Kumki Stomps over Thaandavam and Maatran's Audio

Recently, there have been three high profile audio launches in the Tamil Music industry. D.Imman's Kumki with it's Raja'istic vintage feel pitted against GV's Thaandavam and Harris's Maatran!

The good thing was that all these songs could be instantly assessed on the first hearing. Hearable, Good, mindblowing, Familiar, Pathetic.....etc...etc...

First we will run through GVP's Thaandavam.

Being his 25th movie in a short career span, people had a lot of expectations on this album. Personally, i believe it did not rise up to the occasion. May be GV is caught up with his new found Bollywood commitments (Gangs of Wasseypur, Joker! ). The album lacks the magic which Veyyil, Kireedom or Madrasipattinam had....Oru Paadhi Kadhavu,Yaaradi Mohini and Adhikaalai Pookal are all passable. Haricharan, Rahul Nambiar and GVP have sung these songs very well. GV's voice is getting better and better every album. Uyirin Uyire's forte is the vocals section courtesy GV, Saindhavi and Sathyaprakash. But this song gives you most of the satisfaction and lacks in some areas. Nothing to write about 'Will you be there'. must be some cliched requirement for Amy Jackson. SPB croons the "Shiva Thaandavam" . Noisy arrangements and heavy processing.... Personally,did not like it much. But the Veteran's vocal energy reminds of his grandeur and mastery.

On the whole, GV's Thaandavam is decent but fails to get people's feet moving. RATING: 3/5

 

Decent but not inspiring

The second competitor is Harris Jayaraj's Maatran.

K.V. Anand and Harris return after Ayan and Ko, to continue their Tamil cinema partnership. Everyone must have had a greater idea about the perception of HJ's music after the 'Harris Jayaraj for Dummies' which went viral on social media.

Ayan had a 'Vizhi Moodi'. Ko had an 'Ennamo Yaedho'. Maatran IMHO misses that ideal chartbuster.
Rettai Kathirae could have been the case study for the 'Dummies soundcloud', cause it falls into the Krishh template. Nothing worth writing about!

Kaal Mulaitha Poovae makes Javed Ali sound a bit like Udit Narayan. Nice to hear Mahalakshmi Iyer's voice after a long time.

Theeyae Theeyae is in the 'Honey Honey' and 'Aga Naga' genre. But the song is rich in tones and voices. It packs a punch and will be popular on the dancefloors. Tonality and programming are the strengths for this song.


Naani Koni and Yaaro Yaaro were very Ordinary and disappointed me despite being rendered by some of my favorite singers - Karthik, Vijay Prakash and Shreya Goshal.

Verdict: This album is nothing compared to other KVA-Suriya-HJ combos... RATING: 2/5

Tyre "Maatran" Socks "Maatran"...LOL

Kumki made a lot of positive news due to the alliance between Prabhu Solomon and Vikram Prabhu (Prabhu's son). The audio launch was graced by Superstar and Ulaganayagan. D.Imman got the stage for his album and he does not disappoint one bit.

The songs have a very heavy Raja Influence. Some are on the borderline of 'inspirations' but the feel of the songs take us back to the eighties at times.....

Heavy appreciation to all the singers...Ayayayoooo Ananthamey sung by Haricharan is truly mesemerizing.
D.Imman's Onnum puriyala is very pleasing to the ears. The 'Raja' bass lines in the background are superb.

Sollitaley Ava Kaadhalae will be the biggest hit in this album. The arrangements reminded me of Roopkumar Rathod's 'Tuj mein Rab dhiktha hai'... but the tune is very catchy and Shreya Goshal's voice is like divine nectar. Ranjith shows his command over melody (usually known for heavier songs).

My favorite track in this album is Nee Yeppo Pulae sung by our Aaromale Alphons Joseph. After hearing his voice in a progessive rock track, it was refreshing to hear the singer in a folk track. And the octaves and notes reached by him can only be experienced while hearing the track. Semma High! Semma Powerful!

"A Lady and the Violin " is a nice instrumental, but comparisons are inevitably made with the Isai Gnani....

Kumki's audio is nice to hear....Forget the similarity and enjoy the Isai Gnani influence...
This album stomps over Thaandavam and Maatran like a Wild Elephant!

RATING: 4.5 / 5

The Wild Elephant triumphs!

ROCKSTAR - Ranbir's entry to the elite league

A lot of us were really looking forward to watching this movie mainly because of A.R.Rahman's music. The Mozart from Madras had the world taken by storm by providing an album that encompassed music from various genres and feel.

The Question: Did the movie live up to the expectations?
My Answer: Kind of....

POSITIVES!

1. A.R.Rahman's music was already a mass hit...but the background score was stupendous.... Mohit Chauhan's voice was the perfect choice for Jordan (Ranbir Kapoor).... The 'Sher-o-wali Ma' track reminded me of the freshness displayed in the "Iyappa" track from the movie Boys (Tamil). Also, all the songs in the album have been given to perfectly match the on screen situation.Whether it is the freshness in Phir se Ud Chala, Joy in Katiya Karun, Darkness in Aur ho, Desperate Hope in Nadaan Parindey or Anger in Sadda Haq...... A.R.R proves that he is a class above the rest.
2. Ranbir Kapoor definitely!! The Kapoor kid has issued a stamp of authority with his mature portrayal of Jordan....a character that previously goes through many transitions due to the high's and low's of his life..... from a simpleton musician Janardhan Jhakad (JJ). We see 2 very different Ranbir Kapoors in the movie. Also, he carries simple scenes with natural acting rather than supreme overacting displayed by many of his current competitors. He could have screamed a little less at times...but still...on the whole...a performance worthy of a filmfare award.
3. Camerawork and Cinematography was great.....Superb locales and unique shots have become a common criteria for films to focus on, in order to cut competition... but the camerawork for songs like Sadda Haq, Nadaan Parindey and Phir se Ud Chala showed that the entire unit was soaking in the nectar of music composed by Rahman. That translated on to the visuals and the viewers were in for a treat. Most importantly, when Jordan performed on stage, the cinema audience felt that they were a part of his concert. To achieve that amount of realistic connection is commendable.
4. Imtiaz Ali has to be given credit for writing this story and attempting to make a movie like Rockstar. Lets face it...it ain't the run of the mill Bolly masala.....neither does it have a widespread target audience. So if Rockstar manages to recover it's cost and make decent profits, everyone will be pleasantly surprised..... But Imtiaz Ali made this movie for it's true meaning and essence.... kudos for that.

NEGATIVES! (Well i did answer "Kind of...")

1. Nargis Fakhri did have a new look ..... but honestly the audience gets an overdose of her....her character 'Heer' seems to stall the flow of the movie....Though Heer (in the movie) is responsible for the creation of Jordan the Rockstar, character Heer is mainly responsible for compromising the script and screenplay (mainly in the second half). 
2. SECOND HALF RULE!  It is an universal but unsaid law...."IF A BAD MOVIE HAS A GOOD SECOND HALF, THINGS MIGHT WORK, BUT IF A POTENTIALLY GREAT MOVIE HAS A POOR SECOND HALF (Even in relative comparison), THAT AFFECTS THE AUDIENCE ADVERSELY! " The First half of Rockstar is mind blowing....and the 2nd half just does not sustain the same amount of steam.....things move back and forth.....the audience lose the flow..... the main attraction in the second half is the video of Nadaan Parindey....Also, the movie ends in a weird manner that can be left to the audience's perception...
3. Direction, Editing and Screenplay missing a few tricks ...... Ali and gang have attempted a different narrating style and the movie tends to move in both directions. Also, songs are edited in portions....tracks used in different places....this formula works well in the first half , but loses itself in the second....can leave many people in the audience confused and irritated. 

OVERALL VERDICT!

• Rockstar is definitely worth a watch but don't go with too many expectations.
• It could have been great if the second half had more focus and structure.
• I am giving Rockstar 4 on 5 (Actually 3....but 1 point for A.R.Rahman's genius contribution) 
• Ranbir Kapoor is here to stay!

