Anything about IR found on the net - Vol 3

counterpoint wrote: A lot among us feel that way, that IR's good or great numbers have been sporadic at best this last decade.

Can I please ask, who those "lot among us"? How one determines if IR has been sporadic in last decade? Just by temporary hit status? I came up with this list of memorable songs from 2007-2016 (if that is the definition of last decade). I was being very strict and heartless in filtering out many gems. If I have not listed any songs against a film then those can be conveniently skipped.  I can certainly tell that "those lot among us" would not even have cared to listen to these, but yet would happily come to a conclusion that IR was sporadic, just like the above quote.

Ajantha (elliruve swarave, thoorigai indri vannangal indri, yaarum thodatha ondrai)
Anumanaspadam (prati dinam, ninu vethiki, kuyilalo, mallello illello)
Cheeni Kum (all three songs)
Inime Naangathaan
Maayakkannaadi (konjam konjam, oru maayalogam,ulagile azhagi neethaan)
Sooriyan (vasantha nilavin, sabdhamayi)
Sunny (Adharam Adharam, Ninu Kore, Sayankala Sandhya Raaga)
Vinodayathra (kaiyeththa, akki kokki, mandara poo mooli)
Dhanam
InnathE Chintha Vishayam (manasaliro poo mala, kasthuri pottu)
KangaLum Kavi paaduthE (maalai nila, sollum varai kaadhal)
Malleppoovu (mallepoovulo, chandamama, gaajula)
SMS (kadapurathu, marachonnu, ponathevide)
ULiyin Osai (pulakindra, aganthaiyil, abinayam kaatugindra)
Azhagar Malai (ulagam ippo, karugamani, enna senjaalum)
Bhagayadevatha (all three songs)
Bhagyadha Balegaara (nannane noduvanu, chenduli)
Chal Chalein
Jagan Mohini (ponmani theril, nilavu varum neram)
Kaadhal Kathai
KannukkuLLE (enge nee sendraalum)
Mathiya Chennai (unnai patri sonnaal)
Naan Kadavul (kannil paarvai, om sivoham, pitchai paathiram, maa ganga)
Nandhalaala (mella oornthu, onnukkonnu thunaiyirukkum, thaalattu kEtka naanum, kai veesi)
Nannavanu (Om sivoham, mothalane baari)
Om Shanthi (china polike, flying on the moon, Om shanthi)
Paa (mudhi mudhi/udhi udhi/gali mudhi, hichki hichki, gumsum)
Pazhassi Raja (all songs)
Prem Kahani (yaarvivanu, rangu rangu, kogile koogu baa, shrungara)
Vaalmiki (kooda varuviya, oli tharum, thendralum maruthu, ennada paandi)
Ayyan (yenekkena oruthi, manasoram)
Suryakanthi (mouni naanu, edaya bagilu)
Gaayam 2 (endukamma prema prema, andala lokam)
Kadha Thudarunnu (aaro padunnu, mazhamega chelin)
Azhagarsamiyin Kuthirai (poovai kelu, kuthikkira)
Hare Rama Hare Krishna
Hello Jaihind (ganjalelya)
Ponnar Shankar (all songs except kOdi kotti)
Sengaathu Boomiyile (kaathiruppen, en usiru, sikkikichu)
Sneha Veedu (all songs)
Srirama Rajyam (all songs)
Thandavakone (kaatu vazhi, neeral udal kazhuvi)
Dhoni (all songs)
Gundello Godhari/Maranthen Mannithen
Mayilu (yathe, kirukki, thukkamenna thuyaramenna)
Neethane En Ponvasantham (all songs)
Prasad (O nanna kanda, oru aramane)
Puthiya Theerangal (all songs)
Nilachoru (kallale senju, kaalaiyile maalai, nandri solla)
Naadi Thudikkuthadi (en poo nenje, en devathai)
Megha (mugilo, kalvane, jeevane)
Mythri (chandranenu chenda)
Onayum Aattukkuttiyum (no songs, score only)
Mudhalvar Mahathma
Oru Oorla (ippadiyum, thaaye vanthaye)
Drishya (devare kelu, onthu katha)
Rudramadevi (auna, punnami, anthapuramlo)
Thalaimuraigal (no songs, only score)
oggarane/Ulavacharu Biryani/Un Samayal Araiyil (all songs)
Touring Talkies
Shamitabh (piddly, sha sha, ishq)
Yevade Subramanyam
Abbayitho Ammayi (all songs)
Tharai Thappattai (all songs)
Ki & Ka
Game (oru manchina bindhu)
Oyee (thendral varum)
Kida Poosaari Magudi (chinna paya vayasu, nee aatukutti, oru kalathula)

It comes to 175 songs in the last 10 years. This is excluding the background scores. If this is sporadic, I agree IR lost it. If any music director comes 10% of this, then I assume IR had lost it.

counterpoint wrote: better than the likes of Charu Nivedita, Gnani and others.

