15 years of AR Rahman
A MUSICAL AFFAIR
Fifteen years after the Big Bang that was Roja, I thought I’d recall my transition to a new musical universe – and also remember my favourite AR Rahman compositions.
AUG 26, 2007 – IT WASN’T SUPPOSED TO last this long, this love affair with Allah Rakha Rahman. Even as late as the July of 1992, we were returning home to Ilayaraja, to a relationship that had just celebrated its fifteenth anniversary. It may have become a relationship that had outlived the hot-blooded passions of the early years, a relationship that had settled into a comfortable (if still comforting) routine – but then you don’t seek out a divorce because your spouse has packed on the pounds. You shake your head, perhaps, and then you remember the way things were. You remember the good times.
Then came August, and along with it, the siren calls of Roja. A new sound – young, hip, night to Ilayaraja’s day – had moved into town, and its hypnotic charms were proving irresistible. The singletons, the unattached, the ones who went about life with no concept of long-term commitments – they responded instantly, instinctively.
But the rest of us, we panicked. We dashed to our homes, shuttered the windows, bolted the doors. Mere jingles, we sneered while taking a cold shower – with the sneaking, sinking realisation that this contempt wasn’t real, that it was simply a desperate attempt to stave off temptation. But it just didn’t feel right. You don’t cheat on someone who’s taken care of your every musical need for so long – that too for what would surely be a mere fling, what writers of pulp fiction would term a couple of hot, sweaty afternoons in an anonymous motel.
Oh, but you sometimes do. Roja was followed by Gentleman and Pudhiya Mugam, and our resolve cracked just a wee bit. We’d stray, we told ourselves. Who was going to know? Besides, how long could this last anyway? We’d be tired of it before we knew it. But then Thiruda Thiruda happened, along with Kaadhalan, Duet, Indira and Bombay – and even without realising it, we fell in love all over again.
How liberating it felt, after all these years, to rediscover the pleasures in getting to know someone over a casual cup of coffee. That’s what it felt like, AR Rahman’s music. It wasn’t intimidating, it didn’t require scholarly levels of comprehension (at least in the early days), and it felt so light on its feet. AR Rahman made us feel young again. And he made at least some of us see, possibly for the first time, that the only natural relationship state in the appreciation of art is polyamory.
Ilayaraja – the colossus that he was – had made my generation forget that. He was the one, the only one, ever since we could remember – and apparently ever since time began. The ties that bound him to us were so strong – and felt so predestined, like all great love – it seemed inconceivable that our eyes would one day wander. And when they finally did, we understood the conflict that must have played out in our elders when Ilayaraja eased out MS Viswanathan, when the new nudged out the old.
But slowly – and just like us – they must have seen that this was no betrayal. They must have seen the greater cause, that of Tamil film music, and they must have realised that the torch had merely passed from one genius to another. And, after fifteen years of AR Rahman, that’s what we see today. It may have taken some time – perhaps a little more time for some of us – but we’ve all come home to AR Rahman now.
FAVOURITES FROM…
The First Five Years
1. Kangalil enna eeramo (Uzhavan, 1993): Because Rahman’s music today, people claim, needs several listens to fully get, whereas this – the first song of his that I completely fell for – posed no such problem. I was instantly hooked by the soaring melody lines tethered to a bouncy, pizzicato percussion.
2. Usilampatti penkutti (Gentleman, 1993): Because with this number – along with Nee kattum selai (Pudhiya Mannargal) and Aathangara marame (Kizhakku Cheemayile) – Rahman proved that it was possible to rustle up a rustic ambience without invoking Ilayaraja. Heck of a catchy tune, too.
3. July maadham vandhaal (Pudhiya Mugam, 1993): Because I can’t listen to this song without smiling, if only for the images of the flamenco-inflected choreography executed rather hilariously by Vineeth and a girl whose name escapes me now. Rahman may be partly to blame, for who could resist snapping their fingers to that spirited opening, one part Spanish guitar base, one part clicking castanets!
4. Senthamizhnaattu Thamizhachiye (Vandicholai Chinraasu, 1994): Because, its chauvinism apart, it’s hands-down one of the funniest songs ever written. And Rahman jacks up the men-teasing-women mischief with a driving beat that suggests nothing less than a pelvic thrust. Listen to it again and tell me I’m wrong!
5. Ennavale (Kaadhalan, 1994): Because, despite music critic Subbudu’s contentions that grievous bodily harm was sustained by the raga Kedaram (thanks to Rahman’s non-traditional deviations), this is the gorgeous cry of a lover so filled with love, it constricts his throat. This, of course, means he shouldn’t be able to speak, but that’s why they invented song.
6. Nila kaaigiradhu (Indira, 1995): Because Hariharan has never sounded better under Rahman, nor more expressive of emotions. (Yes, yes, I know all about Uyire from Bombay, and in my book, it’s a mere pretender in comparison.) The heartbreakingly beautiful tune swells and subsides, keeping you guessing… Hymn? Love song? Lament? Probably all.
7. Kya kare kya na kare (Rangeela, 1995): Because it tells you why Rahman persists with Udit Narayan, despite the latter’s notoriety as the man who unleashed genocide on the lyrical population of Kuluvalile (Muthu). Udit captures perfectly the tossed-off angst of a tapori torn between being in love and admitting to being in love.
8. C’mon c’mon O Kamatchi (Love Birds, 1996): Because every listing exercise is allowed a guilty pleasure, and for me, it was a toss up between this bagpipe-driven lark and Lucky lucky (Ratchagan). C’mon c’mon won because… um, because… Hey, I said it was a guilty pleasure.