Velayudham: Vijay's redemption after Gilli

DISCLAIMER: By watching Ra.ONE first, i am hoping that my ability to write an unbiased accurate review has not been compromised..... May God be with me!


After such a long time, Ilayathalapathy Vijay gives me a reason to write a movie review..... After Gilli , Velayudham was the only movie that registered similar IMDB ratings of 7.2...

I enjoyed the movie.... and wish to highlight the pros and cons..
THUMBS UP:

1. Interesting start.....Hero introduction very different from previous movies....
2. First half has a great narration style...
3. Throughout the movie, there are some good twists...hence the audience remain guessing and interest is sustained to a great extent...
4. Comedy quotient is high..beats it's Diwali competitors by light years....
5. Hansika scores high points with her expressions and lip sync, while Genelia looks ravishing! Both the heroines form a combo visual treat for the masses.
6. SANTHANAM...that should say it all
7. Vijay has given a good performance....he has excelled in the sentimental scenes with his sister played by Saranya... As usual , dance and action scenes are done easily by him... HIS USUAL OVERACTING AND ON SCREEN GIMMICKS have reduced by a ton...
8. Unlike many of his earlier movies....the story is good....very Shankarish  feel...appeals to the masses...deals with corruption and terrorism...

THUMBS DOWN:

1. Background score is good....songs are ok..but as usual...the timing of these songs seem abrupt and disturb the flow of what would be a proper fast paced movie..... commercial elements do compromise the quality of cinema in our industry.
2. Every Hero needs a worthy Nemesis....that is seriously missing here....
3. Unnecessary usage of ordinary graphics in certain scenes and song sequences....seems to be the trend...
4. Negative points for Director Raja's blatant visual xerox of Assassins  Creed (without even mentioning the reference in the credits)
5. Some scenes that portray crimes against women go past a limit...could have avoided those instances...
6. Negative points for Vijay's sudden attempt in the end to showcase his '6pack' abs (more like a 4pack)....not necessary..it is evident that he has worked on his fitness but this 'Ab' Craze among all heroes in Bollywood and Kollywood is 'ABS'olutely Irritating....

OVERALL VERDICT:

A good entertainer...paisa vasool for the entire family.... miles ahead of Vijay's usual movies...

Velayudham gets the mix right for a Diwali release....

Definitely worth a watch..

RATING: 4 / 5

DIWALI RELEASE VERDICT:

Watch 7am Arivu for script, content and Shruti Hassan  ;)

Watch Velayudham for maximum entertainment and paisa vasool

Watch Ra.One if you are a techno geek and have excess money to blow.

Ra.ONE's Ten Commandments!

1. If you use an 'Ayyo' in every sentence and have a self portrait of yourself in a white dhoti, you are classified as a 'filter kaapi' South Indian.
2. 2 minute noodles can be consumed by a South Indian using his hands and curd in less than a minute.
3. Multi million Game Giants can exist in London....conversing only in Hindi and having Hindi clientele base.
4. In order to be a teacher in London, you are supposed to have your very own striptease video posted in the net for your students to obtain maximum 'gyan'.
5. If Indians see a Chinese origin guy, they will assume he is Bruce Lee.
6. Women don't care about losing their husbands as long as an improved version crosses the cyberworld and joins them in day2day life...
7. You can bury the dead Hindu in a casket and still take an urn of ashes to dispose off in Ganga....Now that's sentiment!
8. Wolkswagen vehicles can safely transport your wife and kid through a bus at 100 miles an hour without causing any personal injury. Also it can spin endlessly...till the hero and heroine have made their respective introductions.
9. Apart from three laws of Isaac Asimov that govern every Robot.... an Indian robot must be able to love, dance, sing and demonstrate 'Power Yoga'.
10. No amount of murder, action and mayhem will alert the police in any country. Your cyber baddie and goodie will run around causing widespread chaos till both their batteries drain out or when the game ends.

Still... a great movie ...worth watching once in a theater for entertainment purposes!

RA.ONE : MOVIE REVIEW (No Spoilers)

I am confused on what to write ...so i collected my thoughts and decided to give a crisp review analyzing the pros and cons of SRK's highly ambitious project.

In a nutshell...Ra.One .... Definitely a mixed bag .... but thats not what people want to read....so here goes....

Positives:

1. Great VFX and Sound effects
2. The Train Action scene is brilliantly taken..... (though slightly inspired)
3. ARJUN RAMPAL IS ONE MENACING VILLAIN!
4. Great to see SuperStar Rajinikanth's cameo on screen...
5. SRK and team have taken great effort in giving us a film that matches up to international standards with respect to the technical department

Negatives:

1. Poor music ....ordinary background score.....Chammak Chalo is the only tolerable piece!
2. The Direction and Screenplay is not tight ..... movie is already inspired by many sources...tends to lose focus....
3. SRK as a South indian might not even convince rest of india...forget about Tamil Nadu!
4. Rajini's cameo....boon and a bane...Rajini fans will be depressed to see the Superstar portrayed in such a manner..the graphics for the entire movie was brilliant...why screw up this potentially epic scene...i don't know if there was any offense intended...the idea was good...but execution...pathetic...
5. Movie is weak in the humor dept...and target audience is not as broad as expected.

OVERALL VERDICT:
Ra.One promised a lot....delivered in a few areas...failed in certain....Kudos to the entire team for the hard effort...worth watching once in a theatre...

Ra.One is like a tasty Dosa served with poor chutney and sambhar..... Satisfaction...Almost!


RATING: 3/5

PS: DON-2 Trailer is awesome....i am sure that is gonna make for Ra.ONE's mistakes...though i detect a serious Prison Break Influence! :)

RockStar Music Review: ARR Achieves Musical Excellence

Note: a collection of my live facebook reviews for the entire album assimilated into a single write up for the reader's convenience. :)


Rockstar .... Imtiaz Ali and Ranbir Kapoor's magnum opus, has been one of the most awaited albums of the year....mainly because it marks the return of A.R.Rahman to the indian music industry after a pretty long hiatus. And Boy!!!! Has the maestro delivered or what!!! Tremendous....14 songs...each one brilliant in it's own right.

Phir se Ud Chala.....magical sound....Mohit Chauhan is unbelievable.....when bass, harmonies and rhythms kick in after 90 seconds....song is outta the world!

Jo Bhi main.....loved the promo!! and Love the song even more...yet another leaf taken from Pink Floyd's book...Rahman has decided to bring progressive rock to Indian industry! Superb feel......awesome bass by Keith Peters!!

A.R.R's mastery over indian folk music continues with 'Katiya Karun'.....has a Kabhi Neem Neem touch initially but then westernizes due to impressive arrangements....rustic vocals.....will be a rage in the north!

Kun Faaya Ku....let's see....a sufi song ....qawwali with A.R.Rahman and Javed Ali...already a divine combination...love the way the initial chords are played on the harmonium! :) FTW!!!

Sheher Mein - a simple song...but great concept....shows the way a band develops a song and evolves it's structure...... Karthik and Mohit Chauhan's vocals compliment each other very well...i am sure the video will be very interesting! :) after 2 minutes....when the guitars and strings join in....then the song improves dramatically! :) then a mystic qawwali interlude....people will love this on multiple hearings!

Haawa Haawa is ARR's genius work exploring world music...fusing elements from Turkey, Israel and Spain....with ARR's trademark strings and melodian ..A masterpiece/..... this is for the elite music savvy audience...second guitar interlude is fantastic.....Great number!

Aur Ho - A.R.Rahman has used the feel he generated in the bgm of 127 hours to create this song....great arabian touch to all the western arrangements! Sung brilliantly by Mohit Chauhan once again.....great anger and melancholy in the lyrics and tune.....

Nadaan Parindey.....a great start....awesome drummings! THen ARR's voice kicks in! :) superb bass....live drums is always a treat to hear it....A dream for me ...always wanted ARR to sing a Rock song!!! Mohit Chauhan starts of tangentially with beautiful chords on the guitar...the guitars and drums sound phenomenal..superb sounding....then a scale shift... great to hear...and now a Guitar Solo! :) a complete musical package.....one of my favorites in this album!