Atleast now it becomes clear where one needs to list him.

V_S

  This is a typical IR fan list. Most listeners in TN, do not listen to his non-Tamil output. I recently had that experience when I travelled to India. I asked the driver of my car to pay my USB drive which had Raja's 21st century music and he could not relate to it at all. He was whining about the current generation MDs, but still did not know that Raja has done some great work in non-Tamil films.

  This driver was able to relate to Kumki (Iman) but not Raja.

  Sad to see GA the same way as that driver

Ravi,
It is slightly different It is not a typical fan list, it is a "recommended" list from an IR fan for others to listen.

counterpoint wrote:there are not amny hits/memorable songs from IR

Also if you see how cleverly 'memorable' songs are clubbed with 'hit' songs with a 'slash'. If we argue for memorable, they will come and bite us that they are not hits, but if we term them to hits, they will come back and say, they are not that memorable, making sure we will never win. They are all caught up with these terms but unable to distinguish one from another.

I have already told in my post that many would not have listened to the list (I gave, even the thamizh songs), but in that case, I would prefer, "those many" not to conclude anything on IR's music. Let time decide. Again some, for political sake, listen prejudicial'ly and dismiss, this again falls to the same category.  The prejudice comes in the form of 'these will not become chartbusters, let us not waste time here', without giving merit to the compositions. That is also fine, but if a person who is IR's brother and who is with him all the time  and who had listened to most of his compositions, but for some personal motives changes his opinions and even letting his brother down for the media, then I condemn strongly.

Purely on TFM (and NOT Telugu / Hindi / Malayalam / Kannada):

Was watching the "selection" for Sun singer the other day (because of my 10 yr old who likes such videos).

I was surprised to see a number of kids sing "vadhana vadhana" song of TT.

Unlike the "engineered programs" (where the TV channel chooses the song and not necessarily the singer), these are events where public stand in line / register and then come in, to sing in front of the judges. So, these are mostly "public's choices".

While most kids sing the songs that are already frequently used on such shows, others pick "current hits" - such as Vijay / Ajith songs. 

Looks like "vadhana vadhana" has got that "current hits" spot

Yes, IR's "hit songs in Thamizh" aren't that many in number in recent years. 

But then, the number of movies he does in Thamizh is not very high either. (~30 in the last decade may be, compared to that many or more in a single year in 70s /80s / first half of 90's). In addition, most of these are very low profile / "may-not-even-release" kind of projects. (Those NEPV / mEghA / TT are exceptions and looks like they have no problem reaching the public anyways).

What I miss in TFM - not just from IR but from any MD - hit songs from obscure movies / non-star movies / unknown movies / flops etc.

I guess that world has changed. 

Now, GA's comment of "after kAtRil varum geethamE, none except NEPV" is nonsense on both counts. 
(Hits - mEghA / TT / other language songs ; Memorable - Personally, I prefer to listen to kunnaththE / kaiyeththA / punnamippoovai / NEPV kind of "recent" songs to even many of my 70s / 80s / 90s favorites! Quantity is less, yes, but musical quality is no less)

Is Raaja out of Pratap Pothen's Malayalam directorial? I sense something like that.

Pratap released quite a few posters about his next movie. It has director, writer, actor and producers' name but not Raaja's. Something gone wrong after Ilaiyaraaja 1000 function. It's just a speculation... 

Balki about IR.........

IRai purinjanvaga.. avarai patri solli kekaradhae oru sandhosham dhan............


https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLSxnoZLKCmoYsPBmvLRaqO03LKvWlOwPp&v=ONV0LA1AepM

from 2.59 to

personally. i am  fond of him.. He is a child...... True...

kuzhandhai dhan.... Feelings and mood ai maraika theriyadhu.. manasil ennavo adhai than express seiyum.............