9. Strawberry kanne (Minsaara Kanavu, 1997): Because it showcases Rahman’s facility with symphonic arrangements, and because it doesn’t display an iota of strain in the process (unlike, say, Veerapandi kottayile from Thiruda Thiruda, which tries really, really hard). The song’s operetta texture is just right for the battle-of-the-sexes banter.
10. Kannai katti kollaadhey (Iruvar, 1997): Because it’s possibly the loveliest instance of swing in a film music culture that’s (quite understandably) wary of jazz. With the triumphant arrangements (from the irresistible guitar that kicks off the song to the delightful percussion that changes colour on alternate sets of a four-count beat), it wouldn’t be surprising if the thundering chorus of Viduthalai is actually a celebration of freedom from traditional ways of making film music.
The Next Five Years
11. Rut aa gayi re (1947 Earth, 1998): Because it’s the standout track in an album full of standout tracks. And if I’m picking this over the almost-as-affecting Raat ki daldal and Yeh jo zindagi hai, it’s because of that second interlude, a magnificent passage with borderline-menacing strings that evokes Prokofiev’s Montagues and Capulets.
12. Ae ajnabee (Dil Se, 1998): Because it’s quite simply the most mournful song in the Rahman oeuvre, a howl from a heart so filled with unfulfilled desire, it needs to traverse entire octaves to unburden itself. Udit Narayan is superb. So is the album, which came at a time Rahman could apparently do no wrong.
13. Varaha nadhikkarai oram (Sangamam, 1999): Because dud movies with great soundtracks deserve recognition too (see also No. 14), and because if there’s anything that epitomises the zest-for-life that Shankar Mahadevan brings to his singing, this qawwali-folk song cross-breed is it. Just watch him soar to Kaaveri karayil in the first stanza… You could power a small-sized nuclear reactor for a week with that energy.
14. Thirakkaadha kaattukkulle (En Swaasa Kaatre, 1999): Because of the synthesiser birdcalls (birdcalls, right?) which kick off a number full of charming outdoorsy imagery. A babbling brook in the first interlude, darting deer in the second… And in the midst of all this calming nature, a plaintive, high-pitched cry of a man-made emotion, with Unnikrishnan going kaadhal, kaadhal, kaadhal, kaadhal, kaadhal… Because saying it out loud five times feels so much better than just once.
15. Khamosh raat (Thakshak, 1999): Because of the opening that sounds as if a guitar is being tuned before a performance – as if the player is getting a feel of the tightness of the strings, the acoustics of the room and, most importantly, the mellow mood of the song to follow. It’s like being a fly on the wall of a garage band, with the lead singer rehearsing his impending declaration of love.
16. Nahin saamne (Taal, 1999): Because, despite that stretch at the beginning where a vise is apparently being tightened on Hariharan’s unmentionables (a.k.a. a falsetto hitherto matched only by Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees), this is as wistful a sad song as you’ve listened to. A gentle tom-tom rhythm adds to the melancholy, as if even the percussion were too drained for anything more animated.
17. Kizhakke nandavanam (Taj Mahal, 1999): Because it’s the culmination of a journey that began with Usilampatti penkutti. Where the former was trying to keep a rustic feel going merely on the surface – and what a happy surface that was – what we have here is the real deal, a beautifully-tuned “village song‿ that features, appropriately enough, in a Bharatiraja movie.
18. Kurukku siruthavale (Mudhalvan, 1999): Because flutes and dholaks aren’t what we’re used to hearing at the beginning of romantic numbers, and because there’s very little of the Rahmanesque techno-frippery that sometimes subtracts rather than adds to emotions as delicate as the ones expressed in this lovely love duet.
19. Snehidhane (Alaipaayuthey, 2000): Because this song is about a husband who is a secret friend, and because Rahman pours his soul into delineating the sweet sorrow inherent in this relationship, where man and woman are united by marriage and yet separated by distance. And because of the complicity in Sadhana Sargam’s voice as she courses through nee sollaadhadhum iravile puriven. Oh that lucky Madhavan!
20. Sarfaroshi ki tamanna (The Legend of Bhagat Singh, 2002): Because of how singers (Hariharan, Sonu Nigam) and composer can infuse fresh life into the oldest of patriotic rousers. Homesick NRIs especially beware: by the time the dirge-like early half of the number gives way to the chest-thumping optimism of Khushboo banke mehka karenge, you’ll be a sobbing mess.
The Past Five Years
21. Dating (Boys, 2003): Because that Rahmanesque techno-frippery I was knocking a little earlier is put to delightful use in a song aimed at the young ‘uns. From the eerie xylophone-on-helium mood that kicks off the number to the scream-dying-out-in-space end, every single sound seems to have been piped out of machines yet to be invented.
22. Thee kuruviyil (Kangalaal Kaidhu Sei, 2003): Because sometimes it’s just nice to watch a gifted vocalist (Harini in this case) showing off. The way Rahman layers her alaaps towards the end, each quivering leap across an octave appears to be possessed by extraterrestrial life. What brings the song to earth is a relaxingly basic rock beat.
23. Do qadam aur sahi (Meenaxi, 2004): Because, as if mindful of the words, the song seems to move forward in beats of two, and because the minimalism of the arrangements is an ideal counterpoint to the ornateness of the lyrics that talk about a slow, long slog to a far-off utopia. Had the music been as rich, the composition would have probably collapsed under its own weight.
