrum (Angadi Theru, Vijay antony)
9. Yarai Ketpadhu (Vamanan, Yuvan Shankar Raja)
10. Katrukulle (Sarvam, Yuvan Shankar Raja)

Yuvan stands out for his consistent performance. All his six albums (including the one in Telugu. Oye) had great songs. He is in incredible form. Six more albums to come :)

GVP's Aayirathil Oruvan is the best album of the year (first half). That was a smashing album with great classical numbers!

Lets see what the second half has to offer!

Regards,
Vinith

Pause or Stop?

Hello there,

I'm sad to inform that I would not be available for next couple of weeks as I'm going on a trip to Hyderabad on personal front. I may not be able blog due to lack of access to Internet. I'm expecting couple of good albums by this week or next week. Yogi, Peranmai and few others too.

Also, I'm not sure I would be able to continue blogging after I return as I would become busy on my professional front.

I myself do not know whether this is a pause or a stop. :-( I hope it's the former. Thanks for all your support!

Have fun!

Regards,
Vinith

Aayirathil Oruvan - Music Review

Music of "Aayirathil Oruvan", one of the much awaited movies of the year is out and is outstanding. Young composer GVP's compositions in Ayirathil Oruvan is extraordinary. With 10 tracks (including one club mix), the album is definitely a treat to music lovers.

Both the versions of "Thaai thindra Manne" stand out. GV Prakash's knowledge in classical music comes to fore in these songs. Extraordinary compositions with mindblowing lyrics by Vairamuthu. One version is sung by Vijay Yesudoss and the other version is by Vijay Yesudoss and Nithyashree. Singers have added a speacial touch to these songs. Words fail me to describe the pleasure of listening to these songs.

Another such a master piece is "Pemmane" which is absolutely haunting with amazing vocals by Bombay Jayashree and Veteran PB Srinivas. This song gives a mysterious feel especially the laughing sounds of female in the interludes. I got carried away.

You should not just listen to these songs. Experience them. Lyrics of these three songs simply took me to Chola Period. I'm presenting parts of "Pemmaane" lyrics here.

வாழ்ந்தாலும்,
சந்ததிகள் வீழ்ந்தாலும்,
தாய் மண்ணில் சாகாமல்,
சாகமாட்டோம்......

--
புலம் பெயர்ந்தோம்...
பொலிவிழந்து புலன் கழிந்தோம்...
அழுதழுது உயிர் கிழிந்தோம்...
--
என் தஞ்சை,
யாம் பிறந்த பொன் தஞ்சை,
விரல் ஐந்தும் தீண்டாமல்,
வேக மாட்டோம்....

These lines brought tears in my eyes. Hats off to Vairamuthu.

Selva Raghavan's lyrics in the breezy, romantic number "Maalai Neram" outstands. Andrea's rendition fits the mood (just bear her diction in few places). I loved this song mainly for its lyrics.

ஓடும் காலங்கள்,
உடன் ஓடும் நினைவுகள்,
வழி மாறும் பயணங்கள்,
தொடர்கிறதே....
--
உன் கரம் கோர்க்கையில்,
நினைவு ஓராயிரம்,
இரு கரம் பிரிகையில்,
நினைவு நூறாயிரம்
--

"Indha Paadhai", sung by composer himself is astonishing with amazing guitar works. GVP does a pretty neat job in singing too. Do not miss the violin that comes for a short duration in the second interlue. Amazing composition.

Theme music kinda stuffs "King Arrives" and "Celebration of Life" are truly master piece from GVP. Wonderful.

The club number "Oh Eesa" starts off well but soon turns out to be noisy. Composer's idea of mixing the tune of "Srinivasa Govinda, Sri venkatesa Govinda" doesn't really sound good. And the hip hop type "Un Mela aasathan is "adada va asathalam" song of Sarvam (which was originally composed by Yuvan for Selvah).

This is certainly one of the BEST ALBUMS in recent years. Stunning from this young chap. GV Prakash, you've made it man. Bow. Kudos to the team. Credits to Selva for extracting the best out of GVP. Eagerly awaiting the movie release. Just cannot wait for it.

Regards,
Vinith...

Keywords: Aayirathil Oruvan review, Aayirathil oruvan music review, Aayirathil oruvan songs review, Selvaraghavan, GVP, GV Prakashkumar, GV Prakash Kumar PB Srinivas, Ayirathil oruvan album, Andrea.

For the musician in you!!

Hello there...

Are you interested in composing music? Do you want to discover the musician in you? Participate in this contest and win prizes... It's simple and easy. Click on the following link to know more about the contest.

Re-Recording Raaja Contest

The contest is called "Re-recording Raja Contest" (RRR). This contest is being conducted by m blog-mate Suresh.

Participate and win prizes... Wish you all the best!!

Regards,
Vinith

And the winner is.....

Airtel Super Singer show has been the talk of the town in last few months. The grand Finale took place in Chennai today and the three finalists "Renu", "Ajish" and "ravi" performed live.

To put it in a nut shell, it was mind blowing. And the winner of the title is,

Super Singer,

"Ajish".

