Best Soundtrack from Maestro's Love subject Films

I have collected all the nominations so far (23 of them). Please verify if all your nominations are listed based on the criteria that two or more votes (as you can see below) is the qualification. Panneer PushpangaL and Raaja Paarvai leads the list with 5 nominations. I have listed in the order of most nominated films. I have added polls now to vote to decide the final winner. I somehow sense a tie between many films, let's see

1. Panneer PushpangaL (Bala (Karthik), V_S, DM, D22_Malar, app_engine)
2. Raaja Paarvai (V_S, DM, fring151, D22_Malar, app_engine)
3. Geethanjali /Idhayaththai ThirudaathE (Bala (Karthik), V_S, D22_Malar, Nerd)
4. PayangangaL Mudivathillai (app_engine, V_S, D22_Malar, app_engine)
5. Punnagai Mannan (SKV, V_S, DM, fring151)
6. Johnny (Nerd, DM, Usha, D22_Malar)
7.  Idhaya Koil (V_S, DM, app_engine)
8. Guna (V_S, DM, D22_Malar)
9. AlaigaL Oiyvathillai (V_S, D22_Malar, app_engine)
10. Nenjaththai KiLLaathE (V_S, fring151, app_engine)
11. KadalOra KavithaigaL (V_S, DM, D22, Malar)
12. Neethaane En Ponvasantham (V_S, DM, Nerd)
13. Naan Paadum Paadal (mythila,  fring151, app_engine)
14. Puthu Kavithai (V_S, DM, D22_Malar)
15. Mouna Raagam (DM, fring151, D22_Malar)
16. Idhayam (V_S, D22_Malar)
17. Mudhal Mariyaathai (app_engine, V_S)
18. Sethu (V_S, DM)
19. Aruvadai NaaL (DM, V_S)
20. KizhakkE pOgum Rayil (Usha, app_engine)
21. Moondraam Pirai (DM, app_engine)
22. 16 VayathinilE (DM, app_engine)
23. Gopura VaasalilE (D22_Malar, Wizzy)

These films, just missed making to the nominations (still if any one votes for any of these, it will be automatically included, before we go for deciding the winner)
Aan Paavam (Nerd)
Varusham 16 (V_S)
Azhagi (V_S)
Enakkaaga Kaathiru (mayilSK)
Athu Oru Kanaa Kaalam (PrasannaR)
Nadodi Thendral (V_S)
Singaaravelan (DM)
Kaadhal Kavithai (V_S)
Eeramaana RojaavE (V_S)
Kizhakku Vaasal (D22_Malar)
Vaidegi KaathirunthaaL (D22_Malar)
Sembaruththi (D22_Malar)
Aavarampoo (D22_Malar)
annakkiLi (app_engine)
ILamai Oonjalaadugirathu (app_engine)
Ninaivellaam Nithya (app_engine)
Thooral Ninnu POchchu (app_engine)
ThendralE ennai Thodu (app_engine)
ILamaikkalangaL (app_engine)
Udaya Geetham (app_engine)


I am yet to hear from app ji for the rest of his list, so does with baroque, jaiganesh, plum, Suresh ji, Aakarsh, Ravi, fring151, crimson king, kiru and others. Please add your nominations soon so that they would qualify for the polls.

Raja Paarvai, Payanangal mudivadhillai, Idhaya Koyil from me for now. 

Good. All these three films are already listed in poll. You may now vote for the best soundtrack from the list

Ok... I voted for Payanangal Mudivadhillai.
It's very tough to select 1  from the 3 albums I have mentioned since all of them have absolutely no single song doesn't get my 100% attention, this day they all serve my emotional needs not to mention rag, lyrics, singing all suited for situations + stand alone gems too.   But Payanangal mudivadhillai, I voted for versatile content, must thank the director for giving Raja such an opportunity. 

anEgamA ellArum ALukku oru padathukku vote adikka pOrOm ellA padamum tie Aga pOvudhu   