24. Yeh jo des hai tera (Swades, 2004): Because goosefleshy neo-patriotic songs are hard to come by. Accompanied by a shehnai playing at near-monotone, along with what sounds like exhalations from men who’ve burned their tongues with hasty spoonfuls of hot soup, Rahman belts out this perfect anthem for our dispossessed times.
25. Kaalayil dhinamum (New, 2004): Because it’s really tough to craft odes to motherhood without coming off sappy or overearnest or just plain creepy. Rahman’s elegantly sinuous melody is roughened up a little, given a bit of texture by Unnikrishnan’s little-boy whine, and the effect is just right for a movie about a man-child.
26. Rasiya (Mangal Pandey, 2005): Because this musical equivalent of a heaving bosom is a tragically underrated song in a tragically underrated soundtrack. Of course, the picturisation didn’t help. The gypsies writhing around a makeshift campfire seemed to suggest that this number is simply about sex, when it’s actually about something far more thrilling: passion.
27. Bangari marori (Water, 2005): Because it’s the quietest of songs I’ve heard in recent times. Sukhwinder Singh tones down his characteristic energy to infuse this number with the spirit of prayer, despite the Radha-Krishna shringar-ras imagery, and Rahman graciously recedes so far into the background, it’s as if the song weren’t formed so much as found.
28. Khoon chala (Rang De Basanti, 2006): Because its initial piano runs remind me of what would result if Billy Joel flew down to Bollywood. (They’re just a musical hop-step-jump away from Don’t Ask Me Why.) The conversational nature of the opening verse deepens as a mournful cello makes itself felt, and by the closing crescendos, you’re not sure whether to be sad at the blood being shed or happy that it’s being shed for a cause.
29. New York nagaram (Sillunu Oru Kaadhal, 2006): Because it’s got to be one of the most stylish, least sentimental boy-misses-girl ballads ever. From the masterful use of the female backup singers to the soulful sax interludes, not a thing is out of place. The only discordant note came from seeing it on screen.
30. Ae hairat-e-aashiqui (Guru, 2007): Because it brings back a long-ago era where passion meant poetry, poetry meant passion. Full of inspired touches like a very local dam tara chorus exchanging notes with a free-flowing Euro-accordion, this is Rahman’s contribution to the contention that few things in life are as satisfying as a beautifully composed love song.
Copyright ©2007 The New Sunday Express
Beautiful. The poetry and prose just flow into each other.
Exquisitely penned, as heartwarming as Rahman’s music itself. Thanks!
Wonderful post. Am glad many of my favorites are there in this list.
In Thirakaadha Kaatukulle I liked the interlude ‘megam poal kaatai nesi meendum naam adhivaasi yosi yosi yosi yosi’ better than the kaadhal kaadhal part
Its a pleasure reading you Baradwaj. Feels so nice when you write about Rahman. Thanks for the post. You made my day
Thank you very much!!!This post was as goosefleshy as the songs you’ve mentioned.I have been checking your blog obsessively everyday for this post..ever since you promised someone in the comments section that this was coming:D You are fantastic..I’m a big fan!
Bang on Baddy!
Thanks! To see unique songs like “Kizhakke Nandhavanam” and stuff like “Rasiya”! To pen down 30 songs from a body of work of AR is tough! This one is also excitingly written!
Thia one is certainly a masterpiece article!
Baddy, very well written and wonderful selection of songs too!! Most of my favorites are covered in this list. I also love “Putham puthu bhoomi” from Thiruda Thiruda. The melodious tune, cinematography and Chitra with her lilting voice make this a terrific number.
In the past 15 years, the most striking transformation in Rahman is the complex structure of songs now. His songs run into layers and layers of sounds now,which is awesome. There’s also increased live instruments compared to earlier days. The man has remained humble and controversy free, which is highly appreciable.
Hey, are you also going to do “30 years of Raja” sometime?
I would love to see a list (atleast for the first 15 years) for him too…
Beautiful post Baradwaj.
Just wondering, how did you get your hands on Bangari Marori from Water?
Wow …..thats one amazing post sire. As wonderful and amazing as the man’s music or rather hsi magic itself. Thete is so much to learn and hear in each and every song of this man ..that it just makes me terribly happy and feel blessed to be born in his era.
-A
mani m speechless…hats off…a true tribute to rahman’s accomlpishments…i salute u!
What a wonderful entry! I am of a younger generation than you, having been only a child when Roja came on the scene. My parents’ friends came back from India with a dubbed tape of Roja, which I, of course, made a copy of for myself. Oddly enough, I had the Roja songs one one side and the Anjali songs on the other
Of course, I did not know who AR Rahman was, but I visited India in 1994 and fell in love with Thiruda Thiruda and Gentleman. It was only later I found out that ARR had composed Roja as well. Even though I lived in the US, I would keep track of ARR’s latest albums through various friends of my parents who had visited India and brought back CDs. Later I could listen to ARR’s latest albums myself through the Internet.
Before ARR, practically every cassette I’d brought back from my visit to India was composed by Ilayaraja, with the occasional Annamalai or Indhu by Deva. I definitely loved those albums, and many of them are still genuinely good music, but I think ARR appealed to the young kid in me (well, I was a young kid at the time) who listened to Michael Jackson and other Western pop. He brought some hipness and freshness to Indian film music.