Of course, this is what many of us would have predicted.

There were two rounds today.

1st round:

Ajish - Ninaithu Ninaithu (7G), Renu - Nenjodu Kalandhidu (Kadhal Konden) and Ravi - Kan munne (Thulluvadho Ilamai). All three performed really well and Renu's song selection wasn't appealing even though she sang it really well.

2nd round:

Ajish - Sangeetha Jaadhi mullai (Kadhal Oviyam), Renu - Hairama (Rangeela) and Ravi - Kallai mattum kandal (Dasa).

Ravi's performance in this round was definitely not his best and it is mainly because of song selection i guess. I was not impressed. But Renu, with her honey soaked voice sang Hairama so so beautifully. It was out-of-the-world singing. Ajish - Wow.... Mind blowing... I would rate his singing in this round as his best till date. Everything was perfect in his singing this time. I usually get disappointed with his voice (nasal voice. Not open singing). But he excelled in this round. Kudos!!!

What disappointed me here was Renu finishing at 3rd place. Even though I knew that she cannot be the winner, i expected her to be the runner. But Ravi took that spot!! However, Ravi deserved that spot for his consistence. He has been the only singer to be consistent throughout the show. Thumbs Up!!!

So what else... We soon can hear Ajish's voice in Yuvan's album.

Congratulations Ajish!! Wish you all the best!!!

Going by what people on the stage spoke, I guess all three finalists would get a chance to sing in Tamil Films. If so, I'm very much happy and i'm eager to hear Renu's voice! Yes, she was my favorite! :-)

Regards,
Vinith...

Keywords: Airtel super singer finals, finale, renu, ravi, ajish, ajeesh, vijay tv super singer, grand finale

Music Review: Kandhaswamy

Kandhasamy is one of the much awaited movies of the year and so is its music. The album has eight tracks in total out of which only two of them are good (not outstanding :P ).

"Excuse Me Mr. Kandhasamy", sung by Suchithra and Vikram is very catchy, mainly for the funny lines and Vikram's rendition. This song is more like a conversation. "Allegra" is more like an English song which is good in terms of music.

"Miya miya poona" is more like rhymes while "idhellm dupe" is nothing but recitation of a written essay. "India ponnu", "Pambara kannale remix (aka en peru meenakumari)", "Mambo Mamiya", "Kantha Kanthasamy" are plain annoying.

I may sound a bit harsh. But then, I wish to share what I feel. Devi Sri Prasad has always been a wrong choice for Tamil Film Music. I loved hardly a few compositions of him in Tamil. Kanthasamy is just another album in that list.

Regards,
Vinith...

(Keyword: Kandhasamy songs review, kanthasamy music reivew, kanthaswamy songs reivew, kandhaswamy review, Vikram, Shriya, Devi Sri Prasad, Devi sriprasad)

The IPL Fever is Over!!!

Fever over??? How come?? 10 more days to go. Confused? Ha...ha...

I'm an avid cricket fan. In my dictionary Cricket = Sachin. He is the Lord. Sachin Tendulkar's Mumbai Indian is out of IPL now. And that is why the fever is over (for me). I was with absolute aplomb that MI would make it to Semis. Dreams are shattered. I was left in travail when Mumbai Indians suffered the loss at the hands of Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings . I was hurt, disappointed.

However, my god's game was brilliant and very much satisfactory in 5 matches especially the one against Kolkata. Fan for life....

Since I'm writing this on a sad note, I do not want to mention about his bad captaincy in few matches.

I would not be watching IPL anymore. It's all over. I would watch the next match of Sachin against Delhi Daredevils, of course for thalaivar's game only.

There is always a next season. Let me wait for a better IPL next year. So, for me, the fever is over, but with a sad note. What about you?

Regards,
Vinith...

Modhi Vilayadu, music by Colonial Cousins Hariharan, Leslie

Colonial Cousins Hariharan and Leslie's debut as Music Directors is quite promising.

Peppy "Otrai Varthayil" turns out to be pick of the album. Shaan's rendition definitely elevates the song while the duration is the only complaint. The song has only one charanam. Melody "Paadhi Kadhal" is too good with Bombay Jayashree's sweet vocals. Somehow, Sunitha Sarathi's part did not appeal to me even though she has sung it well. Composers' idea of using two female singers did not work for me. Well, I cannot take a call on this without whatching the situation for which this song has been composed. However, the song is good with good lyrics.

Both the above mentioned songs forgo the regular beats that we get to hear from other composers. The background music for these two songs are fresh that makes them instantly likeable.

"Vellaikkari", despite the good charanam parts, failed to impress me. Too many singers for this song creates a mess. Orchestration too is noisy at times. This song may go well with masses, but did not impress me. Fast paced "Sikki mukki" too is an average track. Title track "Modhi Vilayadu" abides by the standard rule "title song should be a noisy kuthu song". Hariharan has roped in Composer Deva to sing along with him, but that doesn't help.

