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We have come to the title song of the film. There were so many film songs composed for children. If a song for a child is sung by a mother or father it comes very special. Maestro has rich history in this domain; bommukkutti ammaavukku aaraaro, thaazhampoovE kaNNurangu, azhagiya kaNNE, thEnE thenpaandi meenE, nin manasin, O nanna kanda to name a few in this theme, but each one is different in terms of situation and mood. The uniqueness about this song is it does not bear/convey any past bitterness nor the future gloominess. It conveys a simple and true love of a parent to his child, as the lyrics says so. Somehow it registers me as a father song rather than a mother song, don't know why. The song strikes the right chords in us right from the first time we listen to it, that's the reason we fall flat. I didn't have to force myself to press rewind button just because it is from Maestro. My hand and mind automatically went for it after my first listen. That's how Maestro's songs are for me. Here the main reason being the tune is so soothing, free-flowing and easy on ears that it immediately captured my heart, with no second thoughts.

This song was composed in a beautiful morning raagam Sindhu Bhairavi which has her ancestor from up north. While we hear milEn sur mEra tumhara, jeena yahaan marna yahaan from north, Maestro has given a true identity to the raagam which even the pundits from North would appreciate and even educate themselves on what this raagam has to offer, more than they know. Maestro has travelled so far from annakkiLi unnai thEduthE to kalyaanamaam kalyaanam (Mayilu) in this raagam which no one has ever ventured. He completely revolutionized and localized the raagam which can never be called as just Sindhu Bhairavi, it is 'Raajaa's Sindhu Bhairavi' and thereby rechristening Sindhu Bhairavi as his own daughter. He rightly choses this raagam to sing about his daughter.

The prelude might sound ordinary at the first hearing, but please listen to it closely to grasp the nuances. The lead and bass guitar (synth that is) portions are lovely. Subtle touch of cymbal @00:09, gliding chord progression, the counter-point of lead and bass guitar from 00:24 which leads to pallavi is the hallmark, which we normally fail to notice. No one arranges these many layers in synth. The pallavi starts with a heavy backing of percussion. It is amazing to hear tabla and synth pad amalgamate to give a combined new sound. Tabla sound is not fully heard, we get to hear a little sample of it and it joins with the electronics, superb innovation there, as Maestro trying to amalgamate oil and water and coming out successfully.

Through this song, first time I am hearing Haricharan's original voice, having screamed his way out frequently without realizing what kind of songs he should be singing. The way Haricharan sings it, we can feel the warmth, but all credit to Maestro for finding his inner strength and true voice. I love Maestro's improvisation in anu-pallavi; enakkaaga maNNil vantha, enkaagaaga 'intha' maNNil vantha. Not to miss the chord progression during en thangamE vairamE sellamE with added jalatrang sound to give that gentle water splash on our face.

Hear how he starts the interlude right before Haricharan finishes the pallavi. While he is singing karpoora deepam kaattum deivam illa nee, he starts his piano for the interludes. I agree for this kind of melody, a melting flute would have enhanced the mood, but Maestro opted for dry interlude with synth guitar, piano and mild synth percussion, but he made it up for the dryness at the end of the interlude by adding vibraphone/jalatrang sounding like a rain droplet dropping on a vessel, sweeping out the dryness and soaking us in a mild drizzle. When I too was thinking about the dryness (like you), Maestro springs a surprise in the second interlude straight-away by starting with jalatrang and made me wet thoroughly. While I was enjoying the rain, he follows it up with a short flute passage which I was longing (as I mentioned in the first interlude) for. None other than Maestro read my mind thoroughly. I agree it may not be Maestro's best when it comes to interludes, but this is the maximum he can do given the kind of melody and the constraints. Most others would have runaway given the constraints.