Tum Ko - its been a while since we heard Kavita Subramaniam sing! when the chords and tabla kick in, that's when ARR's touch comes in....song is very much in the ARR feel of Puthiya mugam, Roja and Anjali...KS's vocal tone is superb ....ARR brings out the best in her....this is so far the best track melody wise .... Amazing Strings.... main forte....

SADDA HAQ!! great singing by Mohit Chauhan....superb guitaring...nice rockish organ tones used for providing chords.....amazing harmonies to boost the 'Sadda Haq' 's feel! This song scores the highest in terms mass appeal..Will be the cover of this album for sure! guitar solo in the first interlude is outta the world....great support by piano and pads....some awesome jazz and blues chords inserted in certain portions...might be difficult to detect..but the presence is definitely felt....the end is a resonating example of musical grandeur by the Mozart of Madras!

Tum Ho - the love melody that we can generally associate Mohit Chauhan's voice with...naturally he has done complete justice to it...Suzzane's voice is very soothing in the background....great chords and bass..... This track will be a sure hit.....it is 'THE LOVE SONG' of this versatile album.....tune is got an unique flow to it....

Tango for Taj ..... mesmerizing instrumental music by A.R.Rahman.....the bass guitar and strings support the accordions and piano in such a manner that we tend to forget the world and begin our own tango......superb music!! FTW ARR!!!

The Dichotomy of Fame - uniqueness to the core.....no body can use the shehnai in this fashion...western fusion.....taking the melancholy out of a shehnai is a tremendous achievement and A.R.Rahman makes it look very easy!...after a minute, there is some superb guitaring as well.....and the chords....OMG! :) ARR you are in ur elements for sure....suddenly when the bass kicks in...the feel becomes more darker....superb transition...Love this piece of work

The Meeting Place.......celestial start....chords have a heavenly feel...and he has used the tone of signal disturbance as a music tone ...the Genius!!! OMG!


CONCLUSION:
Rajinikanth is the SUPERSTAR of movies...
Rockstar is the SUPERSTAR of Bollywood music ....
A.R.Rahman is the SUPERSTAR of music....
When a person can give you a music album that has 11 songs and 3 instrumentals...each one ...exemplifying musical excellence...with genres transcending from sufi to Rock to Pop to Turkish and Spanish music ... a kaleidoscope of international music... What is left to review!!
Rockstar is A.R.Rahman's most perfect work in Bollywood till date....
Time for another filmfare and National Award! Jai ho!

RATING: 10/10....Two thumbs up.....must buy for this season!

RAAVAN/raavanan...- 10 headed dude!!!

Well there is a good reason for writing the tamil version's name in small alphabets...and i shall elucidate on that aspect later. Usually I write reviews for all ARR albums within a week of their release but this album became an exception. There was a considerable delay in the release of the Tamil version and being a Tamilian myself , I wanted to hear both versions before writing a review.

Well, undoubtedly, Raavan (hindi version) outclasses Raavanan (tamil version) with respect to almost all the songs. The main culprit for this seems to be Mr.Vairamuthu.... i can't exactly say that he has written sub standard stuff, but they dont fit the meter of almost all the songs and can sound really awkward at times. Kaatu Sirukki, Kodu Poatta and Veera sound obnoxious , while Usurey Pogadhe, Kalvare and Kedakkari seem to be the saving grace of Raavanan....

But the real reason for this is the music. ARR has given music that is regionally close with respect to Laal Maati (the small northern town in India), which is probably what the script demands. Naturally hindi lyrics seem to fit the tunes more aptly!!

Anyways, my reviews usually focus more on the music.....so lets get down to business...the million dollar question..."has A.R.Rahman lived up to the expectations ?" and the answer is 'not really'....The Rahman-Mani combination has churned out Roja,Bombay,Iruvar, Dil se, Kannathil Muthammital, Aayuthey ezhathu/Yuva and Guru so far...this definitely established a HUGE standard for Raavan.... but Raavan's music seemed to be at times too experimental and hurried.

There is an age old saying about ARR songs...."let them grow onto you"....but this was one ARR album that had to be heard more than 10 times to get the hang of the music....My guess is that the music is completely situational and what the script demands. So i am pretty sure that once the movie releases on June 18th, the music will percolate to all sections of the audience.

Lets look at the songs in detail.

1.Beera/Veera:

This song is supposed to be the theme for Beera/Veera and portray the 10 sides of his character and to some extent it succeeds. Very different!!! ARR has used lot of African instruments in this song and there is some random gibberish in African courtesy Mustafa Kutoane ....The intro part of this song is very catchy, but the track length is too short and doesn't allow the song to sink in too much.....like a small interesting commercial.... Vijay Prakash didn't have much to do in singing this song......catchy...highly experimental and innovative...but damn short....

RATING: 8/10

2.Behne de/Usure pogadhey:

Easily the Best song in this album BY FAR!!! ARR retains his true touch in this track.....and Karthik sounds mind blowing .....both, the tamil and the hindi version are equally appealing....the start of this song has some great orchestration....vibraphones and strings ...very pleasing to the ear....but one can't deny the similarity in feel when you compare this song to 'Satrangi re' from Dil se.... but the tune is original and an absolute chart topper....No surprises at all!!.....My pick of this album...

RATING:10/10

3.Kata Kata/Kedakkari:

This track tries to recreate the magic of 'Rukmani Rukmani' and is based on the last night of bachelorhood for the groom.....but the song is not too great...the picturization of this track is supposedly great and due to the situational aspect of the tune, it will be a lot more appreciated along with the movie....the percussions and tempo shift are impressive....nothing much about the tune....the tamil version sounds a lot better due to better lyrics.

RATING: 7/10

4)Khilli re/Kalvare:

Nice melody...:)....Both, Reena Bharadwaj and Shreya Goshal have done complete justice to this track with respect to vocals.... I love the simplicity of this track....beautiful interlude involving tabla, Sitar and Flute......brilliant usage of synth keys in the background in the second stanza...gives a nice feel...

RATING:9/10

5)Ranjha Ranjha/Kaatu Sirriki:

First of all, beware of tamil version...even Shankar Mahadevan cannot save the track from sounding hideously awful. Ranjha Ranjha is a typical commercial sensual song and ARR has given very little of his flavor to this song.... It is becoming a major hit but musically an ordinary song...the sequencing and rhythm programming is however quite impressive... Anuradha Sriram's backing vocals gives a mystical feel, while Rekha Bharadwaj is once again winning hearts in bollywood after Genda Phool...Javed Ali's voice is more suited to melodies such as jashan bahaara and maula maula (delhi 6)......The Song is not too bad.....but not an ARR speciality for sure!!!

RATING:6.5/10

6)Thok de Killi/Kodu Poatta:

The ARR-Sukhwinder combo for this album.....the song is catchy but cannot be compared to Chaiyya Chaiyya or Ramta Jogi..Benny's rendition of this number in tamil is not as impressive and that is mainly due to ordinary lyrics.....the strings interlude is awesome but sounds a bit like the Rangeela and ATM theme!!!the first interlude is however superb with fantastic usage of the shehnai....a great song... but again not one of his best!!!

RATING:7.5/10

7) Ud jaa re(not in album):

EASILY THE BEST SONG (probably better than behne de) but ARR cheekily developed this a day before the launch and managed to release it on stage.....even to Mani Rathnam's surprise....superb composition....ARR's voice lends the additional flavor to this track and is an absolute treat for the listener. There is a good chance this track may not be on the album, but it will send the audience into a trance once it is viewed on the big screen after June 18th....cant wait for Ud jaa re....

RATING:10/10

for those who havent heard this track, here's the link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9-LD4UBWSw

My Overall Verdict:

Raavan probably needed 10 heads to work on it in order to make the music and lyrics as impressive any of the previous ARR-Mani combo's......ARR seemed to have hurried this project a bit...and the mixing and sounding in some songs is not up to the usual standard.... thats the problem when you become too famous ;) huge expectations? and high standards!!....

While people are still addicted to ARR's Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya......VTV had further raised people's hopes about Raavan'smusic...