"Latcham Varthaigal", sung by Ranjani, another version of "Otrai Varthaiyil" has got some change in the orchestration, particularly in the interlude. Nice keyboard usage in the interlude. The lyrics have been changed beautifully to fit the situation. Look how beautifully the lyrics convey two different situations.

In the first version (for hero), "Otrai varthayil, otrai vArthayil, uLLE uLLadhai sonnAl enna" while in the second version, heroine sings "Latcham vArthaigal, latcham vArthaigaL, muttrum theerndhana ingE ingE" . Great. Isn't it? I guess the hero version is on a happy note while the latter is on a sad note.

Overall, Modhi Vilayadu gives me a private album like feel. That's good change actually. Two songs stand out while the rest are average.

Regards,
Vinith...

(Keywords: Modhi vilayadu review, modhivilayadu music review, modhi vilayadu songs review, modhi vilayadu hariharan, colonial cousins, saran, hariharan lesley, leslie)

Music Review: Muthirai (Yuvan Shankar Raja)

Muthirai album was released without any ad / information that eventually made me not to expect much from this album. Surprisingly the album turns out to be a pretty decent album. Usually Yuvan shines well in three/four numbers and falters in the rest. But in Muthirai almost all the songs are good.

With Naresh Iyer's and Manjari's melting vocals, the melody "Azhagana Neeyum" turns out to be the pick of the album. Absolutely delightful song with good lyrics. Manjari's rendition and smooth vocals definitlely add a good feel to the song. Next good number is "Om Shanthi Om", a rock base club number. Powerful orchestration and the superb singing by Neha Bashin makes this song stand out. What surprises me here is the core melody of this club number is too good. Wonderful composition.


"July Maadhathil" sung by Md Aslam, Rahul, Thanvi and "Uyire Uyire" sung by Javed Ali, Madhushree are equally competitive melodies. What makes the latter score low is the singer selection. Javed ali has sung it neatly with only few errors while Madhushree...hmmm.

Swetha shines well in "Nenjukkulla" but the song is too short to make an impact. Another club number "Night is still young" is the only song that did not appeal to me. Not to mistake. Give it a listen. You may like it. :)

All songs in Muthirai have the stamp of Yuvan. A very much satisfying album. You will not be disappointed. Enjoy!

Regards,
Vinith...

Keywords: Muthirai music review, Muthirai yuvan shankar raja, muththirai songs review, muththirai yuvan, director jeeva, aneez jeeva, srinath

Music Review: Angai Theru - GV Prakash, Vijay Antony

The poetic title "Angadi Theru" says it all. A breezy album with lilting songs. Four of six songs are composed by GV Prakash while the rest two are composed by Vijay Antony.

My Pick of the album is "Aval Appadi Ondrum Azhagillai" by Vijay Antony. A breezy number with poetic lyrics by Na. Muthukumar. Song opens with a beautiful Keyboard and Flute music. That sets the tone for this soothing song. Singer Karthik at his best once again. "Enge Poveno" is a slow number by Vijay antony. That's a passable track as it has nothing fresh to offer.

Among GVP's composition, "Un Perai Sollum" is the pick. A swingy melody with excellent rendition by Naresh Iyer and Shreya Goshal. Na. Muthukumar excels in lyrics once again. A feel good song. "Kathaigalai Pesum" is another beautiful peppy melody with superb vocals of Benny and Hamzika. GVP's singing in "Kannil Theriyum" is truly great. He has sung it so well like a professional singer. The song is good but reminds me of ARR's composition. And the worst track of the album is "Karungali Naaye" with disgusting lyrics. I just ignored it.

Overall, Angadi Theru is a fantastic album. Both the composers have done a commendable job. Along with GVP and VA, it is poet Na. Muthukumar who deserves equal credits for penning beautiful lyrics.!

Regards,

Vinith...

(Keywords: Angadi theru music review, angaadi theru music review, angadi theru songs, angadi theru review, angadi theru vasantha balan, g v prakash, gvp, vijay antony)

A Short take on World Movies

I happened to watch some international movies of various genres. Here is a short take on those movies. Believe me… Each one of them is worth watching.

Life is Beautiful, 1997, Documentry
Verdict for this movie lies in the name itself. Beautiful. One of the most beautiful movies that I have ever seen. Realistic narration. Amazing performance by the lead actors Roberto Benigni and Nicoletta Braschi. The climax was very moving. Don’t just watch it. Experience it. Some of the scenes from this movie has been cheaply copied and used in Vijay’s Youth. Remember the tag line of Youth? Life is Beautiful.


Dawn of the Dead, 2004 - Horror, Thriller
Tale of a group of people who are trapped in a shopping mall which is surrounded by a swarm of zombies. They sketch out a master plan to save their lives. What was it? Check that out. An excellent horror movie with scary scenes and sounds. I jumped out of my seat quite a few times during the first 20-30 minutes. Yes. True.

The Others, 2001, Supernatural horror, thriller
A supernatural horror movie with some frightening scenes. Superb BGM that scares us more. Worth Watching for its scary scenes, the unpredictable climax and for the outstanding performance of Nicole Kidman.