V_S, I agree it is subjective but most songs in your list wouldn't qualify either as a hit or as a memorable song in my book. Forget "hits" they are anyways tied to success of films these days and IR's films have'nt been doing well at the BO. Gone are the days when his music made the films run, now he needs the films to run well to help his music.  If I take memorable songs(IMO) I am hard-pressed to come up with 5 TFM songs of IR in the last few years that are in the same league as Kalvane kalvane or sattru munbu. I have heard some of his other language songs too and they aren't all that better. I Malaylam he was pretty good in the late 90s, but can you pick a single mallu soundtrack of his in the last decade
that comes anywhere close to Guru or Yathramozhi or kochu kochu santhoshangal? Maybe Pazhassi Raja, maybe. That's about it. In TFM,none. Even NEPV falls short.
Before we criticize GA, let's pause to think whether what if he honestly feels this way?

counterpoint wrote:but most songs in your list wouldn't qualify either as a hit or as a memorable song in my book

As I guessed exactly, you said it. I have expressed what I wanted to. If you cannot find them memorable, I have nothing to say.

As V_S says, the language can confuse. So let us get the language out of the way by defining what we mean by memorable. Before doing that let us accept that Raja has very few 'hits' in Tamil in the recent. It is definitely not zero but is nowhere close to the 'hit' numbers during the 80s and the first half of 90s. Having got that out of the way, we can now talk about music being memorable. 

This is a bit subjective ofcourse. So I will define this from my perspective. I think music is memorable if I keep hearing it regularly after the passage of a decent amount of time, say one year or more? It is memorable if I cherish the musicality in the song, irrespective of how the general audience receives it. It is memorable if I feel happy the moment I hear the prelude of the song and if the musical phrases of the song are imprinted on my mind. As you can see it is very subjective. For me it could be a Raja song and for you a GVPrakash song. 

Added to this I would also say that we need to take into account the musicality of the song. The innovation and experimentation that happen in the song. The melodic construct of the song. The harmonic beauty of the song and the overall unity. These are not subjective but can be objective.

So going by these criteria a couple of months back I picked up more than 30 songs of Raja which fall in these category. The constraints I had on myself were this: 
1) The songs chosen will be between the years 2009 to 2016 (A 7 year span). 
2) Only one song to be chosen from a movie
3) Give representation to all languages

Here is the list:
1. 'kunnathe' - PazhassiRaja (Malayalam) - Super Hit 
2. 'malaiyoram' - Ayyan - Unknown
3. 'avani thumbi' - Sneha Veedu (Malayalam) - Super Hit
4. 'mallepoovu' - Mallepoovu (Telugu) - Not a hit but known
5. 'rangu rangu' - Prem Kahani (Kannada) - Hit
6. 'mudi mudi' - Paa (Hindi) - Hit
7. 'unnai patri sonnal' - Mathya Chennai - Unknown
8. 'enge nee sendralum' - Kannukulle - Unknown
9. 'swapnangal' - Bhagyadevatha (Malayalam) - Super Hit
10. 'chinna polike - Om Shanti (Teluugu) - Known but not a hit
11. 'malar villile ' - Ponnar Shankar - Known but not a hit
12. 'kaiyeththa' - Vinodayatra - SuperHit (along with Mandarapoo)
13. 'kalvane' - Megha - Known but not a hit ('Putham Pudhu Kalai' the new version was hit though)
14. 'sambho siva' - Thandavakone - Unknown
15. 'kaatirupen kaatirupen' - Sengaththu Boomiyile - Unknown
16. 'ennada pandi' - Valmiki - Known but not a hit
17. 'Aaro Padunnu' - Katha Thudarunnu (Malayalam) - Hit
18. 'Saindhu Saindhu' - Nee Dhane En Pon Vasantham - Hit
19. 'Om Sivoham' - Naan Kadavul - Super Hit
20. 'andala lokam' - Gayam 2 - Known but not a hit
21. 'jadadananda karaka' - Sree RamaRajyam (Telugu) - Super Hit
22. 'rajagopuram' - Puthiya THeerangal - Known but not a hit
23. 'e janumave' - Oggarane (Kannada) - Super Hit
24. 'sannata' - Shamitabh(Hindi) - Moderate Hit
25. 'foolishq' - Ki & Ka(Hindi) - Moderate hit 
26. 'nanu neetho - Gundello Godavari (Telugu) - Known but not a hit
27. 'mattallo' - Abbayitho Ammayi (Telugu) - Hit
28. 'chandra neenu chanda' - Maitri (Kannada) - Known but not a hit
29. 'Punnami Poovai' - Rudhramadevi (Telugu) - Major Hit
30. 'thavi thavi' - Dhoni - Moderate Hit
31. 'swalpa soundu' - Suryakanthi (Kannada) - Hit (FM stations play it even now)
32. 'paruruvaya' - Taarai Tappatai  - Hit
33. 'kuthikira kuthikira' - Azhagarsamiyin Kudhirai - Hit

As the list indicates, Raja's hit beyond Tamil is high and that has something to do with the profile of the films. You will also observe that it has not been a flop show throughout in Tamil. 