Though Raavan has flashes of A.R.Rahman's brilliance in many areas.....it leaves us with a feeling that something's missing!!

10 headed Raavan gets a 8/10 rating overall......Worth buying the album ....have no expectations!

On a lighter note...imagine if someone gifted Raavan with an ipod...I wonder in which head will he place his earphones!!! :) until the next review....this is rahmaniac signing off!

cheers!

Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya.....a musical treat by the maestro for all !!!

Jai Ho!!! 2009 was the year for all Rahmaniacs to celebrate!! ARR made sure that India's Oscar dream was fulfilled! 2010 has begun in grand fashion as well. By the end of January, we would know whether ARR wins a Grammy or not...(fingers crossed). Couple's Retreat has made waves with 'Nana' being one of the nominations for the next Oscars. But nothing has made me rejoice more than the release of Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya (VTV)'s music.

There was a lot of hype for this project before anything began. ARR stepped in after Gautham Menon and Harris Jayaraj had a fall out. ARR himself humbly said in a press conference that he was nervous in breaking the HJ-Gautham Menon combination. But the Mozart of Asia has given us such a stunning album. ARR's class adds a new dimension to this Gautham Movie. The magic of ARR has created a frenzy amongst the masses and the anticipation for this movie is high. The promotional song videos are getting awesome reviews (even Simbu looks decent!! effect of good music and direction for sure !!Trisha is absolutely sizzling!!).

The audio launch was done in a befitting manner and the songs have made waves all over.The songs of this album have that old ARR magic. ARR has mixed the songs for VTV and there is a considerable improvement in the quality of output. I have been listening to them for a while and this is my review...

1.Omana Penne:

A Spectacular song! Benny has sung the song extremely well. Rahman has shown his class with voice modulation softwares such as Melodyne. Apart from a really catchy tune and a fantastic Malayalam bit sung by Kalyani Menon , the main notable part of this song is the semi processed tone of the Naadhaswaram. Absolute treat for the ears. Chart topper!

RATING: 10/10

2.Anbil Avan:

In short a happy marriage song with a great feel and great rhythm arrangements. The song starts of with a techno feel and ARR fuses thavil and mridangam with the beats altering the mood of the song in no time. Suddenly from nowhere, ARR incorporates Gospel music into the song and manages to fuse a Christian and Hindu wedding into a well packaged song. Devan has done a decent job but Chinmayi's voice is like nectar. Not ARR's best but a very good track!

RATING:7.5/10

3.Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya:

This song may not go well with the masses but every musician will love this composition. Brilliant vocals courtesy Karthik. Excellent guitars and fantastic chords with a touch of Jazz and Blues. The rhythm has a interesting pattern. This song will be superb on screen as a part of the movie. I am sure Gautham Menon would have given an apt video for this track.

RATING:10/10

4)Hosanna:

This is the other song of VTV that will be a mass hit. Vijay Prakash and Blaaze have given their best and Suzzane's humming is sheer melody to the ears. There are some fantastic flute bits in this track and the tune is very catchy. I love the way hiphop and rap has been fused along with the melodic pop in this song. Again,personally I will not say this is ARR's best but this track will be on everyone's lips for a while.

RATING:8/10

5)Kannukul kannai:

This is the only average song of the album. I think ARR has probably spent 10 minutes on this track and used his software loops to churn out a fast paced number. This song sounds more like a Harris Jayaraj output.This is probably been done to showcase the quality difference between what ARR and his counterpart have to offer to Gautham's movies :P .Naresh Iyer has given the song everyting but nothing much to write about. Still, some people like the track.

RATING:5/10

6)Mannipaaya:

In my opinion , the best track in this album. Shreya Goshal's voice is like the Elixir of Life. ARR lends his magical voice to this stunning duet. Very complex composition! There are some fantastic scale shifts. The chord, harmonies, rhythms and the Piano bits are all blissful to hear. This song has all the Rahmanish elements to it and will be one of my ARR all time favourites.

RATING:10/10

7)Aaromale:

WOW!!! ARR uses Alphons Joseph ( a talented Malayali musician) in a superb manner. Powerful Vocals, fantastic Guitars and brilliant arrangements. This song is entirely in Malayalam. I love the harmony in between. There is a continual usage of distorted violin in the background. A brave effort for an Indian music director. This song is not for the masses but for the real musicians. For the first time in Indian music industry, we get to hear a song in the Pink Floyd Genre of Progressive Rock!!!... sure to make a big impact as a part of the bgm during the movie!!! Love this piece of work!

RATING:10/10

Overall Verdict:

After Alaipayuthey and Sillinu oru Kaadhal, A.R.Rahman comes out with a scintillating romantic album. A masterstroke by the maestro with a touch of his genius. This album should be bought and cherished forever!!

Movie Review: Luck By Chance!!

Well ever since Farhan Akhtar(FA) gave us Dil Chahta Hai, he has definitely established himself a supremely talented director.....With the inspiring Lakhsya (where FA successfully got Hrithik Roshan to act decently for the first time)....and the Modern and cogent remake of the Big B'ssuperhit DON starring SRK.....FA started becoming the most accliamed youth director....But he pulled a rabbit out of the hat in ROCK ON!!! His measured performance, the boy next door looks and a well toned body transformed Farhan overnight into a new acting sensation.

Whatever formula Javed Akthar and Shabana Azmi used , theri kids have turned out just fine....Zoya Akhtar (ZA) has entered the bollywood scenario with her first movie 'Luck By Chance' encashing on the sudden craze everyone has on her brother. Well Hats off to ZA and FA....they have managed to present a wonderful movie that so beautifully depicts the entire spectrum of Hindi Cinema....Every angle, whether it is the Struggling unsuccesfull actress (Konkona Sen), the sudden sensation in acting ( Farhan Akhtar), the current Superstar (hrithik), yesteryears Great producer (rishi Kapoor), the Diva from the 70's (Dimple Kapadia), the cynosure of everyone's eyes, junior Diva (Isha Shravani), the over ambitious, supoosedly modern director (Sanjay Kapoor) and even the proud showy producer's wife (juhi chawla)...i could just go on....but the underlying fact is that all these angles have been depicted with perfection....highly realistic but not as depressing as a Madhur Bhandarkar reality take like Fashion!!!

The story is somethin like this.....Sona ( Konkona Sen) is given promises of big movie projects by Chaudry (ally Khan) and she decides to do small roles till then...however Chaudry doesnt keep up his end of the deal.....Sona feels utterly dejected as she has given everything yet has struggled to get a breakthrough.

Vikram Jai Singh (Farhan Akhtar) is another aspiring actor who lives in the same buliding as Sona with his other actor friends....One in the movie industry and one in theatre...the 3 friends have lots of issues amongst themselves that have not been addressed!!! Vikram and Sona start to like each other and Sona manages to reach his photos to Chaudry.....

While all this happening on one end, parallely Romy Rolly (rishi kapoor) the legendary Bollywood producer is making his comeback with a big movie project directed by Ranjit Rolly (sanjay Kapoor) ....a director heavily inspired by Blatant Commercial and mindless cinema....The movie's hero is Zafar Khan (hrithik Roshan) who is actually a Romy rolly find!!! The Heroine is the 70's diva Nenna Wallia's (dimple Kapadia) daughter Nikki Wallia (Isha Shravani).....While Minty Rolly (juhi Chawla) and Romy Rolly are busy with movie....Zafar decides to opt out for his own reasons......things look bad for Romy, thats when Vikram's photos reach him and suddenly a hero is cast in this big movie.

The remaining story of the movie is the rift between Sona and vikram, the relationship between Vikram and Nikki,the press and photo shoots and the fact that Vikram has to manage his stardom and stay level headed!!!.....

The movie moves at a decent pace throughout and is boosted by some great screen play and performances.....Farhan has proved himself to be one of the best actors bollywood has seen in the recent times....Konkona is gr8 as always.....Sanjay Kapoor impresses everybody....Its nice to see Rishi Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia on screen together once again...They have played their roles to perfection!!...Isha Shravani is cute and adorable as nikki wallia and has done justice to her role.All the cameos and special appearances have been perfectly sketched out and casted....Aamir Khan,Hrithik Roshan, Akshay Khanna, Vivek Oberoi and even SRK 'king khan' have added a lot od spice and substance to Zoya Akhtar's Recipe for Luck by chance..