The Blair Witch Project, 1999, Horror, Thriller
Another horror movie. Tale of three student filmmakers who go into the woods to do a project of “The Blair Witch”. A horror movie that forgoes spooky characters and gory scenes. Managed to scare me to some extent. Personally I was disappointed. Worth watching.


The Silence of The Lambs, 1991, Thriller
Wow… What a movie. This is a Psychological thriller film. Superb performance by Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster. Aah… The climax scene reminded me of the climax of Shankar’s Indian. Ditto.


Audition, 1999, Thriller
Japanese horror movie. There is no horror scene in the movie. Direcor had done almost a documentary in the first half. Aah… There comes the interesting 30 minutes which will f**k the viewers’ mind. Really. It freaks you out every time the girl says “ kiri kiri kiri kiri kiri" (Means, "deeper").

Share your thoughts...

Regards,
Vini...

Oh My GOD!! Just can't believe this!

Voila, I've completed successful one year of Blogging. I just cannot believe this... Aah... it's true!!!

Exactly on this day, last year, my first writing Dasavatharam Music Review was up. I never thought I would complete one year, but it happened. Yes, only with your support!!

Thank you very much for your support and the encouragement!

Special thanks to my inspirational bloggers Karthik and Suresh .

I look forward to your continued support!


Excited,
Vinith...

Playlist 0409

List of songs that I've been listening to!

Katrukulle (Sarvam), Nee Thane (Sarvam), Adada (Sarvam), Siragugal (Sarvam) - Sarvam is one helluva album from Yuvan.

Vamanan Songs: Oru Devadhai, Yaarai Ketpadhu and Yedho Seigirai. All three melodies are equally good. Yaarai Ketpadhu being my pick. Stunning melodies from Yuvan.

Anbale Azhagana Veedu and Oru Vetkam from Pasanga. Fantastic melodies with excellent vocals. James Vasanthan, you are not a one hit wonder!

Many songs from Pokkisham. Just cannot pick one as Favorite. A very good album from Sabesh-Murali.

Regards,
Vinith...

Movie Review: Kunguma Poovum Konjum Puravum

Direction: RajMohan
Cast: Ramakrishna, Dharshana
Music: Yuvan Shankar Raja
Cinematography: Siddharth


Story:
Same old story. Spoiler ahead. Do not read if you are yet to watch the movie (Hero and Heroine love each other truly. Dreams go haywire. Situation forces heroine to get married to some X. X is a rowdy who spends more time jail than in house. Heroine comes back to the village where their love blossomed. Hero is still in love with her. A small misunderstanding prevails. Heroine thinks that hero did not even try to rescue her from her marriage. He actually tried but in vain. Climax is bit predictable but a not bad one though. aSubham)

Director makes an impression by introducing fresh faces who are not fair handsome, glamor, (just like VKK). He miserably failed in portrayal of the characters. Dubbing voices were not appropriate for the characters seen on the screen. No proper lip sync, tone, pause etc. First half was ok. second half was dragging... thank god.. climax was crisp. Rural feel was completely there

Director's inexperience was very clear in the screenplay. He has no prior experience in this field (as told by him in an interview). Lack of fresh ideas is a big minus. Could have made it much better. The twist just before the interval made me sit up. After this, only towards the climax I realized that I was yawning and leaning back. Welcome Rajmohan. You can definitely prove yourself if you concentrate more in the above said points. All the best for your future ventures!

Performances:
Both the lead pair (Ramakrishna and Dharshana) who stammer in acting at first, picked up later and have done justice to their roles. Ramakrishna has done a commendable job in second half while Dharshana stole the show with wide gamut of emotions and expressions.

Music and Cinematography:
Could feel the change in Music as it is Live Orchestra Recording. No synth sound has been used in this movie. Flute, violin sounds were good with Originality. Apart from this, Yuvan's Music was above average. 1st half had very little music and second half was good. One thing that bothered me in music is, the same kinda music was heard throughout the movie. Well, Yuvan needs to learn more when it comes to rural based subjects.

Cinematography by Siddharth was really cool. Sinnianchirusu song picturization was very good though it reminded me of Kangal Irandal, Aiyaiyo (Paruthiveera) at times. Oru Nimisham song was so apt for that situation. It was really haunting. Velmurugan who has sung this song must be appreciated.

Overall: Average movie. But don't go with huge expectations. You would be disappointed! Just like me!

Share your thoughts.

(Keywords: Kunguma Poovum Konjum Puravum movie review, Director Rajmohan, Kunguma Poovum Konju Puravum review, Yuvan Shankar Raja)

Regards,
Vini...

Siva Manasula Sakthi – Definitely not an SMS

Happened to watch Siva Manasula Sakthi last week. The hype given by Ananda Vikatan and some of my friends made me watch this movie. Some of my friends rated this as a very good entertainer. Well, in my opinion, it was a mediocre movie.

Story:
Sakthi (Anuya), an RJ in a local FM station meets Siva (Jiiva) during a train journey. She lies through her teeth that she is an Airhostess. Siva, a courier man in Professional Courier, boasts about him that he is an Army Man. But, soon after few days, Siva goes to deliver a courier to “Sakthi” in Hello FM station where he comes to know that Sakthi is not an Airhostess. Sakthi too comes to know that he is a courier delivery boy. Ego Clash starts! Love blossoms. What else? Arguments, fights, ego clashes, separation happens with “Subam” at the end!