ARR has an uncanny ability to conjure up images musically. The first note of “Yeh Jo Des Hai Tera” is a combination of a bass line, soaring strings, and an earthy percussion (ghatam?), evoking to me earth (the bass) and sky (strings). The male “hai” vocalizations and shaker sound (I don’t know what that is) bring to my mind men working in the fields and grain being threshed. ARR’s singing is extremely heartfelt. Its a really evocative song and has almost brought me to tears.
Great list of songs, Baradwaj. I liked that you picked Ae Ajnabi from Dil Se instead of the more obvious Chaiyya Chaiyya. You picked some songs that even I had forgotten about! I also like the very delicate rendition of Nila Kaigiradhu by a young Harini.
BR,
Great review but I dont like most of the songs you listed
Also after 15 yrs Ilayaraja had composed 600 films, whereas ARR has just completed 100.
ARR is good, but suffers in comparison to Raja.
Nice article and a very interesting metaphor!:-) but true. I still remember the evening I saw Roja in the theater, and coming back home knowing not what hit me. Although I’ve been disappointed at times by Rahman music at times (mostly because it was predictable), he continues to churn out remarkable compositions. But I think he’s now getting a tough competition from composers like Yuvan Shankar Raja and Harris Jayaraj.
Btw, although I know this article was about Rahman, but I would like to know where would you place composers like YSR and Harris Jayaraj? Thanks.
Wow, thats a great compilation!
Will read again, as there is lot to!
Thanks
As popular as his songs are, I think ARR’s talent also includes background scores and the way he melds disparate sounds to create a hybrid aural image. Swades and Yuva, with individual themes for the three couples, are are some examples of that.
Damn HTML killed my previous comment! Here goes…
(insert superlative adjective(s) of choice) post! Having gotten the redundant compliment out of the way, my favorite part is your opening paragraph, for even in a post where Rahman should hog centrestage, it is wonderful that you mention Ilayaraja. After seeing countless Raja v/s Rahman threads online, its nice to see my favorite reviewer lay facts about my two favorite music makers, out the way they really are- they are both kings albeit of different eras and both are beyond petty, pointless comparisions.
Reading this article is as good as listening to any of Rahman’s tracks. You have not even touched upon Yuva or Thiruda Thiruda though!
Good work Baradwaj,
just curios, nothing mentioned of Kannathil Muthamittal and Thiruda Thiruda (both had good BG score too!, though Rehman’s only sore point was that)
“Also after 15 yrs Ilayaraja had composed 600 films, whereas ARR has just completed 100.
ARR is good, but suffers in comparison to Raja.”
Quantity isn’t everything.
ARR and IR took opposite approaches to composing. IR was renowned for the speed with which he composed the songs and background score for a film. Considering his speed it is even more remarkable that he produced so many great albums and songs.
ARR is notoriously methodical and slow, building his songs slowly like a layer cake.
There is nothing wrong with either approach, as long as the work produced is good. ARR had a huge impact and is still influential even with a smaller number of albums than other composers. We should be appreciating this fact instead of somehow equating his lower output with lower talent. How does that Rajini punch dialogue go? “Naan oru thadava sonna nooru thadava sonna mathiri”
Let’s not turn this into an IR vs. ARR contest. Both are great. There is no need to denigrate one to uplift the other.
Can’t add much to the praise already bestowed upon the post. Let me just leave it with a simple “Loved it.”
While I accept this is your personal list, I find one song missing. “Piya Haji Ali” from “Fiza” deserves in Rehman’s any-time top 5 list (though that’s the only composition of Rehman in the film.)
Awesome compilation. You just made my day with this list. To select thirty songs out of a plethora of amazing songs is really difficult. And, so I am sure you are prepared for ppl to comment on a few songs that they hope would have made your list .here are mine
–kannathil muthamittal – Vellai pookal (the sheer guitar floors me everytime I listen. And Rehman shows what an awesome singer he is)
–Guru – Jaage hain (when Rehman hits that high note, you cannot help but admire his musical ingenuity)
–Piya Haji Ali rom Fiza
..and a couple of million more I guess
Bravo!
Felt doubly glad to see many under-rated/unnoticed songs in the list. I’ve always rued the fact that so many of his beautiful songs never saw the light of the day.*
* No, his composing music at night may not have much to do with it
//choreography executed rather hilariously by Vineeth and a girl whose name escapes me now.//
Nirmala Shyam
its lovely.Thank u very much
hats off to you, that is one fantastic compilation of arr’s gems, loved every word of it. keep up the good work.
Thank you. For the article and for the list. Although I understand zilch of Tamil, I grew up listening to Roja, Pudhiya Mugam, Kaadhalan, Gentleman, Thiruda-Thiruda. Your list introduced me to so many other gems in Tamil that I would have surely missed otherwise.
Beautiful piece of writing, really loved it!
But I’m surprised that you have haven’t included a single song from arguably his best album ‘Roja’
Lovely, lovely, lovely (Saying it 3 times is better than once, no?)
I love Sarfarosh ki tamanna, but the song that, to me, is more potent at leaving NRIs in a sobbing mess is “Desh ki mitti” from Bose. It breaks my heart everytime.
Very well written….and i have started to listen some songs in the list that i havent in a while…
Hi your article is amazing. I will definitely read your site.. ciao
Thank you for that trip down memory lane. Thanks for the list of gems and lastly thanks for including a song from Love Birds that was (IMHO) shunned for no fault of ARR’s (damn you P. Vasu!).
