Raja's New Albums

True, in "thelisi theliyindhina", the first bgm sax and the lead guitar in the second interlude are definite Raja age defiers . I particularly love a tiny bass groove that pops up just once in the pallavi return, at the trail of the first line "thelisi theliyindhina" . Keep wondering why this man just employed such a captivating bit only once in the song.
Somehow the very imaginative "indha porappu dhaan...." kind of opening lines have deterred me from venturing into the thamizh version. Only sundhara Telungu , till now...

ToI review for Telugu ulavachchARu biriyAni

Ulavacharu Biryani's soundtrack is a throwback to the vintage Ilayaraja's style of music. Filled with beautiful raagas and orchestration, the album hits the right notes considering that it revolves around two couples, love and food.

A friend on twitter requested me to write about the dishes that were mention in the Kailash Kher song in Telugu and Kannada. I did a small writeup of that. Maybe with this mind you can enjoy the melody more

Another album!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmZdi1SmApw

The link has IR speech at audio launch

Heard it's not IR for Myskkin's next movie   . Is this true?

Fring,

Very much true.

Both Bala and Myskin are great actors  People like Balu Mahendra were the ones who were really Raja's friends. GVM was very genuine but unfortunately he had major business issues after that movie.

fring151 wrote:Heard it's not IR for Myskkin's next movie   . Is this true?

One possibility : rAsA chased him off with a big price tag...(how to serve free meal for all projects?)

Raaga_Suresh wrote:Fring,

Very much true.

Both Bala and Myskin are great actors  People like Balu Mahendra were the ones who were really Raja's friends. GVM was very genuine but unfortunately he had major business issues after that movie.

Suresh

  And you have another great actor and friend - KH  

ravinat wrote:And you have another great actor and friend - KH  

Nice one Ravi!   

.....and we haven't even touched on the real friends - VM, KB and BR.

app,

I heard that they didn't approach him at all.

ravi,

But I personally feel KH has been honest about the change being mainly for commercial reasons and even today his respect for Raja is genuine. I am OK with this because you have to survive in cinema commercially. The problem with Bala / MYskin type is not only do they praise Raja they make it sound like they cannot make a film without Raja. This is where I get pissed off. If they say we respect Raja's music but for various reasons may not be able to get him as our MD for every film, that would be fine. It is this over praising as if they cannot survive without Raja which is the big problem.

Anyway, it doesn't matter. We already have Bala's movie and ofcourse Raja gave us such a great score for OA. So no regrets.

Everyone's decisions are defensible and pragmatic depending on which side one is emotionally invested in  

Raaga_Suresh wrote:app,
I heard that they didn't approach him at all.

அப்படியா? தகவலுக்கு நன்றிஜி!

Time for some blA-blA...

That's not unusual for Myskin - to go to others whenever he does some "non-serious" movie and come to rAsA only for "real-stuff". (Post NL, he went back to K for mugamoodi, for e.g.) Per my observation, he had been open about it and does not confuse that with his rAsA-adulation. (After all, all his BO successes were non-IR-music films only ; also, he didn't start with rAsA or owe him anything to whatever his current market is, which is unlike Bala).

In Bala's case, IMO, he had committed blunders post NK (in his choice of MD's for those two musical disasters) and it is good that he came back to rAsA. It's something like "மனம் திருந்திய மைந்தன்" :lol:Hope he stays that way

One thing - these two are not actors IMO. Their rAsA appreciation & not signing him up are not mutually exclusive. They are quite compatible, considering their lower-level status in the business.

OTOH, KH telling "commercial compulsions" is a JOKE!

I don't think there's greater "commercial value" for Devi Sriprasad or Shankar-Ehsan-Loy or Shruti Hasan as a MD in TF market today, than rAsA. (It's a different equation if KH signs up ARR, Yuvan, HJ, Imman or GVP for a project - those may be the "happening" composers in TFM today but KH doesn't sign them ).