V_Sji wrote:
I am yet to hear from app ji for the rest of his list

இப்போவே இத்தனை இருக்கே

இதுக்கு மேலேயும் லிஸ்ட் போட்டா உடம்புக்கு நல்லதா? தெரியலை...என்றாலும், என் பட்டியல் இடும் கடமையை சில நாட்களில் முடிக்க முனைகிறேன்

Despite some unimpressive performance by the lead actor Kannan (who disappeared from the scene thereafter) and lacklustre movie making by BR, the soundtrack kAdhal Oviyam cannot be ignored when talking about the best IR soundtracks on kAdhal in TFM

veLLichchalangaikaL, nadhiyil Adum poovanam, kuyilE kuyilE, nAdham en jeevanE - WOW! The songs are perhaps gold standard for classy numbers of TFM in the romance genre. ('sangeetha jAthimullai' is ok but does not belong here per my personal bias).

The movie had one of rAsA's best & successful efforts in raising the musical taste of TN masses of which I was a part!

Two other BR movies of 80's sure belong here in the club.

mudhal mariyAdhai - much had been written about the songs from time to time in the forums by myself. Recently I featured each of them in the IR-VM thread (all songs got penned by VM, perhaps his career best innings).

And the movie itself got a glorious recap by V_Sji in this thread, fittingly. BR, in his tribute to rAsA in that 1991 deepAvaLi program featured the "flute" speciality of rAsA BGM quite appropriately. There was this tremendous support by the music composer to the vision of the movie maker, resulting in an evergreen treat for the TN masses!

Likewise, kadalOrakkavidhaigaL should not be missing from any rAsA-romance pattiyal

I've saved that 'kodilyilE' number for the concluding spot in the IR-VM accounting thread. One of the best songs EVER in TFM. Add 'adi AththAdi' and we have a top class romantic album. With the other songs and excellent BGM for the ok movie in a nicely set mileau, this soundtrack should easily make it to the top few of this list IMHO. Sathyaraj-Rekha-Ranjini are not really at top levels comparable to other on-screen people that we're talking about (For e.g., NT-Radha combo will hit these for six-sixes in each over) but they did adequate justice in that movie, for the specified parameters...

Mainly for rAsA's sake, KB's punnagai mannan will make it to this list, though the movie is not one of my favourites. Neither is that one worth remembering for Kamal - I would objectively club that along with those kuppais that people recently talked about in twitter (kAdhal parisu kinds).

OTOH, what an album! Evergreen compositions that give the album its own special spot in the TFM hall of fame! Add to that the terrific "theme" (can't count how many times I would have listened to it during those years)!

Let the movie be as dumb as it can be but the "soundtrack" should be in the reckoning for any such exercise!

Three more R Sundarrajan movie soundtracks of 80's need to be included in this discussion (of course I have that R S bias )...

Perhaps the only Vijayakanth movies that can be talked about for a "romance" discussion in TFM

vaidhEki kAthirundhAL - though not totally Vijayakanth romance, it had that terrific rAsAththi onna / rAsAvE onna that would rival any romantic song in the history of TFM!

Add the 'kAthirundhu kAthirundhu' melancholy and Vijayakanth makes it comfortably into this area. The Revathy ones are terrific too (mEgham karukkayilE / indRaikku Enindha AnandhamE / azhagu malarAda).

With the exception of villain portions, the movie is quite an engaging one with lovely BGM pieces as well. (Obviously, most people care about only GM-Senthil stuff and not such nice things from the movie).

amman kOyil kizhakkAlE is another Vijaykanth-Radha love story with arguably the most popular set of songs for ANY Vijayakanth movie in his career. Unfortunately, the movie irritated me to the core. Still, I cannot ignore such a humongous soundtrack from such exercise!

mellath thiRandhadhu kadhavu is one of the sweetest albums ever in TFM, a rAsA-MSV combo exercise. With two very capable & beautiful heroines (Radha / Amala), the director definitely picturized the songs in a fantastic manner ('kuzhaloodhum' picturization one of my all-time-fav's). The movie was so-so but overall a worthy contender.