A great line up, and you Mr. B, really do make this journey thru the melody more and more intrigeing. As often its your instintive line-up with chick pop and rural melody to find some heart scanning Rahman’s rare gems. But where are the non-film album like Vande Matheram with the Gurus of Peace or the One from the same mega celebration for your fifty years of independence or the timeless collection Jana Gana Mana we all blogged son much. How come Maiel Erakka from Anbhey Aruiraa missed thy list. Anyway its almost like deja vu on hear some of his old BMGs, esp. that Kashmiri fowls syn-quak followed by the series of violent violins in the opening of the rose with sharp thrones, Roja.
Mr. B, so is Rahman a rose or a roja.
Amazing post Bharadwaj.
Fantastic… just the songs that instantly come to mind when you think of ARR. I guess you missed out songs from Roja from the first five years of ARR. We heard a different sound, differt kind of music, refreshing, something which we had never heard before. It surprised us..It had to be there.
First, what Srivatsan has said, how come you missed Kannathil Muthamittal…I thought both the title tracks and the Siriya Rettai Vaal Sundari were marvelous. After so many praises, i really do not know what to say of your posts. I dont think you need to be told how brilliant you are in your writing.
One mention about ARR here is that he has also done a lot of hanky panky stuff by happily transporting some of his already-hit-tunes to the northern region. Some of which that come to my mind immediately are the ones from the Akshaye Khanna starrer-”Doli sajake rakhna”. The songs were lifted from a Tamil film (name escapes me now!!) with Prashant and Simran in the leading roles. Even the songs in Takshak were re-used for some Tamil movies…., then the tunes from En Swaase Kaatre tunes were re-used for Hindi movies (one song was used in Pukaar — Naujawano…)Actually, I can just go on with the list.
No denial that ARR is brilliant…but after his these types of work, you just feel, complacency is part of his character too….
As usual evocatively written. I was an Ilayaraja fan who instantly fell in love with Rahman’s new music and new sounds. Duet and Thiruda-Thiruda in particular standout from the early days after the thrilling Roja and Gentleman double act. However, I do feel letdown. I personally feel that Rahman never climbed peaks that Raja did in his time. A simple exericise of listing out Raja’s top 30 and comparing it with Rahman’s top 30 would prove my point. This is not to belittle Rahman’s achievements. Just my feeling as a lay listener, a paamaran as they say in tamil.
Aha .. somebody actually (at last!) recognized the album “Mangal Pandey” for what it actually is.
Thank you all, for the nice words, and especially to Zero.
Shankar: But 30 years of Raja would have been last year, no?
Jesse: Is that such an unavailable song? It’s all over the web, plus in a recording I have too.
Ravi K: Thanks for that bit of nostalgia. Wasn’t Indhu the album with a terrific gaana number, one set in the open amidst a lot of elephants?
satchit: I enjoy Yuvan (Paruthiveeran was a good score) and Harris too, but one composer who is very underrated is Karthik Raja. Though he just doesn’t get to do many films…
prakash: Ah, Nirmala Shyam. Thanks.
Suresh, If one makes a list of good songs of Raja vs ARR, Raja wins it easily, even though there are lot of junk songs by Raja. I for one would put 80% of his songs as junk. But the rest 20% itself is a huge list, given that he has composed 800+ films. ARR, for his very low output, should have a higher % of good songs, but alast it isn’t. He has the same ratio of bad to good songs.
In the last 3 yrs, I noticed that I like less than 5 songs of him. That’s miserably low.
Lakshmi, to his credit, the last time ARR reused tunes was in 2004, when he reused some Rhythm tunes in Lakeer. I think he has made a conscious effort to refuse when filmmakers ask him to recycle tunes. BTW, I think Doli Saja Ke Rakhna came first, then Jodi in Tamil, which had the same songs.
Baradwaj, I don’t remember any of the songs in Indhu having elephants in the picturization. But the songs were all the rage back then.
Loved reading this while listening to all the songs. Helped fill in the gaps in my collection too. Thanks.
PS: Its also a good introduction to his tamil work. My brother got a few cassettes somewhere between Roja and ‘Urvashi Urvashi’, wore em down and lost them.
Oh and somewhow you’re now reminding me of post-climax Anton Ego
Great post! Nothing more to add than what has been discussed before except that Andhimandharai would be in my top 5. It has to be the most underrated of Rahman’s albums. Swarnalatha is just brilliant in it.
Little off track, but it is amazing how Rahman’s career almost mirrors that of Sachin Tendulkar’s – entered with a bang in the early 90’s, Brilliant to flawless in the mid 90’s and constantly reinventing themselves in the 00’s!
Great article..It brought back some nice memories for me..Thank you..
Considering the 15 year span, I guess the list obviously varies from person to person..Its nice to see you mention about songs from not-so-popular movies..Narumugaiye from Iruvar and Oh Venilla from Kadal Desam will be on my list..
Couple of comments about Rahman..
1) In the earlier days, 5 out of 6 songs in an album used to be hits..But in the recent years, that frequency has gone down a little..Ofcourse for every ‘Sillendru Oru Kadhal’ there is a ‘Rang De Pasanti’, but I still feel the difference..
2) Earlier he was not careful about whom he works with and some of his great songs didn’t get due recognition because of the commercial failure of the movies..He seems to have corrected that now, for the most part..
What’s your take on this ?
BRangan, thanks. Going to check out some Karthik Raja’s works.
Awesome!
BRangan,
Simply genius…excellent write up.
Tambi Dude,
“If one makes a list of good songs of Raja vs ARR”
U called for it…why dont you compile a list?..u can justify ur stats.
