September 07, 2010 Anjali
Overall Rating - ***1/2
The most awaited film of 2009. Oh wait, it's already 2010. So, here it is, ladies and gents, the most awaited music, movie of 2010. AR Rahman, SJ Suryah, Pawan Kalyan combination Komaran Puli. Heard it? Felt it? Read on. Power Star: The beginning beats of this rocking 'Power' song is what we've been hearing since the beginning of Rahman (think Chandralekha) and recently in Guru. Vocals by Tanvi Shah and Vijay Prakash have a tinge of naughtiness keeping with the quirky tongue-in-cheek lyrics by Chandrabose. The ultimate compliment to Power Star himself, fans of his shall always celebrate this Rahman composition. A keen sense of melody combined with loads of modern madness-welcome to SJ Suryah's la-la-land. The ultimate in Hero Worship. ***1/2
Amma Thale: Naresh Iyer and Swetha Mohan steal the limelight with their inimitable vocals. This song has the maximum fun-factor in the album, most others being intense or stylish primarily. It seems like a hard song to sing, of course, but really fun when you get the lyrics by Chandrabose. It would have been totally fresh too, except that feather in this song's cap is lost in the two years of storage. The repartee and chemistry is felt thoroughly in the song. Fun. ***1/2
Maaralante: Inspiring at best, beautifully orchestrated and even has a bit of Rahman's version of 'Maa Telugu Talliki' makes this song a complete package for a Pawan Kalyan movie. Why, you ask? Because each movie of his has that one particularly society-directed number. The chorus is really good, vocals by Rahman ditto (if a little high) and the ongoing drums resonates of a police-army kind of marching beat. Lyrics by Chandrabose start really well; he has us at 'Maaralante Lokam, Maaralanta Nuvvu'. This song might not be to everyone's taste (why, oh why) as its not exactly 'hummable' but full marks for intensity. A gripping hear, should definitely sound and look awesome on screen. A heartfelt song. ***.75
Maham Maaye: Javed Ali's anglicized (?) pronunciation of Chandrabose's lyrics has Suchitra chipping in her clear vocals, together infusing the instrumental-dominated song with a whiff of style. Javed Ali's voice is Daler Mehndi + Kailash Kher rolled into one but still at a nascent stage. Not the best song in the album, but the one that grows on you the most. Watch out for it the 10th time you hear it. A happy duet, and a contrast from the high-strung vocals and instrumental of the previous number. ***.25
Dochey: Hip-hop and rap with a different but still lovely-sounding Shreya Ghoshal. It reminds us of a number of hip hop numbers from Jay Z to Alicia Keys and Beyonce or even pop-starish songs by Christina Aguilera..amongst others. A tiny Indian touch at the core of the song and the slow pace makes it a stand-out. A beautiful solo by Ghoshal, good guitar and not too much rap-just enough to keep it interesting (courtesy Lady Kash N Krissy), Dochey's run might also depend on its taking/place in the movie. But amongst the peppier and happier numbers in the movie. ***1/2
Nammakame: Chitra, Madushree and Harini render this soulful number. A prayer reminiscient of Lata Mangeshkar's 'Ek Tu Hi Barosa' in Pukar, 'O Paalanhare' from Lagaan and others. Nothing new or fresh here, simultaneously reminding us of Bombay-compositions as it escapes into instrumental with a little help from Chitra and the other ladies. ***.25
Last time Rahman composed for Telugu, it was to create magic in Ye Maaya Chesave. Chandrabose adds a very different touch in combination with Rahman. After Nani's effervescent songs, Rahman, SJ Suryah combination lives up to the hype. All the tracks in the movie have something to offer, and songs like Maaralante and Dochey are very appealing. Of course, the wait, the hype and the additional Oscar's bound to get people to have unrealistic expectations out of Puli's music-but the truth is it's standard fare by Rahman. And that means it can only be good.
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