The Background Score is pretty decent.....Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy have given a decent mix of songs as well....most of them are good to hear but dont have a gr8 recall value.....Sapnon se Bhare Nainaan and Pyaar ki dastaan are the 2 best tracks in this album...The intro song 'Yeh Zindagi' is brilliant in pieces but has some ordinary percussion arrangements.....the picturization however is wonderful....Its like a Bollywood version of Kuselan's "Cinema Cinema"....

Overall Zoya Akhtar has proved that she is as talented as Farhan if not better when it comes to film making and has given us a refereshing and realistic foray into the Glamourous wolrd of Bollywood. The Ending is different but extremely practical and realistic.....On the whole,Luck By Chance is a polished and well made movie....Definitely worth a watch!!!! RATING:8.8/10

The Dark Knight

If you have seen the ad of Fosters Lager Beer then you will understand exactly what I mean by "Heath Ledger: Australian for Villainy"

In a strange way this one line probably sums up the film itself as you need no other reason to watch this film.

It is a mind boggling performance by him as "The Joker" and although our hero Bruce Wayne/Batman (Christian Bale) is damn good in all aspects, the villain simply steals almost the entire film from the hero.

It is a sad fact that Ledger got so much into the skin of the psycho character that he needed anti depressants an overdose of which (coupled with sleeping pills) ended up taking his life before the movie's release.But when you see the movie you will realize that Ledger died long time ago,it was Joker who left recently.....This is the extent to which Ledger has Immortalized the character of the Joker.

The best part of the movie is that there is no blood shed or gory violence that is relied upon by the villain to send several chills down your spine.

The technical brilliance of this movie is also the next best reason to watch it and also since this is the first in an action genre to be shot in an IMAX camera and hence watching it in an IMAX screen is sure to blow you away from your seats.....

The Supporting perfromances of Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman and Michael Caine add tremendous value to the movie.Maggie Gyllenhaal was however the weakest link....but then no movie can be perfect [;D].

The climax has a nice twist and a superb link to the title of Dark Knight by way of the sacrifice Batman makes to sullify his name to protect that of the District Attorney Harvey Dent(who for most part of the story plays the white knight and the future hope of justice for the city of Gotham and in the end becomes the villainous Two Face brainwashed by The Joker played by Aaron Eckhart)....

Ironically , in a freak turn of events, the White Knight is the only character in the entire movie killed by Batman whose sense of justice is so high that it prevails upon his most furious moments to make him stop a whisker short of killing The Joker for all his inculpable acts.

The concept of villainy is very different as the Psycho's only aim is to keep Batman constantly challenged without any fiscal or political gains.

I typically shy away from English films as I personally find it difficult to follow and enjoy as much as I am able to with our simple film formats :-) but this film was different and a very exciting roller coaster experience.

Sakkarakatti audio review!!!! Cho Chweet!!!!

Well SK (Sakkarakatti) was one of the awaited movies of 2008 because ARR marks his return to Kollywood after Sivaji in June 2007.....Many people were surprised with the fact that ARR agreed to score music for this film considering the fact that it isnt a big scale production....but reports say that ARR was blown away by the script.....Well we can only wait and see for the movie's analysis but the songs have made a major impression already....

The director had asked ARR to re record 5 of his Hindi compositions in tamil due to his busy schedule, but the maestro has given 4 fresh tracks and the other 2 are improved versions of his hindi tracks from the movie Meenaxi.....I'll start my review with those two songs...

1)Chinnamma.....
Well this song was one of my favourites in hindi and it sounds even better in tamil......the vocals are the main forte.....Benny and Chinmayee impress everyone with their vocal versatility.....Very catchy chorus with brilliant beats and an appropriate bass track......this song leaves most listeners spell bound.... RATING:9.1/10

2)Naan Epodhu.....
I personally feel that the lyrics suit the hindi version better though Reena Bharadwaj has sung this version as well in the same beautiful manner.....But all those who have not listened to "Yeh Rishta' will love this track....Gr8 melody.....the natural instruments and the percussions add splendid feel to the song...... RATING:9.0/10

3)I Miss you da.....
Very commercial track i guess based on the needs of the movie......very unique and different...most people dont like this song because their unable to understand the melody....but special mention to Chinmayee...never knew she could sing in such a sexy voice.....This is one of those ARR tracks that will grow onto you.....and the song's value will be enhanced by the video hopefully.....I wont consider this song as a Rahman Masterpiece but brilliant experimentation... RATING:7.8/10


4) Maarudhaani.....
The song start has a very electronic and commercial feel like any Yuvan or HJ song but when Madhushree starts singing the song, u will realise the beauty of this tune's melody......Her voice is like the nectar of life...damn sweet....the chorus has got a gr8 feel.....AN ABSOLUTELY MIND BLOWING PIANO INTERLUDE by ARR....dont miss it....one of his longest pieces in cinema i guess.....Then he hums a mesmerizing bit at the end of both the auxiliary stanza's..incidentally ARR has sung only this little bit in the entire music album.....the only drawback of this track is the monotonous electronic beats throughout but nonetheless a great song.....
RATING:8.5/10

5)Elay....
My favourite track in this album.....another feather in ARR's Roobaroo genre cap.....excellent Strumming......brilliant Bass track.....mind blowing vocals and harmonies....and a blend of violin pieces inspired by track 'Toss the feathers' by The Corrs......not to forget trademark ARR's tune,feel and chord shifts......Adding all we get an amazing song......Very catchy and high recall value......Naresh Iyer is gr8 as usual but Rahman proves that with his expertise even an average over-hyped singer like Krishh can sound decent in an audio track....Great work ARR...
RATING:9.4/10

6)Taxi Taxi....
Every ARR album has one track that become an instant super hit as soon as it hits the market.....Thats Taxi for you....Rahman uses the simple hip hop Gasolina beat and fuses Blaaze's trendy punjabi inspired rap and his own genre of music.....what we hear is an amazing track....brilliant vocals ....though there are many people singing this track....Blaaze rocks....The first interlude is really wonderful to hear....the Girl muttering stuff in a foreign language plays a perfect foil to the track....The lyrics of this song are really youthful and Urbane...the mama mama but sounds like an improved Crazy Frog [;)]......this song will rock every audio system t=in town for a while...theres no doubt....Just get onto ARR's taxi.....
RATING:9.5/10

Overall Verdict:

• Once again ARR comes up with a great album
• Taxi and Elay are the highlights
• Definitely worth a buy
• RATING:9.0/10
  

Kuselan Audio review

Well its been nearly a week since the songs of the much anticipated Kuselan had arrived.....
The music of Superstar Rajnikanth's every film plays a very crucial role in determining the extent of success.......Usually Rajni's films have seasoned music directors who can handle the biggest stage a movie can offer in India.....so i must say that the rather inexperienced,young but talented G.V Prakash does a very decent job. He seems to show sudden similarity in terms of quality like his uncle ARR but only in certain small sections.....on the right track but a long way to go........ needs to improve his consistency.....