Great to find ‘Rasiya’ in your list. I feel that’s a terribly underrated song.
I personally think that Rahman composes some great qawwalis, and was a bit disappointed not to find either Piya Haji Ali from Fiza or Ye Barq-e-Tajalli from Meenaxi. Anyway, that’s a matter of personal choice…
A great article, nevertheless.
Wonderful post baddy! Glad that u mentioned ‘Khamosh Raat’, which most people wouldn’t have heard. (why dint they dub this song in tamil when they dubbed ‘Rang de’, ‘Bhoondon’ and the wonderful ‘Dheem Ta Dare’, although they were in a vetti film?). N, I thought both Strawberry and Veerapandi (don’t they rhyme well?:D) had super symphonic arrangements.
That’s true, 30 years would have been last year. Guess we all missed that landmark!!
BTW, I love Ooh la la la!! It’s a wonderful way for bands to display their talent and get an opportunity to record in Rahman’s awesome studio. It’s another feather on Rahman’s cap that he lent his name to this initiative!!
What a superb piece indeed, in its own way a tribute to Ilaiyaraja almost as much as to AR Rahman. Never has list of ARR’s “top songs” differed so much from one I would have put together — and yet felt so right.
Baradwaj, a very enjoyable piece to read on Rahman. Reading through that list triggered off quite a few memories. Nice selection. (I am glad that there are many out there who enjoyed “Yeh jo des tera” as much as I did) But then, you are the kind who can probably easily do a writeup on Ajith’/Vijay’s movies or Deva’s songs and still make the reader empathize
So writing about an artist of Rahman’s stature is perhaps a cakewalk. Wish you could do this for some of the other greats too, whom you have enjoyed.
Will i fall utterly in love with Rahman’s music after reading this aritcle if i wasnt doting on it till now?? Sure i will!!
Awesome post! And i now have some good listening material to go through in the next few days/weeks as I work through your list
I love the way the ‘ARR + Patriotism’ combination works, be it Swades, RDB, etc. He almost always cracks it. Also the way how, every now and then, he comes up with stuff which has this amazing ‘new age’ feel for its time – eg. ‘Shakalaka Baby’ (Mudhalvan), ‘Fanaa’ (Yuva – most of the other songs in this album as well), heck, even ‘Hello Mr Edhirkatchi’ (Iruvar)! One of my all-time faves from his earlier work is ‘Thee Thee’ from Thirudaa Thirudaa (is that Keith Peters on the bass?). I also like many of the songs he’s sung (in that typical high-pitch…key of F or F# i imagine!)
I however believe this guy can’t do BGM’s for nuts (though this is a conclusion I have reached after watching only a few of his films). His habit of using the melodic lines of a couple of the most catchy songs of the OST arranged and played back as BGM is konjam sad (case in point – Alaipaayudhe has ‘Snehidane’ played back in some arbit orchestral strings arrangement as part of the BGM, i remember how badly it rankled on the ear)
For some reason I always have believed that ARR has underplayed his music writing skills to achieve a simplistic mass-appeal effect. For instance, he writes a tune as good as ‘Kurukku Siruthavale’, and then the soporific flute interlude(s) … can put me to sleep in 60 seconds even today! I honestly believe the man is capable of much more!
I want to reiterate, though, that he is still a maestro in his own right. Very strong in melody, and an amazing imagination in using sound. Good stuff!
Very nostalgic for a guy like me who has
been following ARR for the whole 15 years.
I read the article listing to most of the songs(Telugu in place of tamil) in parallel.
Excellent writeup,thank you,
Kalyan
// you are the kind who can probably easily do a writeup on Ajith’/Vijay’s movies or Deva’s songs //
vijay, how would it be if he stays away from commenting about WCM DEVA
whose trend was stopped by ARR 
I think Baradwaj won’t have any problems in writing about Ajith movies like Vaali, Mugavari, KKKK, Varalaaru etc since he atleast has something in him
similiar to high-profile DEVA who copies things from WCM 
“…karthik raja, blah blah…”
Amen to that baradwaj(or Rangan?whats your given name?). Very underrated and under-utilised. Ullaasam, Dum Dum Dum, and the lesser known Album, not to mention Grahan stand testimony to his potential. If only someone could tap that…
huh….It isn’t really fair to make your readers suffer withdrawal symptoms, you know.
Anand, I agree with you that ARR isn’t the greatest at background scores. But then again, background music was never really a strong suit of Indian films anyways. They’re usually too overbearing.
But have you heard ARR’s score for Warriors of Heaven and Earth? I haven’t heard it in the film, but as an album its very good.
He’s given a few good scores, like Lagaaa and RDB. IIRC Dil Se had a good score as well.
One bone I have to pick with ARR is his use of North Indian singers in Tamil films. He’s not the first South Indian composers to use North Indian singers, but he made it catch on in a big way with other composers. While Udit Narayan sounded good in Kadhalikkum Pennin, he sounds bad in just about every other Tamil/Telugu song he has sung. Same with Madhushree. Sadhna Sargam is hit or miss. ARR has ruined some otherwise good songs by using singers clearly uncomfortable in Tamil.