I remember reading a Plum twitlonger on this (Kamal working or not with IR). irundhA share seinga Plum. I'd categorize these folks into a few categories as I see them:

1. True friends who've stuck with Raaja no matter what commercial compulsions say. Balu Mahendra comes to mind. Prakash Raj is comparatively younger and has worked as producer with Raaja for only a couple of films when Raaja has commercially passed his prime but he seems genuine to me. Here's hoping he sticks with Raaja (adhukku padam nalla irukkaNum/OdaNum. kAsu illainA he may stop producing or might move to commercial bright spots). But I do hope
2. True friends who remain good friends who move away every now and then but keep coming to him. Mahendran, Kamal in varying degrees. Would add Mysskin, Bala and GVM to this list too though they are too young to be his friends. More like true fans. They have their commercial interests to mind and come to IR when they feel their script's music can be done justice to only by Raaja. Mysskin and Bala for their scripts and GVM when he made a romantic musical. Films may be in varying degrees of finesse but the director's vision felt it needed Raaja. Like Raaja said on Rajni and Kamal, these folks not coming to him is their loss. But he will happily score for them if they come to him whenever because they share a true personal warmth or admiration with Raaja. And outside their film/commercial compulsions, their admiration of Raaja is very genuine. In fact, Mani Ratnam might just come to the border here. Even as late as the Baradwaj Kongan book, he confessed a deep admiration for Raaja's music even in these days and that he listens to Raaja for peace and has no doubt on Raaja's genius. But the outward coldness from both sides makes him doubtful (and he has moved away for good and is no great commercial shape himself today).
3. Friends who have moved away for good seeing his lack of commercial appeal. Rajni and a number of producer/directors. They are simply in it to make the cash registers ring and they see other avenues which can do that wrt music post 1994/5 and have moved there. Rajni moving to ARR is a similar case. But outward, he maintains a dignified respect to IR which could be very real.
4. VM, KB, BR. No need to explain this troupe.

I am not getting into this again. Nobody owes anyone anything.
For IR himself I think intellectual companionship matters more than our notion of loyalty and friendship.
In the true sense he doesn't have any friends. As Karthikeyan points out when a question about Raja missing their mother is posed, it wasnt like Raja was around to spend much time with her anyway, implying that for Raja music is everything and even relatives are a necessary evil to be endured
(bandha pAsa chERRil vandhu vizhundha degam)

So lets not impose our notions of loyalty on this.

Why KH is different from others is that he provides the intellectual companionship that many others cannot. He is not a musical expert but can talk articulately on various aspects of music. To IR that would matter more than a few commercial offers. That's my surmise anyway.

Note how Raja did Hey Ram despite Kamal going to LS and coming back. Same courtesy wasnt extended to Rajini when he offered muthu or padayappa or baasha or one of those post-veera films. This suggests Kamal doesnt exist in the same category in his mind - and my surmise is it is the intellectual bandwidth match that is at play here.

Still people like Rajkran and Mohan Babu seem to have succesfully established a friendship with him purely on the emotional angle so its not like Raja is an objective devil with a cold heart.
It is a complex subject - after all a human mind is at play and what is more complex machinery than that?

BTW, munk, Prakash Raj has fallen foul of Telugu Film industry - just ahead of Ulavacharu release; pArung namakkunu nadakkum - and a bunch of bigwigs have vowed to finish him off there "namma kitta nalla nadigargaL illaiyA why give chances to outsider like Prakash" nu AramchuttAnga. Ulavacharu Biriyani may be targetted to tank - avanga target paNNalainAlum telugu prekshalu sondhamAvE reject paNnuvAnga adhu vERa vishayam - to ensure Prakash loses any credibility as an actor there.

Essentially, he has been targeted for "arrogance" . So it seems even our telugu brothers are not immune to cynically using "arrogance" to finish off an opponent commercially. It remains to be seen how much they succeed since vidyagarvam is an accepted trait among ordinary telugu fans. Heck they accept arrogance even from the likes of Ram Charan Teja but let's see how this spins out.