Performances:
Jiiva is one my favorite actors of this generation. He has done his part well. This role is a child’s play for his acting abilities. I could encounter some overreaction from Jiiva in couple of scenes while Anuya surprised me with a decent performance. Subtle reactions during the ego clashes were really good. Urvasi, as usual delivered both good and over action. Performance of the girl who plays Jiiva’s sister was intolerable. Who is that girl? New face?

Pros and Cons:

Many said that Santhanam-Jiiva combo rocked in comedy. But to me, the comedy was pretty average in the first half except few dialogues and timings by Santhanam. The dragging second half was another minus point.

Debutant director Rajesh shines well in few scenes which were quite enjoyable. For instance, Sakthi’s disappointment in the scene where she wishes Siva on his birthday (false date given by Jiiva) and utters some schmaltzy dialogues. The next scene, in bus, where Siva feels sorry for whatever happened the last night. After Siva finishes his speech, Sakthi wears out the headsets from ears to show that she did not listen to any of his words! Rerecording in this scene was really good.

Lengthier, unentertaining second half with an absurd scene in the climax is certainly a minus point. There is no strong reason why Siva asks Sakthi to sleep with her before marriage. Movie lacks, a crisp and entertaining screenplay, interesting twists and turns. Can watch it for the lead pair Jiiva and Anuya!
Cinematography was good and Yuvan’s background score was mediocre. Oru Kal and Parvaiyil songs were good.

Verdict: Siva Manasula Sakthi – Definitely not as short as SMS.

(Tags: Siva Manasula Sakthi Review, Actor Jiiva, Siva Manasula Sakthi movie review, SMS review, SMS Yuvan, SMS Rajesh, Jiiva)

Share your thoughts,
Vini...

Music Review: Vamanan by Yuvan Shankar Raja

Another superb album from Yuvan. A must listen.

Orchestration is truly good in Edho Seigirai. It is male singer's rendition which spoils this beautiful melody. Yes, it is the same Javed Ali who killed the beautiful song "siragugal" in Sarvam. Female singer Sowmya sounds too good in this song. Roopkumar is better than Javed Ali in "Oru Devadhai", a beautiful ghazal type melody. Use of Solo violin in pre, inter and postludes is catchy. Singer's voice is good but pronunciation really sucks. Nevertheless, this is one heck of song.

"Enge Povadhu" is another melody orchestrated with minimal music. Soulful singing of Vijay Yesudoss elevates this song. A slow number that grows in you after few listens.

Club number "Lucky Star" sounds better than the fast paced "Money Money". Lucky star sung by Blaze may go well with the masses.

"Edho Seigirai", "Enge Povadhu" and "Oru Devadhai" are on the loop in my play list. Addictive melodies from Yuvan.

It's high time that Yuvan realizes how important singer selection is to make an album successful. What in Roopkumar makes him feel better that our Hariharan. Why can't he prefer our talented singer Karthik to Javed Ali???

Overall, Vamanan is on par with Sarvam. Of course, Sarvam is his best in recent times!

Regards,
Vinith

Keywords: Vamanan songs review, vamanan music review, vamanan yuvan shankar raja, actor jai, vaamanan

What the f**k.

I'm a regular reader of The Hindu. Only because I got the free subscription for a year, I subscribed for Times Of India and have been reading it regularly. I came across one article about Health and Nutrition in TOI, Chennai dated 7th April. It seriously pissed me off.

Sometimes, the pictures they use to represent the objective of the articles are artrocious, irrelevant, idiotic. Sexy, glamarous picture for an article about "Understanding Women". Another sexy pic for "Healthy Nutrition". What the f**k.

Below is the link for those two articles which put me off completely.

Times Of India publishers - How the hell do you think it is relevant to this article? It's utter nonsense. Stop using such irrelevant, idiotic pictures for articles.

When the hell these idiots will stop depecting Women as a sex object in advertising? This applies to all dailies, weeklies, monthlies.

Check it out here,
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOINEW&BaseHref=TOICH/2009/04/07&PageLabel=26&EntityId=Ar02601&ViewMode=HTML&GZ=T

Angry,
Vinith

Music Review: Pasanga - James Vasanthan

Our "Kangal Irandal" James Vasanthan is back with his second album "Pasanga". This album is a solid proof that his success in Subramaniapuram music wasn't a fluke. His work in "Pasanga" is genuine.

"Pasanga" has four tracks in total which includes an bit song. So only three full tracks!

The first track that impressed me is "Oru Vetkam Varudhe" sung by Naresh Iyer and Shreya Ghosal. A beautiful melody with breezy lyrics. Not just the beautiful Violin and flute interludes that make this song astounding, the vocal combination of Naresh and Shreya as well. James has struck the right chord in choosing singers for this melody. Next "Kangal Irandal" is ready to rock the small screens.