Of the many sweet movies that Fazil made in 80's in Malayalam, few entered TN (often in distorted shape, only to be saved by rAsA score). 'ennennum kaNNEttandE' was one of them, a nice sweet lovely tale that was only a moderate success in Kerala, but one that became a blackbuster in TN as varusham 16 with Karthik / Kushbu.

That poo pookkum mAsam, pazhamudhir chOlai...well, this soundtrack is emphatically IN

(I haven't watched the Thamizh remake, but per my collegemate-cum-Palakkad-colleague, that was a murder of the original)

MR's mounarAgam is already in the list above and can possibly make it to my list as well - though I wonder if it entirely fits into a "romance" soundtrack. It is more of a dramatic soundtrack

Of course, 'nilAvE vA' is perhaps one of the most romantic lines that any poet can pen! Lovely Vaali excelled in that soundtrack, rivalling rAsA in a worthy manner. 'manRam vandha thenRalukku' is another Vaali special. pani vizhum iravu, chinnachchinna vaNNakkuyil, terrific BGM - the soundtrack has to be IN!

Three soundtracks that belong to the "FOLK-II" genre of rAsA from later part of 80's need to be considered for the all-time-best romance soundtracks IMHO.

I would like to nominate but they may not have many takers. However, just want to record here for the sake of rAsA's excellence and commitment to such low-bud movies featuring not-so-glamorous leads!

grAmaththu minnal had such sophisticated songs ('nee pOgumidamellAm manasu pOguthE mAnE' is easily one of the best romance folk songs of second half of 80's) for an unimpressive movie with unimpressive hero. However, we have innumerable such cases when it comes to accounting for rAsA's works and hence I find it difficult to ignore this.

enga ooru pAttukkAran is another with that terrific 'sheNbagamE'! Add to it such a lovely song as 'madhura marikkozhundhu vAsam' plus some peppy folk numbers, the soundtrack has to be in the reckoning (regardless of how the hero / 1st heroini / 2nd heroini looked or performed)!

enga ooru kAvakkAran is arguably among the best of IR's FOLK-II genre! While the sweet 'thOppOram thottil katti' could not be counted as a romantic number, that 'Asayila pAththi katti' should qualify for a top-ten spot among all folksy romance songs of TFM, IMHO. That way, I want to count this IN! (That Gautami is "kAdhal-iLavarasan-Kamal-certified" is just another bonus to this romance discussion  )

With those few posts, I am done with 80's rAsA soundtracks

It had been a long list, but a personally satisfying exercise

My list so far:

70's
annakkiLi, 16 vayadhinilE, iLamai oonjalAdukiRadhu (3 total)

80's
alaigaL Oyvadhillai, amman kOyil kizhakkAlE, enga ooru kAvakkAran, enga ooru pAttukkAran, grAmaththu minnal, idhayakkOyil, iLamaikkAlangaL, kAdhal Oviyam, kadalOrakkavidhaigaL, MTK, moonRAm piRai, mouna rAgam, mudhal mariyAdhai, nAn pAdum pAdal, nenjaththaikkiLLAdhE, ninaivellAm nithyA, panneer pushpangaL, payaNangaL mudivadhillai, punnagai mannan, rAja pArvai, thenRalE ennaiththodu, thooRal ninnu pOchchu, udhaya geetham, vaidhEki kAthirundhAL, varusham 16
(26 total)

Though it was a nice soundtrack, I had to leave 'anbE Odi vA' out because of not knowing much about the movie. (The youtubes are not that bad...)

90's...

"ஊரு விட்டு ஊரு வந்து, காதல் கீதல் பண்ணாதீங்க
பேரு கெட்டுப்போனதுன்னா நம்ம பொழப்பு என்னாகுங்க?"

Thus advised Gounder in a song in IR's 90's blockbuster karagAttakkAran, thus catagorizing that "dance-centric" movie as basically a romantic tale
(Even otherwise, it pains to imagine grAmarAjan as a qualified dancer to categorize that movie as anything but dance-centric )

With terrific mAnguyilE poonguyilE, indha mAn undhan sondha mAn numbers, the album absolutely qualifies for a top-romance-disc. Add the pathos 'kudagumalai', it completes the quintessential TF romantic soundtrack. The terrific BGM that rAsA treats one with every situation in the movie only adds to the qualifications!