The question now is 'Are these songs memorable or not?'. My counter question is, 'What can you offer from the 80s that can match the intensity of 'Naan Kadavul' or 'Thandavakone'? What can you offer from the 90s that can come close to NEPV in its intensity? And how many films can match the unadulterted brilliance of the 2000s 'Virumandi'? (BTW, Virumadi songs never became No.1 on any of the top 10 charts but can any song by any MD of that decade match Virumandi? If you think so, you must be hallucinating.

The fact remains that people don't listen to Raja nowadays. His music has been of the same standard or better but we tend to miss it. We don't need to worry about Gangai Amaran. He has his axe to grind. We have our music. We are richer

I have left out some lovely songs (totally unknown) from recent films like 'Touring Talkies', 'Oye', 'Nadi Thudikkudhu', 'Chitiraiyil Nilachoru' etc. Each of these movies contains a few very memorable songs.

Most importantly we must also acknowledge that Raja scored for 'Onaiyum Attukuttiyum' in this period. It is an unexplained mystery as to why he did not get a NA for that score. It was beyond doubt the greatest score for an Indian movie.

Nannavanu .. ella paatum romba nalla irukum. iruku.,... Enidhu enidhu.. super song.....

Prem kahani kannada film.. ella paatum nalla irukum...... Yaarivalu and Yaarivanu.. super songs.

Thanks Suresh ji and Ushaji. After taking considerable amount of time and effort and sincerely putting down a music list standing in others shoes to make them listen a few, but if one comes up with a reply like this:

counterpoint wrote:but most songs in your list wouldn't qualify either as a hit or as a memorable song in my book

counterpoint wrote:I am hard-pressed to come up with 5 TFM songs of IR in the last few years that are in the same league as Kalvane kalvane or sattru munbu

counterpoint wrote:can you pick a single mallu soundtrack of his in the last decade

counterpoint wrote:Maybe Pazhassi Raja, maybe

counterpoint wrote:I have heard some of his other language songs too and they aren't all that better

counterpoint wrote:That's about it. In TFM,none

counterpoint wrote:Even NEPV falls short

He does not deserve any kind of response in this forum. பேருக்கு ஏத்த மாதிரி நடந்துக்குறாராம்.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBUQ2fGJHSQ

SPB Charan about Airtel Tune Controversy | SP Charan Exclusive Interview | Heartist | Bosskey TV

Non-Tamil S.Janaki Solo songs Playlist! Mallu Kannada Telugu songs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzpBZBrY4P0&list=PLv_gMOB_8Qj0wW16bsVy_LZ_deF1_V-8r

NIce one from Saravanan about Devan Thiruchabai malargalae.....

http://newdhool.blogspot.in/search?updated-min=2016-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&updated-max=2017-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&max-results=8

Usha wrote:NIce one from Saravanan about Devan Thiruchabai malargalae.....

http://newdhool.blogspot.in/search?updated-min=2016-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&updated-max=2017-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&max-results=8

Have you noticed that in the second interlude of "guru charaNam charaNam nAdhA thiruvadi charaNam" song of IR's magnum opus album Guru (Mal), there is some kind of reminiscence / acknowledgement of dEvan thiruchchabai malargaLE?

Here is the Guru song (check at about 3 min):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7N4zFep4SS4

app_engine wrote:

Usha wrote:NIce one from Saravanan about Devan Thiruchabai malargalae.....

http://newdhool.blogspot.in/search?updated-min=2016-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&updated-max=2017-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&max-results=8

Have you noticed that in the second interlude of "guru charaNam charaNam nAdhA thiruvadi charaNam" song of IR's magnum opus album Guru (Mal), there is some kind of reminiscence / acknowledgement of dEvan thiruchchabai malargaLE?

Here is the Guru song (check at about 3 min):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7N4zFep4SS4

amam app.. iruku dhan........... therinjavanga endha madhirii yen nu confirm panninal paravailai.....

Guru Charanam... S... reminiscence iruku dhan. thanks for sharing app...