Composer's idea of choosing Legend Balamurali Krishna sir for the beautiful "Anbaale Azhagagum Veedu" works like a charm. This song features lovely chorus of kids. Use of solo violin in the second interlude is awesome. I couldn't help but excited when I listened to this song. This song is comparable to A R Rahman's "Nee thaan en Desiya Geetham".

Orchestration part in fast paced "Nandhan Goppanda" is good. Sadly this song failed to impress me even after two, three listening. Composer's attempt in Rock genre for the song "Who's that guy" is quite good.

Verdict:
James has managed to churn out a pretty decent album with some fresh music. Laudable efforts indeed. Good job!!

From my heart: Why isn't there a good kids song (like what we got in Anjali) when the movie's theme is about children's lives? That's a minus point.

Reagards,
Vinith...

Tags: Pasanga music review, pasanga songs review, james vasanthan pasanga, James Vasanthan, pasanga movie

REC - A real horror flick

I have no great passion for Horror Movies neither do I have a great aversion for such movies. I’ve seen hardly three or four horror movies (including Yavarum Nalam. Lol) of which “Grudge” impressed me. Last week I heard about a horror movie called “REC” (2007). Decided to watch it and watched it yesterday. Running time is 75 mins.

Believe me, this is THE BEST horror movie that I’ve seen. This movie managed to ruin my sleep last night. Horror scenes kept disturbing me throughout the night. Go watch it.


Filmed using "Shaky Camerawork" is a big plus. You don't get the feel of watching a movie rather you get the feel of watching some horror scenes recorded live.

If you love horror movies, this one is sure a feast. Check it out!

Warning: Please do not watch this move with weak hearted people, children or ladies.

Target: Horror movies, rec movie, rec horror movie, thriller movies, rec 2007.

Regards,
Vinith

Legend Balamurali Krishna on Ilayaraja!

I came across this post in Emjay's Blog. I loved it and I wish to share the same here.

An excerpt from the post:

"No one is the authority in music. But, Illayaraja has been achieving without breaking the grammer of music. He is a great artist who is beyond awards. Honestly speaking,the greatest awards for music across the world should come to Illayaraja now."

"I have understood music across several parts of the world. Have sung in several languages. With that experience, I can say confidently that there is no match to Indian Classical music. And in that form of music, Illayaraja has explored and mastered."

Read more...

Regards,
Vini...

Yavarum Nalam Movie Review

First of all I wish to start this post by saying that it was so great to see Maddy aka Madhavan on big screen after a long time. If at all there is one actor whom I love the most next to Rajni and Kamal, it's Maddy. Yavarum Nalam is definitely a good re-entry for him. He has done his part so well (as usual).

Well, disclosing the story here may be a spoiler. So lemme share my thoughts, what I enjoyed, what I disliked, plusses and minuses of the movie. Yavarum Nalam (13B in Hindi) is a horror movie. In Tamil Film Industry, there is no dearth for Love stories or action scripts or thriller stories or comedy stories. But "Horror" genre has always been rare to see in TFI. So the expectations are high!

What do you think could be the story of a horror movie?
Hero and his family move into a new apartment. Strange things happening in the flat. He starts discovering the mystery and saves his family. Correct? Yavarum Nalam is not an exception in this. It does have the similar plot.

What makes it different?
Things that make this movie different are,

** There is no priest who tells the history of the place (flat).
** No pooja (Homam) is performed to please the ghost and save the family.
** No strange characters to scare the audience... LOL...
** Usually ghost scares the hero and his family in the form of a person or in the form of a voice. But in YN, director Vikram K Kumar has adopted a new technique in this. That's laudable. The ghost in this movie comes through a different medium. That is strikingly different even though we get a question in mind (Can this happen?). However, that is something new that we get to see.
** A perfect blend of humor and horror.
** P.C Shriram's cinematography. Stunning. Forgoing the regular bluish tone, the film's cinematography carries a different tone which is great to see on the screen. The way our Cinematographer shows the lift is awesome. Of course, when there is PC Shriram, we need not worry about the cinematography part.

Performances:
Saranya Ponvannan, as a home maker who is passionate about tele serials, fits the bill. Neetu as maddy's wife. Even though the role doesn't offer much scope, she has done her part well. Maddy's friend, who is a police man, has done justice to his role. The whole theatre LOLed when he asks maddy for updates on the TV Serial. ROTFL. Good job.

Pros:

** Maddy..... Maddy..... Maddy..... Maddy..... Maddy..... Maddy..... He perfectly suits the role of Upper Middle Class man. With subtle expressions on his face in romancing his wife, getting scared when he experiences strange things, in comedy sequences, worrying for his family members, maddy enthralls the audience. That was a treat to watch him.
** Cinematography and editing.
** Screenplay in first half and interesting twits and turns in second half.

Cons:

** Feckless background score. Tubby-Parik has done the BGM. BGM could have been better for this horror movie.
** Second half could have been abridged.
** Loopholes...some are really silly!

Verdict:

Go, watch the movie. You will surely like it. With horror genre movies becoming rare in TFI, this one should not be missed. Don't miss it. Movie is worth watching.

