On Rahman’s 54th birthday, we take a look at the music that was the only bright spot in otherwise unbearable movies.
The Mozart of Madras, AR Rahman, turns 54 on Wednesday and the best way to mark the occasion would be to celebrate his stellar contribution to the music industry. And while the magic woven through his music is well-known across the world, we decided to add a twist to the list we compile this year.
Rahman, over the years has delivered innumerable chartbusters, elevating film experience from merely good to great. But here is a list of films that possibly couldn’t have been watched even once, if not for the maestro’s music taking it past the finish line.
1. Sakkarakatti: The 2008 film starring debutant Shanthanu Bhagyaraj and multiple female leads hardly left a mark with its barely thought out plot and underwhelming performances. The music from the movie, however, was quick to catch on and songs including — ‘Taxi Taxi’, ‘Chinnamma’ and ‘Marudaani’ — featured on chartbuster lists on radio shows and music channels in the state for months before the release and even after the film faded from our minds.
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2. New: What can even be said about this 2004 film? The plot is smack in the middle of bizarre and is bound to make any viewer uncomfortable. The saving grace however came in the form of AR Rahman who scored a spectacular album for the film, right from ‘Thottal Poo Malarum’ to ‘Kalayil Thinamum’. Even those who had to close their eyes to simply stop watching this film, kept their ears alert to the soundtrack. SJ Surya kept shuffling between young and old in the film, but Rahman’s songs stayed fresh through the questionable viewing experience.
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3. Taj Mahal: The 1999 film starred debutantes Manoj and Riya Sen who struggled to carry the meandering plot on their shoulders. And while the movie itself is forgettable, the songs were a class apart. ‘Thirupaachi Aruvale’, ‘Eechi Elumichi’ and ‘Chotta Chotta’ became musical numbers that immediately caught people’s attention and held them transfixed.
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4. Azhagiya Tamizh Magan: The movie proved to be a dampener in actor Vijay’s soaring career in 2007. After Pokkiri, which was a superhit, the actor’s fans were thrilled with the idea of Vijay doing dual roles in ATM. Though the film failed to meet expectations, its music by AR Rahman stood the test of time. From ‘Ellam Pugazhum Iraivanukke’ which even found a place in Rahman’s Oscar speech to ‘Saturday Night’, the songs remain all-time favourites.
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5. Kaatru Veliyidai: Is this list even complete without this 2017 film? One of the most disappointing movies of the last decade also happened to have some of the best songs. Even as the audience scratched their heads over the abusive love story unfolding (with Karthi and Aditi Rao Hydari in the lead roles), the songs provided relief in the form of lilting melodies. The only time the leads were tolerable was when Rahman’s music took over the scenes.
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6. Kadal: This Mani Ratnam and AR Rahman combination had people rushing to the theatres only to debate leaving halfway. Only Rahman’s music kept them rooted to their seats, tolerating a screenplay as choppy as the sea in the 2013 film. While you sailed through the less than satisfactory plot, the music kept you afloat. From ‘Nenjukulle’ to ‘Adiye’ the songs brought a freshness that only Rahman can create on screen.
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Source: The News Minute