Kuselan songs - GVP squanders golden opportunity

When G.V.Prakash was signed up for Kuselan as the MD, it did not come as a surprise, for 2 reasons - 1) his good showing in most of his albums and 2) in keeping with the low profile nature & release date of the movie. But I was doubly sure of one thing - that the songs would somehow come out well. And today after listening to the songs, though that feeling of satisfaction comes through in patches, one can also not deny the fact that unfulfilled expectations is what one would describe about this album.

As a Thalaivar fan, more than the music, it is the lyrics that I look forward to, in all of his songs and in that aspect, Kuselan simply rocks. I can already visualize how Thalaivar fans would be during these songs. The music in all the songs are adequate, playing its role to perfection in highlighting the lyrics. Now, over to the songs.

Perinba pechukkaaran is easily the pick of the songs, for me, though the beats readily remind you of the Veyilodu uravaadu by the same composer. Again, it is the lyrics that made me go for it, as the pick of the album. Some of my favorite lines from the song:

பேரின்ப பேசுக்காரன் யாரு யாரு கூறப்பா
கைப்பிள்ளை கூட சொல்லும் Superstar தானப்பா

ஆனந்த மூச்சுக்காரன் கூறு கூறு யாரப்பா
கேக்காம நாடே சொல்லும் Superstar தானப்பா

Cinema Cinema - Thalaivar's supposed intro song starts off with the gradnuer that one has come to expect in a Thalaivar intro song. But then there is something missing. Call me old fashioned or someone who resists change, I just cannot take an intro song without SPB. Though Shankar Mahadevan has done a decent job, I still miss SPB. The song just goes into detail all the pain that is involved in making a movie and that is what I liked about this song. It has a central theme around which the lyrics of the entire song have been written. And even while doing that, it sings praises of Thalaivar, mentioning few of Thalaivar's film names in the process.

எவரும் உழைச்சா உயர்ந்திடலாம் என்று எடுத்து காட்டுவது Cinema தான்
அதுக்கு யாரு இங்க சாட்சியின்னா அது வேற யாரு நம்ம தலைவரு தான்

அவர் உருவம் பாரு எளிமை
அந்த எளிமை தான் அவருக்கு வலிமை

தலை கனத்த்திடாத தலைவன்
எங்கள் அண்ணன் மட்டும் தான்

The last 2 lines is sure to send any Thalaivar fan into uncontrollable bouts of frenzy.

Om zaaraare - given the length of the song, I am guessing this is the song that Thalaivar comes in 20 get-ups. Daler Mehendi sure does brings the energy into the song and his pronounciation is exactly what we have come to expect (& live with) from these North Indian singers. The notable aspect of this song is the mention of Thalaivar's movies in the lyrics. Some of my favorite lyrics from the song:

போக்கிரி ராஜா ராஜா பொல்லாதவன் நீ
அண்ணாந்து யாரும் பார்க்கும் அண்ணாமலை நீ
வீரா நீ மாவீரன் தான் பாயும் புலி

பெண்ணிடம் தில்லு முல்லு பண்ணாதவன் நீ
எப்பவும் தப்பு தாளம் போடாதவன் நீ
உன்னிடம் சொக்கிப்போனாள் சந்திரமுகி

என்ன திமிரு என்ன துடிப்பு
அட நீ தான் முரட்டு காளை
இந்த மாடத்திலே தான் எஜமான்

Sollammaa Chellammaa - A neat melody, supposedly picturized on Meena & Pasupathy. The tune feels adequate. Hariharan somehow sounds unlike him in this song. You can notice his uncle's influence in most of his songs and this song has too - Kurkukku siruthavale from Mudhalvan seems to have influenced him in this song.

Saaral mazhai thooral - this is the Nayanthara solo song. Not sure why the heroine needs a solo song in a Thalaivar movie (even if it is one where he comes in a shortened role). Hummable tune and I liked the guitar strumming that comes throughout the song.

Bottomline - This is not G.V.Prakash's best effort by a long way and given the wonderful chance that he got (to score music for a Superstar movie), one wishes he would have utilized it more. But then luckily for him, the songs will be raging hits, solely bcos of Thalaivar. And for us, Thalaivar fans, the lyrics of the 3 songs on Thalaivar, more than make up for the wait for this audio and raise our expectations for the movie's release in 3 week's time.