1) Cinema Cinema
Not the usual intro song for Rajni....no folkish element.....but interesting chorus pattern and this track will kinda grow on you......sounds a bit like balleillakka in certain portions......the trumpet piece sounds a bit like the Batman theme.......Shankar Mahadevan has sung this track with enormous speed,clarity and enthusiasm.....decent song but might work wonders based on the video featuring Superstar..... RATING:6.5/10

2) Chaara
My favorite track......in fact one of the best songs of GVP till date........very very catchy....the initial arrangements involving the sound of rain, with drop-like notes and the digital frog croaking seems to be very fresh......Shreya Goshal wat can i say......she seems to be improving with every song she sings...her tamil pronunciation has become almost perfect.....The Bass track of this song is fabulous......The orchestra string and Flute interlude are superb.....The tune is gr8 as well......GVP makes use of the children choir excellently just like ARR!!
....... RATING:9/10

3) Om Zaarare
This track had a lot of hype because Daler Mehndi was involved in it......The intro of the song is nice and it has a catchy chorus but i felt that that song was too long......plus there was no need to have Chitra sing this track as well..... the masses will like this song a lot.....i'm waiting for this track's video which promises to be a visual treat filled with grandeur and pomp...The lyrics of this song would make a big impression on all hard core Rajni fans....Kudos to Daler who gives extreme power to the vocals of this track..... RATING:6.5/10

4)Sollamma
A very soothing melody filled with Hariharan's honey-like voice.....based on the musical arrangements it seems to be a village based track probably filmed on Pasupathi and co......
Nothin much to write about this track.........a good song but dont know how much recall value it possesses....It's definitely not a chartbuster..Worth listening though.. RATING:7.8/10

5)Perinba
The most disappointing track for me in this album.......though the lyrics and tune of this track are really nice, GVP has committed a blunder by using the SAME BEATS as in Veiyil (Veiyillodu Vilaiyaadi) with Kailash Kher once again on the vocals....So both the songs sound agonizingly similar.......If GVP tried to be original with this track then i would call it a wasted effort!!
...RATING:3.5/10

OVERALL VERDICT:

• An average album but decent effort by GVP
  
• worthwile expense if you are a hardcore Rajni fan
  
• RATING: 6.8/10
  

Sarkar Raj-the Raj of the Bachchans

Well this movie was one of the most anticipated movies in bollywood for this year for many reasons.

• The Cast consists of all the Bachchans (except for Jaya Bacchan whom RGV couldnt fit in with an appropriate mafia role)
• After the agony and widespread damage caused by Ram Gopal Varrma's AAG (stomach Eruchal in Tamil' ,people wanted to see whether RGV and the Big B can resurrect themselves.
• plus this movie was a sequel to 2005's Sarkar which was RGV's tribute to 'The Godfather'

To make sequels in Bollywood has always been a very tricky issue as the comparisons are too critical in nature with the first part.Lage Raho Munnabhai was probably the first major Hindi movie which became a major success when compared to its prequel...

If any of you guys thought that Sarkar Raj was based on another one of the Godfather series, well then u r grossly mistaken! Writers Prashant Pandey and Ram Gopal Varma have come up with a fresh,new and brilliant plot to assure the audience of 125 entertaining minutes....

I dont believe in blogging movie spoilers, so i'll be as vague as possible....cause this movie is a must see!!

The movie mainly revolves around three characters ( The Bachchan Arena) Subash Nagre (Big B), Shankar Nagre (Abishek) and Anita Rajan (Aishwarya Rai)...Subash has full faith in his son Shankar though he finds it difficult to deal with the fact that its Shankar who is the actual 'Sarkar'...Shankar wants what is best for Maharashtra and Anita Rajan steps in from London as a CEO of Sheperd group...her aim is to make India's largest power plant. Anita realises Maharashtra as a potential site.Even though Subhas is against the proposition, Shankar strongly believes it is for the state's betterment and he decides to support Anita and her project no matter what stands in their way...

When so many crores of rupees are at stake, the plant project becomes a battleground for dirty politics, deceit and corruption.I do not wish to disclose any more facts of the movie !!u should see it.....The villains are convincing and the supporting cast has small roles with clearly defined characters....The 3 Bachchans have given subtle yet strong performances and it is difficult to see who is the real Sarkar amongst them....

The Dialogues of the movie are powerful and crisp and act as the real Forte of the movie...The background score is impressive though the 'Govinda Govinda' chantings do tend to get annoyingly over used!!

RGV gets full marks for his direction...the editing is perfect as well.....even though there are no song and dance sequences the movie doesn't bore you one bit...

The movie is self explanatory and one need not have seen Sarkar to follow Sarkar Raj...thats another plus point...

The action scenes are spectacular and more importantly 'Very Realistic'!!! RGV clearly demonstrates that the Bullet penetrates both-the Hero and the Villain.

The first half is kinda slow but RGV constructs a proper platform to carry the movie further with ease...the second half is totally gripping and moves at a fairly quick pace...No matter what happens don't miss the 2nd half...especially the part where the suspense of the entire plot will be revealed by Subhas Nagre....thats an amazing scene that will take all by surprise!!

Overall, a brilliant movie which i totally enjoyed !!!

VERDICT:
Sarkar Raj - will extinguish the agony caused by RGV's AAG!!! A must see!!!
RATING: 9.8/10

Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na....a review of the genius's work

Its quite amazing how ARR manages to release two albums simultaneously.....both superhits but completely different.....If Ada was a musical journey, then JTYJN is a shower of youthful music.....The songs will be a craze amongst the youth, just like rang de Basanti!!!!
Here's wat i think about the songs....

1.Kabhi Kabhi Aditi Zindagi:
This is a beautiful song....even though the first line's tune is similar to Ada da ada da from bommarillu....(weird coincidence that Genelia's there in both) .....but then this track is nothin more than an indirect inspiration cause the tune , musical arrangements, guitar usage and flute give an unique feel...Rashid Ali has sung this song brilliantly.....The ending is beautiful!!!!!
One of Rahman's best tracks in this album!!! but he could have changed the first line's tune to make it perfect.....(but then wats the fuss...its hardly anything..every other music director like Harris,himesh,yuvan etc....are having a gala time doing serious xeroxing!!!!maybe its just that we are used to some amount of perfection from Rahman!!But nonetheless gr8 song...)
RATING: 9.0/10

2.Pappu cant dance:
An unique song which only Rahman could have given......really catchy tune........superb beats.....amazing background music......an army of good singers involved in this song.....the 'thirikidara thirikidara' sounds cool!!!! This sing will become a major hit amongst youth ...no doubt in that!!!!cute lyrics!!!There is a minor resemblance in percussion arrangements to a song Kama Kama from Ennakku 20 unnakku 18....Blaaze adds some extra spice to this track...the remixed version is even better and will be rocking discotheques for a long time.... RATING: 9.2/10

3.Jaane tu meri Kya hai:
There are two versions of this track...one for Jai, sung by Sukhwinder Singh and the other one for Aditi....sung by a newcomer Runa....she has a beautiful voice....both versions have a great melody with a very different time and beat signature....The Aditi version is my favourite ....probably one of best tracks in this album!!!...This song will seriously grow on you...
RATING:9.2/10

4.Naazrein Milaana, naazrein churaana:
A beautiful song with a rocking start.....the electric guitar interlude is out of this world.....the use of what i believe is a melodion adds some serious quality to this track......the harmonies for this song are brilliant!!!!.....Potential superhit in this album...RATING :8.9/10

5.Tu Bole, Main Boloon:
Let me tell you one thing .....there is a great chance that many people wont agree when i say that this track is the best track in this album, but than only genuine music lovers can understand the brilliance of A.R.Rahman.....the maestro has given us a 100% pure jazz track that would make American Gangsters of the 1930's in Chicago jump with joy!!!! No other director can come close making such a genuine Jazz track.......It is very difficult to sing jazz numbers because of their complicated beat patterns.....But Rahman sings the song with complete feel and ease....I dont know whether this track will be a winner for the album, But it is an undisputed champion in the musical arena!!!!.......RATING: 9.5/10

6.Kahin to Hogi ho:
I'm surprised by the quality of Rashid Ali's voice and Hindi Diction....no doubt that he is going to be a very sought after singer,thanks to this album!!!
This track has got a wonderful melody.....potential Lover's mantra for a long time....Vasundhra Das has sung the song nicely unlike her cliche style!!!
the scale shift at the end with added harmonies boosts the track to a great extent....
RATING:8.0/10

OVERALL VERDICT:
ARR has come out with an album that is going to keep the Indian youth on its feet for sometime definitely...Critics kindly take a break....ARR fans enjoy the heavy downpour of ARR's magical rain of music..(great start to imran khan's career as his debut movie's music rocks.....If the movie turns out to be great then he'll be a force to reckon!!!)

ADA....a way of life....THE WAY FOR MUSIC!!!