I always wait for that BIG beat just before the charanam starts. Thundering beat that is! That heavy beat carries the charanam on its shoulder. This charanam yet again proves why Maestro is at the helm when it comes to giving the melody its depth and sweetness at the same time. We might have heard some good compositions where it has depth but lacks sweetness and vice versa or lacking in both (in the name of experimentation). When he starts the chararam on a high; 'kannukkutti nee thuLLi Odina, kannu pattudum sonna solla kELamma' I anxiously wait for Haricharan to sing the word 'sonna' to get goosebumps. He just glides through. This is the bhaavam I was talking about which gives mere words and notes their life. Please hear how he sings that word with a gliding small sangathi and brings it down to get to the next word 'solla'. The next interesting phrase comes immediately from Haricharan when he sings 'nee azhagu' in the next line ('theru vanthu ninna kooda nee azhagu, minnal vanthu pOnal kooda neethaan azhagu'). koLLai azhagu when he sings that. I hear him sing those words again and again. He improvises in the next line with neethaan azhagu, wonderfully constructed by Maestro. Hear the same lines and words by Priyadarshini and compare how she fairs. She definitely fell short of life in those words. It is amazing to know Maestro does all this in a flash and we talk about it for our life time and generations to come.

I love this line in second charanam; 'pottu vechcha chiththiramE nee enakku pOthum, vatta nila neethaan endru un azhaga paadum'. In the next line; 'yaanai mEla nee amarnthu valam varanum, naan eppo eppo kEttaalum nee varam tharanum' nicely fits the tune compared to the line 'ammaannu onna naanum koopiduven, enga ammava appo appo nenachikkuven' in the first charanam which doesn't quite fit well. The finish line; en thangamE vairamE sellamE (selvamE) is so enticing with that descending chords and rolling pearl sounds, absolute merry to listen. Those are divine words brought to life by Maestro, Vaalee sir, Haricharan and Priyadarshini.

My wicked mind speaks now, so please bear with me. Some nitpicking about lyrics and singing. Charnam starts off well but the lyrics is inconsistent. It is good at places, but very ordinary in other places. Ex: 'nee seikooli sEthaaram illaatha', 'yaanai meal nee amarnthu valam varanum naan eppo eppo kEttaalum nee varam tharanum'. Same way in first chararam, 'ammaannu onna naanum koopiduven, enga ammava appo appo nenachikkuven'. Very powerful lines; 'I will call you my mother and remember my mother', but I don't feel that power when he/she sings it, may be it could have been coined differently to get the impact. It doesn't fit to the tune as well. But on the other hand, the second charanam lines fits in nicely. The words 'appo appo' is correct there and in sync with how we talk colloquially. But in second charanam, 'naan eppo eppo kEttaalum nee varam tharanum', we don't repeat 'eppo eppo' in this context. The second 'eppo' was added just to fill the tune there and it didn't quite gel well. Another issue is the diction by Priyadarshini at certain places are not good, eventhough she brought the (different) mood. Please hear Haricharan singing 'valam varanum varam tharanum' and compare how Priyadarshini sings. He sings clearly and correctly. She sings valOm varanum varOm tharanum' which takes away some interest in listening to her version. Same way during the last line of charanam; 'nee vEnum nizhalaaga vaazhOnum', the word vaazhOnum sticks like a sore thumb as we suddenly hear a Coimbatore slang vazhOnum instead of 'vazhanum'. Even if vazhanum, it does not fit the tune as the tune just needed a 'kuril' there. May be because Maestro added this word intentionally for his Coimbatore friend and the director

Even with all those nitpicking, the song brushes everything aside and carries through beautifully because of the way the tune is structured and the way it flows out effortlessly. We can certainly feel this kind of honey-soaked melody can never be achieved on a trial and error basis or on any rework to make it perfect. As and when it got reworked the essence and soul is already lost, as we don't get the continuity what we got here. This tune is like a bullet fired off the gun, it is that straight. It is an inimitable straight drive from Sachin. Other cricketing shots can be manipulated or pre-meditated, but not the straight drive. How many times we watch him play the straight-drive, it does not bore us, it is so elegant and delightful to watch every time. Another interesting fact about straight drive is it every earthy as it does not float in air even for a couple of seconds like other shots. It stays and kisses the ground all the time right from the time it leaves the bat. Same way this song is that straight and earthy that it leaves Maestro only to reach and kiss each one of our hearts. A father's song blessed by our father!

Very Happy Birthday to Maestro! We need many more straight drives like this from you for centuries to come!