Devan thrichabai malargalae.. paatu video vil... oru kannda paatil indha madhirii guitar work varudhu.. adhu IR assistant aga work\
seidha podhu play seidhadhu endru...........

indha paatu vandha podhu... IR ku potta letteril.. Sholay madhirii irukae endru kaetu iruparngal.... adharku IR bhadhil.. ennoda tune matum dhan
naan pottu iruken enbadhu pola bhadhil thandhu irupar....
apo enna artham.. Sholay piece ivaradadhu endru ninaikiren.........

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwWILy5C1NI

kalyana thennila from Violin Vicky...

'Quite a melody to play, especially on a delayed start with bass on full count.. ஆனா ரசிச்சி வாசிச்சேன்.'


Left hand notes......... something Great... crazy...... Beautifully dominating.........

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bO-PzKaRfSE

V_S wrote:

It comes to 175 songs in the last 10 years. This is excluding the background scores. If this is sporadic, I agree IR lost it. If any music director comes 10% of this, then I assume IR had lost it.

In a way it is.  Because while 175 in 10 years is an impressive number, the number would be way higher if we did a similar exercise for the 80s.  I know, the 80s are not coming back but IR is defined by the 80s in popular culture so people will keep measuring his work in comparison to the 80s.  I have heard opinions from some members on this forum that they would even take his current work over the 80s and I would respectfully disagree.  We all have our tastes.  I don't blame IR; he's not getting enough good projects anymore and he makes a fist of his chances.  People are just evaluating him by unrealistic standards but that's normal with someone as successful as IR.  I mean, MOST of the memorable Tamil songs I have heard from the last 10 years are by IR (make that nearly ALL if we narrow it further to last 5 years).  Instead of comparing his current work to the 80s and putting him down, people should regard his work as an oasis in the creative desert of current TFM.  Of course GA has his own axe to grind.  Even Ravi had expressed surprise that he wasn't invited to the programme.  Whatever be their personal conflicts, at least GA's contribution during the years they were together should have been respected and celebrated.  Not a word on MR and again not surprising at all.

IR's sharing........... enna achu rajaku........ ana..asaiya kaekarar...... audiance comments.. (gavaninga.. Fans comments ilai.hahhaha)

onnum puriyala.
not good. dont listen.... siricha mugama.. solrar......... nalla irukukna kaetutae irunga nu.....

parkalam.. enna aradhunu...... IR's speech mudinja piragu.. varum.. tune. so soothing.................

idhu present Raja style.. i feel....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzhqKy8m2yI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8xYKEirzaA

Trailer... IR's bgm pesaradhu......... really so sweet....

Love and Love Only..

thani thread start pannalam app.......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSFyWEyUeA8

Nammai polave IRai purindhu kodnu solgirar......... Nice....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gD-GBHkr7I

crimson king wrote:Instead of comparing his current work to the 80s and putting him down, people should regard his work as an oasis in the creative desert of current TFM.

Exactly well said! Again, எதோ  80sனு ஈசியா சொல்லிடறோம். Close to 500 films and 2500 songs sir and those scores. நாம இதுல இன்னும் பாதி கூட நாம கேட்டிருக்க மாட்டோம். வாழ்நாள் முழுக்க கேட்டா கூட முடிக்க முடியாது. இதுல ரிபீட் மோட் வேற, மத்த சாங்குக்கு போக முடியாத படிக்கு. அன்னைக்கு உட்டதெல்லாம் இன்னைக்கி தேடித்தேடி கேட்டுட்டிருக்கோம். விடாது கருப்பு மாதிரி. Raja's 80s is not like others 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s or 2000s or 2010s. Whatever opinions we form on Raja's 80s is itself based on some 300-400 popular songs. The problem is when they equate his 80s to others as if both are same which is basically wrong. His 80s are equivalent to more than 10 decades of music contribution where we will not be even alive to completely grasp all these.

If you see others, they have an easy and comfortable living with enormous reputation, even when they are compromising so much on composing skills, art and everything, but here Raja is torn into pieces every time even among us without even realizing what he has contributed. All I am saying is, மொதல்ல மத்த 80sலாம் கேட்டுட்டு வருவோம். அப்புறம் நம்மக்கு lifeல டைம் இருந்தா we will start criticizing his recent works. Till then happy listening!

at least GA's contribution during the years they were together should have been respected and celebrated.

I totally agree and all credit to App ji for covering his works in detail in this forum.