இளமை இனிமேல் போகாது...முதுமை உனக்கு வாராது

I am simply dumbfounded as to what Vasu has been able to achieve here. Sure, Thalaivar looked better in Chandramukhi when compared to Baba. But then Shankar raised the bar to a never before seen level with Sivaji. Apart from the concern that what Vasu will do the screenplay of the original, the only other concern I had for Kuselan was this - will P. Vasu will be able to match Shankar and even come close to the way Thalaivar was shown in Sivaji, thanks to Shankar? The answer seems to be an emphatic YES. In fact, in some of the stills, Vasu has indeed outdone Shankar, in that, Thalaivar looks ever so young in those few pictures. The response from Thalaivar fans has been along wonderful with most of them going to the extent of saying Thalaivar looks better here than what he looked in Sivaji.

The fact that the date of the audio release (July 1) and the movie release (July 25) have been announced is another cause for celebration. To complete a movie that is being shot in 2 languages with completely different cast (except the 3 main characters) in 82 days is definitely praiseworthy. Vasu has delivered what was expected of him. Now, if he can match this accomplishment with a movie that does some justice to the original but while at the same time satisfy the expectations of Thalaivar's legions of fans, he would have delivered the unexpected. Here's hoping for the same.

Kuselan and Robot

What good it is to be a Thalaivar fan if I didn't write something about Thalaivar's new upcoming movies, one of which will probably end up as the most expensive Indian movie ever made. So, here are my 2 cents on both these movies:

Kuselan - Simply love what Thalaivar is doing here. He knows Shankar is going to take forever to complete Robot and in the meanwhile, decides to keep the fans interested with a movie that has a role which is tailor made for him. What more? He lets his guru & mentor KB produce the movie and thus doing his something towards helping him out financially. Hires a young music director and gives him an unbelievable chance to compose music for a Superstar film. He makes sure that the film is ready in a matter of few months. Everything until this point is just like a dream come true for a Thalaivar fan. But then comes the only sore point about the movie - P.Vasu directing it. Chandramukhi might have been this monstruous hit (solely bcos of Thalaivar) but I still don't have any respect for this man who clearly is still stuck in the late 80s. But even with him being at the helm, the very prospect of getting to watch Thalaivar on the big screen is good enough for me to place Kuselan as the most looked forward to movie right now. I am also so much excited about the fact that Thalaivar will appear in 20 get-ups in a song, reliving some of his famous roles in his hit movies. That is something I so much love. Actually, when I first heard the lyrics of the Athiradee song in Sivaji, I was hoping that Shankar had done something similar (it is another matter that Shankar made sure I did not even think about this possibility while watching the movie). Anyway, now that the film is almost done and ready to be released sometime between July & September, I just can not wait to see Thalaivar again, as Perinba pechukkaaraa (for starters, that is the starting line of one of the songs in Kuselan)

Robot - To me, Sivaji was like this grand buffet which had everything a Thalaivar fan would like for in a Thalaivar movie. So, having had this sumptuous lunch just now, I don't know how ready I am for another heavy meal a.k.a a Shankar movie with Thalaivar. It is just similar to food - right after you have had just had a good buffet, the very sight of food does not appeal to you and might even repel some. The after effects of the same would last for 1-2 days depending on your digestive system :) Similarly, I am in the after effects period of post-Sivaji (after the original DVD was released last month, I got together with 2 other Thalaivar fans - both of them who have seen the movie atleast a good 8 times and watched the movie again). So, that being the case, Robot just does not interest me, for now. Other than that, there are couple of other things about which I am not too much excited about - 1) what appears to be the genre of the movie, given the title and 2) Aishwarya Rai. I have never been a fan of her and thus can not stand to see her in a Thalaivar movie of this magnitude. I can understand the business reasons why Shankar wants to cast her in the lead role but I am completely against it. I don't know...I mean, if Thalaivar can't pull the crowds to the theater, nobody can. Period. But having said all this, I am sure, after Kuselan releases & the fever subsides down in a matter of 4-5 months, Robot will become the center of attraction for Thalaivar fans like me. And I will channel my thoughts & expectations towards Robot, then.

I know you guys will be wondering why I haven't included Sultan in this list. I don't know but there is something about this effort that just does not suck me in, as any movie featuring Thalaivar would do. Mistake me not, I am all for this first-time-in-the-history-of-Indian-cinema' effort of animating a real life actor and I am so proud that it is Thalaivar's daughter who is doing it (puli-kku pirandhadhu poonai aagumaa?). Also, I sincerely wish and hope that the novel effort will do exceedingly well, given the amount of money that has been channeled in for the movie. But my doubts stem from the fact how will Thalaivar's hard-core first generation fans take to it and also from the not-so-mind-blowing trailer of the movie that was released a while ago. So, I am going to keep my fingers crossed on Sultan. But one thing is for sure - you will definitely find me at the theater screening Sultan, screaming Thalaivaaa when an animated Superstar as Sultan appears on-screen :)