Seeing from that angle imagine how much they must have been awed by Raja for even egoistic money bags and directors to prostrate in front of his "arrogance". 

While one can - and I do - place telugu fans and Telugu filmdom on a pedestal for seeing IR as he should be (i.e.) without invoking the arrogance angle, one wonders how much this had to do with the sheer awesomeness of IR and not as I have surmised earlier the large heart of telugu folks

plum wrote:Nobody owes anyone anything.

Fact.

plum wrote:
Note how Raja did Hey Ram despite Kamal going to LS and coming back. Same courtesy wasnt extended to Rajini when he offered muthu or padayappa or baasha or one of those post-veera films. This suggests Kamal doesnt exist in the same category in his mind - and my surmise is it is the intellectual bandwidth match that is at play here.

Plum avargale, I did not know that these post Veera films were offered to our IR.  This is news to me that it was IR who rejected these.

Did anyone listen to போர்களத்தில் ஒரு பூ songs? On my first listen, I was little skeptical as it sounded uninteresting and bland. Then on my second listen, as usual I understood my mistakes. Still need to get a hang of it. First impressions, sorry second impressions here.

எத்தனை எத்தனை கொடுமை இந்த மண்ணில் நடக்குதைய்யோ and விடிவா இது முடிவா are my picks so far. While the former is a typical Raja's song with deep voice and emotions describing helpless situation, விடிவா இது முடிவா is so haunting the way both male and female chorus rendered the song. Silent killer of a song. என்னைத் தேடி வந்து கொஞ்சுகிற இசையே is a veena-guitar driven (solo) melody that did not impress me at first, but I wondered later how I missed such a melody. Lots of rhythm innovations. உன்னை விட்டு எண்ணிப்பார்க்க ஒண்ணும்மில்லை is another sweet lilting melody ideal for a good night sleep. Bavatharini sounds way better in செல்லக்கிளி பேச்சு with 'dead singer' Karthik, but the tune is not that impressive. Definitely she does not sound pale. The song would have sounded better with experienced singers like SPB, SJ or Chitra. With these two singers, the melody content went further down. பச்ச இளங்குருத்தே is too short to go for it. Didn't concentrate much on orchestration, but mostly synth driven.

Plum, yeah broadly agree.

On Prakash Raj in Telugu land and Raaja, I think it has more to do with Raaja's awesome talent more than anything. Because, recently when my dad was there on a project, he was chatting with a few executives in Hyderabad. Talk turned to cinema and when they came to IR, the executives (supposedly elites) referred to him as Guru gaaru. I feel they hold him on a pedestal so high that it is useless for them to think of the arrogance angle. Anything Raaja says or does is looked at with respect there. My dad to add to hype spoke about the 1000th film and all and they were awed about what they called an "one man army". There was hardly any reference to you-know-who despite talk being on South Indian/pan Indian cinema. Prakash Raj by comparison is a far more limited talent (when we look at him with Raaja). So their notions of arrogance may apply to him. They just hold Raaja above all this. A fine case of one society seeing a true genius as he ought to be.

But regarding the current film, if it is pulled down in Andhra because of PR's arrogance, it is unfortunate (not just for IR's sake but an influential coterie ganging up to bring a guy down professionally because of their perceived notion of his personal faults, whatever it may be). eppidiyum TN'la OdAdhu nu nenaikkarEn. Home state only hope for PR.

V_S wrote:Did anyone listen to போர்களத்தில் ஒரு பூ songs?

I liked Chellakili Pechu (the structuring in the charanam was good to me and the prelude struck a chord). adha thavira, Ethanai Ethanai and Pacha Ilankadhire was very effective for me. The rest didn't stick. But that I attribute to the limitations of the film.