Baradwaj, when can we expect your review of RGV Ki Aag
selva…if u meant ilaiyaraja as WCM deva…then is rahman WM deva??? No pnt in explaining to you…moreover “Ajith movies like Vaali, Mugavari, KKKK, Varalaaru etc”.and you talk about ilaiyaraja as high profile WCM deva…this is blasphemy…ajith is a mediocre actr while Ilaiyaraja, A R RAhman are legends,..yes they have inspirations from WCM, Carnatic, sufi, etc…but they improvise and produce brilliant soundtracks…while ajith is just a NOBODY…
Ravi: Thanks. I do remember that he stopped reusing the tunes. And, am glad he did so.
July Maadham Vandhal isn’t Spanish Guitar, it was played by “Guitar” Prasanna, the Carnatic musician, on his acoustic, and yes, it is just a fabulous opening!
Hu,
and he is just a NO BODY ! 
Huh >> ?? Yes, I referred to IR as “WCM DEVA” since Vijay was clubbing Ajith along Deva and that is weird.
Ajith is a mediocre actor for you. Like that, IR is a WCM Deva for me.
PERIOD
No body? or Nobody..duh Learn to spell!
Yes..for you. IR is a No Body..anything that makes you happy, baby..
Hu,
Both are correct imo 
, and thanks for the spelling suggestion. Nobody & No Body = IR 
like high profile Deva 
For u, IR is a legend and Ajith is not in that league ! For me, Ajit is in a diff league and IR is in the league of Deva (WCM)
I hope both of us can be happy for our preferences
and move on
i would have rated ‘yengai yenadu kavithai’ from kandukonden as the most mournful song instead of ae ajnabi.
sadly ‘thee thee’ and ‘rasathi’ from thiruda thiruda and may madham didn’t catch your fancy.
But thanks a lot for the list
oops,
sorry baradwaj, posted it without my usual id
Anyway,
Article is pretty good
I was pretty happy to SEE this line in your article
IMO, Ney York Nagaram is much better than Munbae Vaa.
Too bad that, it lacked the regular “cun* pleasing” stuffs like Munbae Vaa and thanks to the picturisation that raped the songs literally
Why no words on the next 10 years ? any predictions
or I should redirect this to an astrologer ? 
// New York nagaram (Sillunu Oru Kaadhal, 2006): Because it’s got to be one of the most stylish, least sentimental boy-misses-girl ballads ever. From the masterful use of the female backup singers to the soulful sax interludes, not a thing is out of place. The only discordant note came from seeing it on screen. //
[...] 15 years of AR Rahman – A MUSICAL AFFAIR “Yeh jo des hai tera (Swades, 2004): Because goosefleshy neo-patriotic songs are hard to come by. Accompanied by a shehnai playing at near-monotone, along with what sounds like exhalations from men who’ve burned their tongues with hasty spoonfuls of hot soup, Rahman belts out this perfect anthem for our dispossessed times.” [...]
Beautifully crafted essay (or blogpost..)
You have a knack to notice some of the lesser-knowns of Rahman, including Kangalaal Kaidhu Sei and En Swaasa Kaatre…
And the fact that you added some of those hindi numbers such as Yeh jo des hai tera from Swades in shows that you know ur Rahman pretty well… I would love to listen to a podcast if u decide to do one, featuring all of Rahman extraordinaire!!!
Great Courtesy!
I’m also a big fan of A. R. Rahman.
hi
i want to know that a r rahman was related with haji ali dargah at mumbai?
when he first came to mumbai he had not get success but after praying at haji ali he changed his religion to muslim?
is this right & i want to fully description….
plz any know then reply me link..
thanks
Hi there…Thanks for the nice read, keep up the interesting posts..what a nice Wednesday
hey, superb picks mate, though i would have added some more songs like….
1,ishwar allah- 1947 EARTH
2,THEENDAI- TAJ MAHAL
3,vidai kodu engal naade- kannathil muthamittal
4,taal se taal mila – taal
5,kannodu kanpathellam- jeans
6,mere dil ka woh shehzada-kabhi na kabhi
7,dheeme dheeme- zubaida
8,khoyee khoyee aankhein- tehzeeb
9, khamosh raat- takshak
10,khamoshiyaan- one 2 ka 4
and many many more:)
sorry THEENDAI from EN SWAASA KATTAI
What do I say, brangan..you have left me speechless…more than trying to remember all those songs, I went into raptures reading you..passion..that is the single word that comes to my mind reading you..I do not have too many passions myself but some of them are:
Frederick Forsyth, RDBurman, Kishore Kumar, Suketu Mehta, ARRahman, David Lynch, George Clooney, Naseeruddin Shah, Nishikant Kamat, Waheeda Rahman, Rekha, Satyajit Ray, Gulzar..
I add youto this list from today..You are up there with them..my friend!!
A R Rehman Rocks..
I am soon going to upload many of his songs.. and many videos of him on my site..
Check it out in future for further releases..
http://www.theburningsoul.com/
And for all the critics and everyone out there if there is a god … its A R Rehman!
Awesome! Awesome!
I think you missed out on…
Anbe Sugama from Paathale Paravasamey
and
Sonaalum ketpadhilai from Kadhal Virus..
and in Hindi Chinamma Chilakamma from Meenaxi! Also Kalbali from RDB.
Otherwise all ur songs match with mine
What Happened to Duet? Naan Padum Sandham..
And last but surely not the least.. Oruvan Oruvan Mudhalali from Padayappa ( Coolest Rajini intro ever!)
Just finished a rewatch of Lagaan because I had nothing better to do.
Is it just me or a lot of the impact of each of the scenes of the movie had a lot to do with the BGM.I mean it could be snippets of the songs but the way he renders them it is almost as if the scene demanded the music.