All the Arr critics, please brace yourselves up....cause ur gonna eat some special humble pie.......

The 'God of music' / 'Mozart of Asia' gives us Ada......
A lot has been said that ARR is no longer concentrating on melodies....too much experimentation and all that crap!!!!ARR has been workin on Ada from 2001....and this results in a magical album....each track having a different mood, feel, style and melody!!!!!
Really nice to hear some original music!!! Special appreciation for brilliant usage of different types of guitar throughout the album!!!

I heard all the songs, and this is my view on them!!!

1.Ishq Ada:
There are two versions....a male version sung differently by Rahman's guitarist Rashid Ali!!! The female version is sung by a newcomer Parul Mishra.....she's got some potential..[:D].....This song is basically Waltz track , but the guitar is used dominantly to give the 3/4 time signature.....thats somethin new, coz usually Piano is the preferred instrument !!The guitar solos have a vintage effect and the accordion used in this song is pure genius played by none other than our ARR.........
A short but very cute track.....RATING: 8.0/10

2.Hawa Sun Hawa:
One of the best melodies rahman's composed in recent times.....he has filled up the bits with some of his piano magic.....Naveen steals the show with some mesmerising flute bits......Sonu Nigam is as usual at his very best for ARR's melodies......I'm not a big fan of Alka Yagnik's monotony, but she has sung this track well...The chord transitions in the interlude stanza's are superb.......The bass track is mild but very effective......An excellent track....one of the best in this album.....RATING: 8.2/10

3.GumSum:
This song might be Rahman's first Complete Commercial Hindi Track, pretty sure, it will become a major hit in the north!!! The unique start and end to this song with some type of guitar is a treat for the hears.....
The lead guitar and bass guitar have been used to the maximum level to give us a peppy dance no.....but the melody has never been compromised...Sonu Nigam's voice is full of power!!!If there's any negative thing, it might be that the beat is not original, but then this type of track needs that kinda beat.....but rahman's treatment disguises the cliche punjabi feel to a new wonderful level!!.....some church organ-like instrument has been used at the end!![:D]
Gumsum....a commercial hit.....RATING: 8.3/10

4.Gulfisa:
Another different song.....the percussion arrangements are like an Arabian song, but the tune gives an unique feel......the time signature is different and catchy....Sonu nigam delivers a good performance, but it is Sunidhi Chauhan who steals the show with a mind blowing performance....she switches between octaves with utmost ease.....once again the melody is pleasant....this track will stay on ur minds for sometime....RATING: 8.4/10

5.Meherbaan:
WOW!!!!!!!!This is the most amazing track of this album and no guesses for who sang this track.....It's none other than our Rahman.......This song is completely in an acoustic feel.....all u can hear is the piano, guitar strumming, gr8 bass sequence, simple ballad style drumming, and BRILLIANT VOCALS.......the voice preset for ARR is similar to the processing done for Pray for me brother....it suits the song well!!! Rahman's humming is amazing in between like 'yeh jo des hai tera'....Rahman's hindi diction is very good....When the song goes higher ,the vocals and chords are absolutely stunning!!!!.....i'll cherish this track forever....The instrumental version is also another track in the album.....Sanjeev Thomas stands out with a scintillating guitar performance.....RATING: 10/10 [:D]

6.Tu Mera Hai:
This track gives us Chitra at her best.....the ease at which she is able to go to insanely high pitches is quite unbelievable......The tune is quite captivating.....the strings arrangement is in typical Rahman's fashion!!!!.Sukhwinder Singh has done a good job...The main chorus has got great chord structure with rich use of strings.....The interludes are rich....overall the melody has got richness..the negative aspect: well i would have liked more variations in the main beat......but nonetheless a great track........RATING:7.9/10

7.Hai dard:
This track seems to be heavily based on film's situation......Rahman's managed to create sufficient melancholy.......however,till the first interlude, the track is ordinary with an 'Eh ajnabee' feel....when the guitar and flute starts , the song begins to sound brilliant....the second stanza has a brilliant tune....Udit has sung the higher notes with considerable feeling.....I'm sure the track will be hundred times better with the video.......RATING:8.0/10

8.Milo Yahan Wahan:
The choir and strings give an intoxicating start to this track......something only rahman can do.......in terms of melody, this is one of the best ones in this album......However alka Yagnik can get irritating when the higher notes are being sung......She has do something about her monotonous singing style......Jayachandran has sung well.....the first interlude is out of the world.....once again, Rahman makes use of strings and pads thus the chords give a soothing yet amazing feel to the song.....Beautiful track......RATING: 8.8/10

OVERALL VERDICT:
Rahman's come out with a stunning album, filled with variety and originality.....
Special mention to all the lyricists......
This album is a must for all Rahman fans....even his critics will find their 'Ada reoriented'.........Hail ARR!![:D]

Arai enn 305'il Kadavul....a review

I guess it is pretty late to write this review for 305 (gonna use 305 instead of the actual movie name) but never have i encountered a more worthy movie in recent times.....
'Brilliant' would be the best and shortest review, but a lot can be said.......

305, from its inception, has been a very awaited movie........for many reasons....firstly, Chimbudevan and Shankar re-united after the stupendous success of Imsai Arasan......secondly,Santhanam ,the rising youth comedian and Ganja Karruppu were selected as the lead characters.....finally,the veteran Prakash Raj was chosen to play the role of Kadavul!!!The sheer curiosity felt by people to see 'Chellam Muthupandey' in the role of the Almighty was considered to be a factor good enough to ensure this package's success......

But a big star cast and initial hype cannot ensure the box office success of any movie...i think Bheema is a good example for the side effects[:)]!!!

When the movie hit the screens,the first ten days enveloped 305 in a sea of mixed reviews......
B and C centres were probably expecting another slapstick laugh riot spoof........keeping that as an expectation, this movie failed heavily, and everyone thought it wont be a success......But then the creative genius within Chimbudevan stuck a chord amongst the hearts of the A centre audience and many people who didnt like the movie the first time decided to watch it again
and they found the movie to be quite enchanting.........

The story goes on like this.....Santhanam and Ganja are two miserable unemployed misfits who blame God for all their mishaps......God decides to come down in person and help them understand what is true happiness and who is responsible for their situation....What follows is an interesting tale of enchantment,divinity,deception,love,kindness and many other emotions.....

Santhanam has shed a few kilos and looks pretty decent (better than simbhu)...He has given a convincing performance......whether it is a serious scene or a comedy scene......ganja is hilarious as his sidekick..........Prakash Raj steals the show with his brilliant performance......The manner in which He displays God's love,power and divinity with such ease and subtlety is totally mind blowing.........

M.S.Bhaskar, Delhi Ganesh and Rajesh have played some brilliant cameos in the movie! The dialouges ,the art direction and the graphics are absolutely stunning......Shankar has ensured that 305 gets the best technical expertise available in the market....

The movie is not a laughter riot, but it gives a feast for thought........the concept of God is understood even by atheists.....The scene involving Prakash Raj and Rajesh where they discuss about the existence of God is truly memorable......

Vidyasagar's music is pretty good.......some of the songs are catchy and pleasant to hear!!!the 'Naangal thaan Kadavul' song's lyrics is pretty interesting......

The movie gets a very interesting turn at the interval!!!The ending is fabulous!!!

A non-commercial pure cinematic effort by Chimbudevan that has resulted in a wonderful movie.......For those who just want masala flicks,watch movies like KURUVI!!! But if your looking for meaningful cinema then 305 is the room u'll wanna be in cause Prakash Raj has given a whole new dimension to our version of the Almighty!!1
Three cheers!!

RATING: 9.3/10

Kallai mattum is also a xerox.....seriously himesh!!

I think kamal will have to look as pissed as he is in this photograph.......Himesh had copied a rammstein song for background arrangements but atleast i thought the tune was genuine......no way....check out this link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCPZET3n3vQ
The tune is lifted as well...................
ada paavi

ada paavi

[:D]

தாம் தூம் (dhaam dhoom) Harris Jayaraj?Ada paavi!!!