Copy pasting what I shared with Prasanna R (from twitter, @prasannar_) over mail on this album:

Pretty certain he's done justice to the director's vision (or rather done justice despite the lack of it) of the script and that's all that should matter as far as the film's music is concerned. I am beginning to realize this off late (post that Ninnai Charan Adaindhen experience for me which I wrote on too) that he primarily serves the needs and emotions of the film/script/situation/lyrics/director first as a film's music director and not our expectation of what good Raaja music is (which none of the other MDs or their fans/maniacs will understand). And he often does this when the director (most directors) lack a solid vision. Just that, scores of countless musical masterpieces (that operate independent of the film/situation justifying numbers despite being one and the same) have spoiled the masses into expecting "enakku idhu dhAn vENum" nonsense which he doesn't bother about. avuru bAttukku avuru pOkkula. Best Karma Yogi hein! So not bothered that 3 songs did not stick here. Considering the budget and the lack of promise from the film, I consider the 3 that stuck as bonuses :-) Expectations ellAm USA, Thaarai Thappattai'ku vechuppOm  

Gui link to p.o.p songs, saar.

kv wrote:Gui link to p.o.p songs, saar.

Mailed it to you. See if you are able to access saar.

Drunkenmunk wrote:

V_S wrote:Did anyone listen to போர்களத்தில் ஒரு பூ songs?

I liked Chellakili Pechu (the structuring in the charanam was good to me and the prelude struck a chord). adha thavira, Ethanai Ethanai and Pacha Ilankadhire was very effective for me. The rest didn't stick. But that I attribute to the limitations of the film.

Copy pasting what I shared with Prasanna R (from twitter, @prasannar_) over mail on this album:

Pretty certain he's done justice to the director's vision (or rather done justice despite the lack of it) of the script and that's all that should matter as far as the film's music is concerned. I am beginning to realize this off late (post that Ninnai Charan Adaindhen experience for me which I wrote on too) that he primarily serves the needs and emotions of the film/script/situation/lyrics/director first as a film's music director and not our expectation of what good Raaja music is (which none of the other MDs or their fans/maniacs will understand). And he often does this when the director (most directors) lack a solid vision. Just that, scores of countless musical masterpieces (that operate independent of the film/situation justifying numbers despite being one and the same) have spoiled the masses into expecting "enakku idhu dhAn vENum" nonsense which he doesn't bother about. avuru bAttukku avuru pOkkula. Best Karma Yogi hein! So not bothered that 3 songs did not stick here. Considering the budget and the lack of promise from the film, I consider the 3 that stuck as bonuses :-) Expectations ellAm USA, Thaarai Thappattai'ku vechuppOm  

I have said similar stuff at various times. I even said Raja is more akin to a musical actor. If film director provides you with a good situation, he can "act" out through a song and take it to an extraordinary level. If the situation is bad, he makes it work and moves on. Any actor knows if the story and dialogues are bad no one can make the scene great, not even a great actor. They can only make it watchable. This is what Raja does most of the time, as he is mostly dished out with  same-old-same-old movies and/or terrible situation. It is stupid to go to Kamalahassan and expect him to drive the whole movie with a terrible script. He is a brilliant character actor who needs a good character to make it great. 

But my god, if the film director ever managed to provide that little spark, then raja lights up a fire, he becomes a musical actor and musical director to put in devilish details in the song. And we go gaga over it. The amazing part is Raja probably spends same time and same effort for producing such a masterpiece and just-listenable song. The underlying material is the driving force for him and doing justice to it is what he believes in. I am also guessing, has come to believe that adding unnecessary musical ideas extraneous to film situation is unwarranted or "over acting". In the audio function, he spoke about violence in music (adding unnecessary sounds to songs). This is a good insight into his thought process.

Anyway, I have given up hope that producers and directors will understand Raja and his methods.

SenthilVinu wrote:

Anyway, I have given up hope that producers and directors will understand Raja and his methods.

Except for some malayali gentelmen. Probably they are senior people and they can bring in their choice of lyricists, lyrics-first composition etc.
And Raja is well matched in the talent/respect dept with these men. So he does good work.
With tamil, either we get sycophants and/or incompetent people. Of course, there is some positive stuff going in.
MR is not necessarily a great director, but he has a good aesthetic sense. BR is better but too egotistic. So there are lots of caveats in the tamil scene.