Share your thoughts...

Tags: Yaavarum Nalam review, Yavarum nalam review, yavarum nalam movie review, 13B yavarum nalam review, maddy madhavan, yavarum nalam story.

Regards,
Vini...

Song Review

Well, it's been months since I wrote song reviews. Here is one for you :) :)

Is this a soothing melody? - No
Has this song got beautiful lyrics? - Hmmm. Not really.
Is this song a good duet? - Never.
Has it got good vocals? - Yes.
Has this song got a good orchestration? - Yes. Pretty good.
Is orchestration the only reason I love this song? - Not exactly.
Then what makes me write a review for this song??????? :x

The way the composer fuses an old melody song in this fast paced number. That is not an easy task at all!!! The fast paced number "Sutta Suriyanai" song in Sarvam is the one I'm talking about. Yuvan amazingly fuses "Megam Karukkudhu Mazhai vara paakudhu" song at 2.25 when the song is going on a fast paced note. Well done. This is one main reason I love this song despite its run-of-the-mill tune. Listen to it. You will like it....

Regards,
Vini...

Awards or Insults?

A funny thing that has happened recently in Tamil Nadu is the announcement of “Kalai Mamani” awards for cine artists for their contribution (????) to Tamil Cinema. A decade ago, Kalai Mamani award was observed as one of the most prestigious awards. But now this has turned out to be an insult to some recipients and to the award itself. The award has lost its respect.

Insulting the Award:

Couple of years ago when I read “Kalai Mamani” awards for Surya, Jyothika and few other artists, I couldn’t stop laughing and I pitied the award.

Then last year it was irritating to see Trisha’s name in the award list. (For beach dance?)

This nonsense has gone one step further this year. I feel that it is an insult to “Kalai Mamani Award” that they have included Simbu, Asin, Nayanthara, Vaiyapuri and most interestingly Kanja Karuppu, Jayam Ravi etc in the list.

What have Asin, Nayantara and Kanja Karuppu achieved in Tamil Cinema? Most of them have not even completed 5 years in Filmdom. How the hell are they eligible for this prestigious (?) award? Most of them do not know to speak Tamil properly. Nonsense!!!!

Insulting the recipients:

And the most insulting part is the yesteryear actor, our very own PadmaShri, PadmaBushan “Saroja Devi” has been included in the list along with these kiddos. Lol. I feel it as an insult to Saroja Devi.

Does it take 54 years to accept Saroja Devi as an actor and her contribution to Tamil Films? She has already been felicitated with PadmaShri (1969) four decades ago and Padma Bhushan (1992) one and a half decade ago. Now, this is certainly an insult to her. I don’t know how she feels. But as a fan, I feel that she has been insulted.

"KalaiMamani" Simbu

"KalaiMamani" Kanja Karuppu

"KalaiMamani" Asin

"KalaiMamani" Nayanthara

"KalaiMamani" Saroja Devi....

Sounds great... Isn't it??


Future list:

Don’t be surprised if you see Perarasu, J K Ritheesh in the 2009 Kalai Mamani Awards list. It may happen.

Wake up TN Govt!!!

Tags: Kalaimamani award asin nayanthara simbu, Saroja devi, Kalaimamani Sarojadevi, Kalaimamani awards 2008.


Angry, :x :x :x

Vini…

Double Delight!!!

The nail biting moments in Oscars have ended up very positively..... I was one of the millions of people who were watching Oscar moments live....

India's Oscar Dream has come true!!!

ARR has won two Oscar Awards for both Original Score and Best Song category.... It's not a delight... It is Double Delight!!! Rasool Pookutty has also won Oscar for India!!! It was very thrilling to see ARR on Oscar Stage!! Phenomenal.... Great.... Achivement.... We are proud!!! At last, the question mark here has been replaced by an Oscar!!! Kudos!!!



It was moving to see an Indian on Oscar Stage. It was emotional. It was a magical moment. The moment is one of the best moments for India. It was a great to see ARR with thunderous applause.

Love you Rahman!!! Thank you so much for bringing home The Oscars!!!

Congratulations!!!!!

You are the Indian of this Year!!!!

And the most beautiful moment is that Rahman said few words in Tamil on the Stage. I think this is the first time our very own Tamil reaches Oscar Stage. A R Rahman said,

"எல்லாப் புகழும் இறைவனுக்கே"

This is the dream of every Indian, every Tamilian. This has been fulfilled by our AR Rahman.

Tags: A R Rahman Oscar, ARR Oscar, Indian Oscar dream, India Oscar, AR Rehman OScar, AR Rahman wins oscar, Slumdog Millionaire Oscar Awards, Oscar Awards for ARR, Oscar Awards for Slumdog Millionaire.


Excited...
Vini....

Music Review - Sarvam by Yuvan Shankar Raja

Vishnuvardhan-Yuvan combo has done it once again. Sarvam has come out really well with brilliantly orchestrated fast-paced numbers and melodies. Yuvan's innovation, stylish composition comes to fore once again.

