Most memorable ARR Songs - Vol 1.

Baradwaj Rangan has celebrated fifteen years of AR Rahman. Now, I belong to a generation that really grew up with A R Rahman. I was a sprightly young kid of 10 when ARR released Roja, and my four years of Engineering college would best be described as two years of ARR and two years of Ilayaraja (I wouldn’t be accused of blasphemy now, God’s name has been mentioned in this post celebrating music!) Indeed, I spent my fifteen opinion building years with ARR’s music and hence the motivation for a blog that promises to look at how the man actually was an ideal foil to many of my happy, sad, defining, coming-of-age, nostalgic, memorable moments. I am sure the next fifteen years of ARR and similar exalted souls’ music will warrant another blog entry in 2022. But that’s some time away. To cut a long first para short with a summary line –

“I am going to attempt listing my most memorable ARR Songs with wordy explanations that are wordy to convey emotion and not for any other reason. Here is Part 1 of the list. In no particular order – here we go.

1. Kadhal Rojave (Roja)– Sometime in my quarterly holidays of my sixth standard, my parents took me to Bangalore. A trip I still remember for two reasons – firstly that was my first flight journey and the second – AR Rahman. It was a car journey from Hosur to Bangalore and one of our “well-to-do” uncles was flaunting his car stereo to us. Being the inquisitive, impressionable kid, I asked him to play Roja, which was a chart buster at that time. Sujata’s humming in that dark road and those deep beats still resonate in my mind. It was a song best heard in that kind of situation. Fifteen years on, whenever I see the music video – I replace the poignant and emotional Mani Ratnam shot visuals with Harish, his dad, mom and uncle driving on that traffic-less Bangalore (!) road.
2. Haira Haira – Thanks to Ganesh Natarajan for reinventing this song. This song symbolizes the joys of being a sixteen year old adolescent. Aishwarya Rai dressed up so tastefully by Shankar, and described by all the finest poetry of Vairamuthu. It makes ARRs job of setting it on tune easy isn’t it? For lines like “50 kg tajmahal” “Pocket sizeil vennilavu” “Ottrai kaalile pookkal nirpadhu un koondhalil ninraadatthaan”, Vairamuthu is the hero of this ARR creation!
3. Sonnaalum Ketpadhillai (Kaadhal Virus) – This is one song I so associated myself as I grew out of college crushes. For the 20 year old Harish, Harini singing “Kadaisiyil kalandhen kadale” was her complicity to accept my proposal! I so seemed to think that Harini was the voice of my college crush. Such were the days. The flute in the beginning of the song played to my twenty year old tunes. Ah! What bliss.
4. Azhage Sugama (Paarthale Paravasam) – I think Mr. KB had the song in mind when he named the film. It is completely “Kettaale Paravasam”. Paravasam on hearing those Ganesh Kumaresh violin interludes. Paravasam on Srinivas’ effortless innovation during the song. Paravasam on seeing Simran’s suggestive beauty on screen in an otherwise pointless movie. Paravasam on hearing my favorite Sahana given such amazing treatment by the real hero. ARR. My third and fourth year of Engineering would have been incomplete without this song.
5. “Vellai Pookkal” (Kannathil Muthamittaal) – Mr. Girish, my parents and I had just played Side A of the just released Kannathil sound track on my 70W PMPO BPL Tape recorder circa 2002. And for 5 minutes no one spoke. The dour walls of my house seemed to accentuate the effect. It was a deathly silence. All of us at the end were looking at each other and grinning in bliss. ARR’s voice set to the beautiful Hamsadwani aided by some powerfully simple guitars is all it takes to elevate mundane lives. Ofcourse – lines like “Malare sombal muritthu ezhugave” add to the pleasure. I used to laugh at people who glorified cute kids. No more.
6. Dating – Boys. 2003. My ARR godfather, Mr. Girish had just left for Singapore. And what a tonic to help me cope with his absence! I was completely bowled over by the brilliant juxtaposition of English and Tamil lyrics. And what wordplay. Shankar is the king of extracting wordplay! Muga naga natpadhu natpalla nenjin thaga naga natpadhu natpaagum. Karka kasadara karpavai kattrapin marakka cheivadhu Love aagum. Thiruvalluvar needs to learn from these guys! Blaaze was Rahman’s greatest contribution to India after Vande Mataram I used to think!
   
7. Varaaga Nadhikaraiyoram – Sangamam 1999. The energy in the song got me addicted instantly. I cant remember the number of times I rewinded and replayed the song the day it got released. This I must say was my discovery of the love I had for Qawwali and Shankar "Breathless" Mahadevan.
8. Zikr – Bose (2005) – This is when I died a million deaths over two months. The song I have shut doors, windows, switched off lights in the room for. To focus on the divine rendition. I experienced my first high in life over this song – Before I ever got high on Alcohol. Maafi Qalbi Ghairullah indeed.
9. Mellisaye – Mr. Romeo (2001-2002). The years indicate my addiction to the song. Mr. BK and I got hooked to this flowing composition mainly for Srinivas’ shining performance and the Ilayarajaesque flavor to this ARR song. This song was Srini’s debut for ARR on a lead role. And what a start.
10. Anbenra Mazhaiyile – Minsara Kanavu (1996). I was in Raipur visiting cousins on a summer vacation. Young Vasudha (an aspiring singer) was singing this unbelievably divine song on Bajaj Sapthaswarangal. Fervent shopping later, I listened with my cousin to this outstanding piece of rendition by Anuradha “Under utilized” Sriram. I had to include this on my ARR tribute. ARR has that divine streak in him. This song seems to vindicate it.

To be continued.