Before i write this review, let me make one thing clear to everyone who might be reading this review......In my opinion Harris Jayaraj has stopped giving genuine good compositions after Laysa Laysa, which was one of his premier movies, so u can imagine how much mediocrity has prevailed since then, not to mention the frequent (peeeeeeeeeeep peep peep CLICK!) i.e XEROX technique....I've tried my best to listen to all the songs of Dhaam Dhoom with an unprejudiced mindset to give a fair assessment (man i had to get drunk for that[:D])....lets begin with.....

1.SAKIYAE (Bombay Jayashree, Krishh):

Frankly i'm bored with the cliche usage of BJ by HJ in his music, but she has sung this song well...but the start of this song and the main Sakiyae line is very similar to Pani Thuli from Kanda Naa mudhal, and certain usage of instruments seem to sound very familiar......the chord transitions sound effect are sounding like Illayaraja's a keys at times.....the pitch transition at the end of the song is pretty ok.....Krishh bores us with his same feeble voice and his chorus can get monotonous......Perhaps this track is one of the best in this album......RATING:6.8/10

2.AZHIYILAE (Haricharan):

This song starts off well with Haricharan singin it beautifully, but the tune is so predictable and even tone deaf people can figure certain parts out.....This song is like a modern devotional Bhajan at times.....Great Potential was there in this track, but for some reason HJ decides to keep this song short and i guess he didnt work too much on this track....wasted oppurtunity!!!....
RATING:6.9/10

3.ANBE ENANBE ( Harish Raghavander):

This is song is totally obnoxious for the sheer reason that the first basic tune in this song is the same as Loosu Penne from Vallavan!!!! i couldnt believe it , but its true.....This is song however is boosted by Harish Raghavander who has sung a decent song after a long time.....I'm sick of the same choir girls....HJ music sounds like goin to a same church every sunday!!!However i like the usage of violin in this song.....Latter half of the tune is better but still not impressive on the whole..RATING:5.3/10

4.UYAALALO (Kailash Kher, Sujatha):

Song starts like Varaagha Nadhi from sangamam......then we hear an avg folk tune with some gibberish in between.....beats like Adangakka (anniyan)......The punjabi 'Oho's sound like they have been pasted from Rang De Basanti.....lol! Basically as i said its a very average track.....Kailash Kher has sung it with a lot of energy...his tamil pronunciations are gettin better and better....Listen to this track once, thats all!!! RATING: 3.5/10

5.THIKKU THIKKU (Sayanora Philip, Benny):

When you hear this song, u think about Maaricham from Sillendru oru Kadhal till the humming stops, then a nerrupae sikku mukki style start beginning....the thikku thikku line's tune is similar to Hello miss imsaiye(unnale Unnale)'s second stanza........ but the ' thom thom' line gets really irritating....first G.V prakash copies Akon 's Smack that in polladhavan, and now its HJ, who tries to fool us by changing the beat alone......The second fiddle interlude sounds like HJ's song Para para pattam poochi from Majnu......The Positives of this song are however the vocals....Benny seems to be maturing as a singer with every song...Sayanora Philip has got one of the most sexiest voices i've heard....She adds the extra punch to this song......This is a decent Dance track though with the Grind'like beats....RATING:5/10 (2 bonus points for vocals)[:D]

6.PUDHU PUDHU (Suchitra,Benny,Guna):

What happens when HJ tries to stop xeroxing and tries to make an own genuine composition?
......Simple answer.......this can get you Freakin KILLED!!!!!!!!!!!! This is one of the worst songs i've ever heard and unfortunately HJ seems to not taken this from anywhere but his mental workhouse!!!!Seriously HJ, either u have no music in you or u were drunk along with Suchitra during the making of this song......yes folks, thats how Suchi sounds......like a girl mutterin rubbish after her first Hangover due to 6 shots of tequilla!!!!!!!!!!! The vocals in this song can seriously cause a rash!!!!itch! itch!........i understand that when u mix different styles , u get Fusion, but all HJ achieves with this song is Confusion!!!!(especially the sudden yogi b'like bit in the second stanza).
Even HJ's hardcore fans would ask him 'HJ WHAT WERE U TRYING????'
If anyone has the patience to listen to this song fully for the first time without causing a road rage scenario, they are great!!!My rating system cant give a zero so..........RATING:0.1/10

OVERALL VERDICT:

• This album seriously disappoints most people.....2 or 3 potential tracks are there but totally wasted ......Probably Sakiyae and Thikku thikku will enter the chartbuster list for a while.....

• Dhaam Dhoom's music will appeal to only those people who are HJ worshippers or have those who dont have much knowledge in music.

• Thank God that Jeeva didnt have listen to this album especially that 'Pudhu Pudhu' song.........

• On the whole,my rating for this album will be 5/10.

தசாவதாரம் (dasavatharam) songs??MY GOD!!!

There is no doubt that Kamalhasan is one of the most brilliant actors the world of cinema has ever seen, but it seems to be very funny that he opted for Himesh Reshammiya as his Magnum opus Dasavatharam's Music Director. There is no dearth of talent in the south, especially when u consider music!!! I 've just heard the songs and would like to give u a review...

1)ULAGA NAYAGANE...
This song doesn't survive the expectations it had after the initial Hype...though it might be the most catchy song in this album.....Very monotonous beats, similar to the song 'macarena' from Kushi (tamil)...unnecessary use of fiddle at the beginning....the vocals are peppy but gets boisterous at times....Lyrics seems to be catchy as it praises Kamal... RATING (3/5)

2)KALLAI MATTUM KANDAAL...
Very serious track which creates a decent effect while listening, with the haunting voice of Hariharan...however the background music and beats are pretty similar to a Ramstein song (a German heavy metal band)...Check out the link.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpwhRjLy0H
May be the song will look better with the video, but it is definitely not one of the tracks one would keep playing on his IPOD....RATING (2.5/5)

3)OH OH SANAM....
I cant say which is more agonizing, kamal's semi processed voice or the pathetic backgrounnd music for this song....Himesh seems to have gotten really confused between bollwood and kollywood......thus giving us this transsexual song....Very cliche setup and musical arrangements.Heard this beat too often...RATING (1/5)

4)OH OH SANAM (remix)...
Cant believe i have to write another review for this song,but then the entertainment factor increases by a mile coz 'the nasal king' Himesh Reshammiya lends his voice to this track....i daresay his voice is better suited for this song than kamal.Special mention needed for Himesh as his tamil pronunciations are pretty decent...way better than Udit narayan..he sounds very confident of himself...however unless u are a hardcore Himesh fan,this song is nothin more than a post postmortem on a decaying carcass....A bonus rating of 0.5 for Himesh's Gallant effort....RATING(1.5/5)

5)MUKHUNDA MUKHUNDA..
Typical Himesh slow track,with very similar musical and chorus arrangements..Sadhana Sargam has sung it decently...but this track has no punch...It doesnt hurt your hears but doubt whether it'll stay on your mind!!!...RATING(2.5/5)

6)KAA KAARUPPUNAKKUM...
I might sound repetitive but a very cliche Himesh start to the song, then u find some similarities to the background music (Baazi laga from GURU)...Then a strikingly similar tune appears in the songs as the main punchline twice or thrice (similar to the song Ponna Pochu by Remo fernandes for the movie Khamoshi)....The lyrics seems to be incoherent at times...
The lyricist seems to have used a lot of English and has tried to be over creative at times(mexican and lexicon line , and the sept 11 twin towers lines rocks though)...
When you hear this song,all you can wish is that the video better be smokin hot with Mallika Sherawat or Asin.....that's the only medicine for the listeners.....RATING(2/5)

OVERALL VERDICT

1. HOPE THAT THE MOVIE VISUALS WILL SAVE SONGS
2. SAVE YOUR MONEY.THIS IS ONE ALBUM THAT MIGHT EVEN ANNOY HIMESH'S HARDCORE FANS
3. GIFT THIS AUDIO CD TO YOUR NEMESIS

HOPE K.S RAVIKUMAR AND KAMAL HAVE A GREAT MOVIE IN STORE FOR US.....THE MUSIC IS A TOTAL LETDOWN!!!