Though I dismiss Ramarajan as none that exciting as a lead or a dancer, his "romance" efforts cannot be that easily dismissed Especially with an "in-form" Kanaga as the lead lady.

karagAttakkAran is definitely a worthwhile "kAdhalan"

App ji
Superb recollection Thanks a lot. It's great you highlighted graamaththu minnal and enga ooru kaavakkaaran. I recently saw graamaththu minnal, yes beautiful songs, not a bad movie, but tragic ending. I will read your posts again leisurely and we will make it to top 25 or top 30 soundtracks and then we will make sure no one wins, all ties   

Appji,
I forgot to add that I saw iLamai KaalangaL last week, but YT only has parts of it not fully   Very nice college-based movie.  Thanks for the recommendation. I am overwhelmed by paada vanthathOr gaanam and isai mEdayil songs. Sasikala   The biggest highlight is the title score and romantic scenes are mainly driven by brass section, when people are shamelessly addressing brass section is gone by early 80s. I am collecting all songs and score which has brass section, thanks to those gifted souls. I will try to get a good quality background score of this film.  Desperately need to listen to the score.

OK.. V_S, I am all ready to vote for Amman Koyil Kizhakkale after a  pleasurable  lunch hr drive now.
One album/day, I may be voting for every album you have nominated!
Is it legal or kalla vote nnu thalliduvelaa? 

App ji,
From your list of nominations, kadalOra kavithaigaL, mudhal mariyaathai, punnagai mannan, mouna raagam are already in the poll. We are good

kaadhal oviyam, vaidegi kaathirunthaal, amman koyil kizhakkaalE, mellath thiranthathu kadhavu, varusham 16, karagaattakaaran, graamaththu minnal,  enga ooru paattukaaran
enga ooru kaavakkaaran are not in the poll.

Varusham 16 already nominated by only by me so far, so now with your nomination, it will go the polls, yahoo! Similarly Vaidegi  KaathirunthaaL already nominated by D22_Malar so this will also go into polls with your nominations. Just now baroque mentioned about voting for amman kOyil kizakkaalE, so considering that as a nomination, we will include this film too.

Definitely out of the the remaining films (kaadhal oviyam,amman koyil kizhakkaalE, mellath thiranthathu kadhavu, karagaattakaaran, enga ooru paattukaaran, enga ooru kaavakkaaran), I have not seen mellath thiranthathu kadhavu and enga ooru kaavakkaaran. Definitely, we cannot compare the music in these films as everything is extra-ordinary and special. I will vote for karagam after much thought mainly because of its popularity, though I don't want leave others alone  What to do?

Now we have 27 soundtracks in the poll. We can still add three more (that's the limit we have set for any poll) if we have more number of votes. Come on, come on!

baroque wrote:OK.. V_S, I am all ready to vote for Amman Koyil Kizhakkale after a  pleasurable  lunch hr drive now.
One album/day, I may be voting for every album you have nominated!
Is it legal or kalla vote nnu thalliduvelaa? 

True, the list is itself huge as Wizzy pointed out, it is definitely not possible to leave anything. That's the core strength in Maestro's works. But once we made a decision and voted, that's final. Sorry about that.  

seri.. 

Vote-achu.... 

app,
 ipadi list pottu  solli.. ella padthukum vote poda asai varudhae...........  onum puriyala..

nejama romba kashtam.. oru vote ngaradhu................. 

V_S,
  
 inum padam add aga poradha.. ada kadavulae........  

padamum best aga irukanam.. paatum best aga irukanam.. ipadi mind ai set panni iruken........ 

Ithayam , no votes? sob &   I was the 1st one to vote for it. Ithayam! Ithayam! pom:pom:

1 person can vote one movie only? Konjam leniency kudungga saar, kanfusion;