Also when it comes to pure melody without the instrumentation I think IR and ARR are on par.Again art being pretty subjective I think that is what I feel
Good article. I enjoyed reading it. I have just started blogging about TFM at: http://7swara.blogspot.com
I don’t know what made you to bring A.R.Rahman along with legends like M.S.V. and an immaculate Illayaraja. May because of the popularity. He became more popular when the media was gaining momentum in India. Im not denying that A..R. Rahman is a good music director but he is not certailny not a legend at all. It’s an insult to legends.
Infact A.R. Rahman initiated the downfall of the richness of Indian music especially Tamil movies and music directors like Deva finished it off. Now with jokers like Immam,Srikanth Deva and Illayaraja’s own son Yuvan Shankar Raja the cine industry is likely to have a long starvation of finest musics. Music spoilers like Srikanth Deva compose noise which suits for slum people who drink and dance on the streets. Infact this was started by A.R.Rahman itself in the song PETTA RAP. That’s why I said that M.S.V and Illayaraja should not be compared with A.R. Rahman. May be you could have compared A.R.R with Deva and certainly not with M.S.V or Illayaraja or R.D. Burman or Naushad or Devarajan or Raveendran (The latter were finest Malayalam music directors).
Sorry for my critical comments. Though you have done a good job in describing M.S.V and Maeastro I feel offended when people compare A.R.R with legends like Illayaraja or Salil Chowdhry. To me his Vande Mataram song is the worst patriotic songs by any Indian music composer.
Anyway I welcome more such articles because everyone has the right to say their opinion and leave it open for discussion.
Bye for now and have a nice day.
Hi….A R RAHMAN’s sucess says it all…no more discussion He is god of music….no comparison with IR.IR had experience for 600 films and ARR only 100..ARR Rocks and is going to rule music world as he is doing…Give him 600 films then see the comparision still no one is comparable with his sucess neither IR or anyone…A R RAHMAN is simply “GENIOUS”…
Excellent trip down the memory lane.. thnx…
I am a huge fan of A.R. Rahman.Yesterday when i listen to the track of Lion King’s ” Who do you love? who do u need when you come undone….” found similarities in opening tune of “Guzarish…” of Ghajini and theme and also background score of the total album.I have heard it several times before come to conclusion ARRahman has copied the tune of “Guzarish…”of the film Ghajini from Lion Kings track.
Now i can say most of the track of the film were inspired by the song of Lion king like “kaise mujhe..”-a track of Ghajini but Rahman somewhere used different tempo & also used different instruments to make it bollywood type.
Some variation was made by putting some new tune and feelings to it.
But it fails to prove original. This may be the work load that made him doing that. But a legend like him should not do this.
Just follow the link>>>>>>>>Listen to it and beleave it…
http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=krTQI8WFY5U
great post! the list of songs gave me goosebumps and now i am lookin for my ipod!
a very erudite and lucid piece of work rangan, I have been following rahman’s work from his dileep days, right from nemesis avenue concerts. It irritates me to blinding rage when the comparison games bubble up in forums. The two, IR and ARR are diametrically opposite when it comes to approaching a song, ARR follows the KISS principle and then build layers and layers above and below it, if anyone works on computer based sequencing like logic, cakewalk etc would know where i come from. IR’s mind brims with multi layered conversations of multiple instruments when he thinks of a song. This comes from his initial years as an arranger, thinking up of musical pieces to embellish the composer’s basic direction. years of classical influence, especially baroque counterpoints fused with carnatic ragas, Raja discovered a new sound. No doubt Salil choudhary’s influence of bringing western orchestration with an indian sensibility was evident in Raja’s early work, but raja was the owner of his own sound, much like rahman later. The common binding character of both was a sense of spirituality they bring into work. As professionals we all know how divine it would be to have our minds blank and clear when we are out to accomplish a task, its tough, but both these guys have managed to see the bird’s eye like arjuna.. or like a tendulkar or a michael schumacher.. nothing but the game.. no cheering crowds, no fame can come in way of the divine dedication to express through music. I don’t know if you guys feel it, you can hear god talk to you at times through sublime pieces of music, maybe musicians are used as the medium of the gods to speak to us.
Wonderful post sir as always [:)]
Reading your posts always makes me run short of words(especially adjectives as I get flummoxed about which adjective would suit the post the most as later I might feel that they have done injustice)..
Did you happen to hear the latest album ‘connections’?
Could not believe that someone else also has Khamosh Raat and Do Kadam aur sahi on his Rahman’s fave list.
My brother once sang Khamosh Raat in an Antakshari and his friends dismissed the song as his ‘dimaag ki upaj’
And anyone who borrows my mobile to copy or listen songs is forced to listen Do kadam aur sahi.
And now, its Mann Chandre
Loved your description of Hariharan opening vocal in Nahin Saamne. ‘Dil gira dafatan’ from Dilli 6 seems to have the singer in a similar predicament.
I’d written about my own top 10 list from amongst rahman’s hindi tracks. If i had to re-do it today, would definitely get Masakkalli in there somewhere…
http://fanapart.blogspot.com/2007/11/ten-best-ar-rahman-film-tracks_09.html
#
Hi….A R RAHMAN’s sucess says it all…no more discussion He is god of music….no comparison with IR.IR had experience for 600 films and ARR only 100..ARR Rocks and is going to rule music world as he is doing…Give him 600 films then see the comparision still no one is comparable with his sucess neither IR or anyone…A R RAHMAN is simply “GENIOUS”…