The flute music that comes in regular intervals in "Adada vaa" song is catchy. Yuvan always gives a haunting melody to his Dad. But surprisingly this time, it's IR who has sung this hip-hop kinda song. Works really well Don't miss the flute music!

Yuvan's trademark melody is "Siragugal" sung by Javed Ali and Madhu Sree. If you are ready to compromise on Vocals front, this would surely be a good melody for you. Yes, both male and female voice are pathetic. Pronunciation of the singers sucks. Unbearable. Javed Ali who did a good job in "Chinna sirisu" in KPKP, miserably fails this time. Madhusree, as usual!

However, the best track in the album is "Katrukulle Vasam". A thumping melody with enough innovation in orchestration. Fabulous lyrics by Pa. Vijay. Read the second line in the previous paragraph once again and listen to the melody. A precious melody has been mercilessly killed by composer's vocals.

With grand orchestration and good vocals, "Suttal Suriyanai" is another good number. The way Yuvan uses "Megam Karukkudhu Mazhai vara paakkuddhu" lines is simply beautiful. Great song! I guess, Shankar Mahadevan's voice could be an apt choice for this song.

"Neethane" is another good melody which is again spoiled by Yuvan's vocals. Pa. Vijay's lyrics are beautiful. Give it a listen. You may like it.

Aah... There is a Theme Music. Yuvan never falters when it comes to Theme Music. But this time he does. The theme Music doesn't really stand out rather it reminds you of Billa theme at times. It reminds me of Aanandha Thandavam theme music, in the sense that it starts of well but ends abruptly.

Verdict: Overall, Sarvam is yet another stylish album from Yuvan. Had Yuvan avoided rendering his voice and concentrated more on singer selection, this album would have been the best album in recent times. Album is worth buying. But remember, you have to compromise of vocals!

Trivia: It is said that, some parts of music in "Adada vaa" song has been lifted from an international album. Will check this out and update it!

Share your thoughts.

Regards,
Vini...

Tags: Sarvam music review, Sarvvam music review, Sarwam review, music review of Sarvam, Yuvan Vishnuvardhan.

Another Diamond in ARR's Crown

The success of ARR's score for Slumdog Millaionaire continues. A R Rahman wins BAFTA (The British Academy of Film and Television Arts) for best musical score. Another Diamond in ARR's Crown.

It's known that he has already bagged LAFCA (Los Angles Film Critics Awards) and Golden Globe Award for best Original Score for the movie Slumdog Millionaire. Now, our hero is on his way to bag Oscar Award for Best Original Score. Let's put across our sincere prayers!

Now, that GG on the right and BAFTA on the left of his crown, will Oscar come in the center??? Countdown Starts!!!!


Wish him all the best!!!!

Regards,
Vini...

Naan Kadavul - Movie Review

Discussing the story of Naan Kadavul may become a spoiler. Hence I've decided not to reveal the story here. I'm sharing my opinion on this movie.

First 20 mins was excellent. But movie miserably fails to move on with a good screenplay. There were good scenes too in the first half. Overall the first half was little boring to me. First 5-10 mins in the second of made me regret for the money i spent to watch this movie. No. I was wrong. There comes the turning point, soon after the second half starts. The next 40-50 mins of the movie including the climax is stunning and never seen in Tamil Cinema (or even in Indian Cinema). Bala, as usual excells in characterization. Wonderful attempt Bala :thumbsup:

With scary looks and husky voice Arya has done his best. Except for few mantras and some hindi dialogues, he has nothing to speak/act in the movie. However, he makes his presence felt. Good job man!

Pooja steals the show with her extraordinary performance. Kudos to bala for getting the best out of her. Award nichayam.

Bala’s touch in movies like Pithamagan is not seen much in this movie. But then, there are few scenes which are never seen in cinema. Bala has captured the feel/emotion/lives of those “kai vida pattavargal” (orphans) very beautifully! Words fail to express the impact that it creates in one’s hearts. There are some questions that are asked against god in this movie. Questions may sound valid for atheists.

Music and Camera:
Raja proves that he is god once again in this movie. :clap: :bow: :fall_at_his_feet: His music in second half is terrific. Right from the intro of Arya , where the camera travels from top angle till the climax, the cinematography is outstanding. :clap:

Negative points:
* Why does Bala need 2+ years to make this movie? (108 heroines change pannina aagathaan seiyum :P )
* Playing old songs where few characters imitate MGR, Sivaji, Rajni etc :banghead: Does this kinda sensitive movie require such elements??? :argh: It was boring to see :fatigue:
* Arya comes hardly for 30-45 mins. Bala could have given more importance to Arya's role.
* Only two out of six songs have been included. Injustice to Raaja's composition.


Verdict: A very different cinema that captures the world of “abandoned” which we’ve never seen in tamil cinema. It also brings the business of cunning people behind those orphans to limelight. Barring those few boring scenes, movie is definitely worth watching! Second half elevates the movie. Naan Kadavul - boring at times, stunning at times, funny at times, disturbing at times, scary at times. Overall - worth watching many times.

PS: I strongly recommend you not to watch it with kids or weak hearts.