Kaatru Veliyidai music review: AR Rahman, Mani Ratnam spin '90s magic!

Kaatru Veliyidai
Music: AR Rahman
Lyricists: Vairamuthu, Madhan Karky
Singers: Sathya Prakash, Chinmayi, Haricharan, Jonita Gandhi, Arjun Chandy, Shashaa Tirupati, Tipu, Nikitha Gandhi, AR Raihanaah, Diwakar, Haricharan, Tejinder Singh, AR Rahman
Rating: 4.5/5

2017 marks the 25th anniversary of the triumvirate -- Mani Ratnam, AR Rahman and Vairamuthu. Ever since their first union Roja, the stellar combo has delivered several prodigious albums across languages. Though recent compositions of Rahman sound unique, they weren’t instant hits with only a few tracks topping the charts.

But in Kaatru Veliyidai, the composer has taken us back to the magical ‘90s, where he used to hit the bull’s eye with every given album.

Nallai Allai
This is 2017 equivalent of Kadhal Rojave. From the phrase Nallai Allai, it is evident that Vairamuthu is inspired from the ancient Kurunthogai literature. The protagonist blames his girl for leaving him in a no-man’s land but he can’t stop loving her; the haunting vocals of Sathya Prakash and soul-stirring hum of Chinmayi in the backdrop only make us fall in love again. It’s a very simple track with minimal instruments yet sounds so fresh, thanks to the poignant lyrics of Vairamuthu and apt singers.

Singers: Sathya Prakash, Chinmayi
Lyrics: Vairamuthu

Azhagiyey
Okay after listening to the first track, you thought AR Rahman has become old? Well, Azhagiyey clearly states that the composer still lives in his early 20s -- it’s a trendy romantic track with enough techno beats to please the young music listeners. While his dad Vairamuthu used Tamil literary words, Madhan Karky has smartly incorporated the colloquial Tamil and English words to suit this groovy number. Once again, the female voice (Jonita Gandhi) has been only used in the backdrop and Haricharan just gets everything right. It is worth to mention that the Punjabi lyrics elevate the energy to a different level!

Singers: Haricharan, Jonita Gandhi, Arjun Chandy
Lyrics: Madhan Karky

Vaan
It’s time for the lady to express her love and she does it with great élan. She is eagerly waiting for her man to arrive. Extremely confident about his arrival, she says, ‘If my man ever forgets me, he will not live in this world anymore.’ Well, the phrase ‘Vaan’ Varuvan indirectly hints that Karthi plays a fighter pilot and he would come from the sky? Vaan is yet another track to prove Rahman’s versatility, he begins the track as a melody, slowly adds energy with the chorus and varied range of instruments is nothing but a masterpiece.

Above all, listening Shashaa Tirupati’s mellifluous voice is such an endearing experience!

Singers: Shashaa Tirupati
Lyrics: Vairamuthu

Saraattu Vandiyila
What if both Karthik and Shakti from Alaipayuthey had sung the Yaaro Yarodi number, the resultant tune would exactly sound like Saraaatu Vandiyila. Rahman perfectly adds the local folk flavour with his instruments yet the master of sound mixing has delivered superior quality to music aficionados, a native track that would be played in all wedding ceremonies in Tamil Nadu. To be precise, Saraatu Vandiyilla would be the new wedding song of the state.

Singers: Tipu, Nikitha Gandhi, AR Raihanaah
Lyrics: Vairamuthu

Tango Kelaayo
Perhaps Rahman is asking us, ‘Hey Tamil music listeners... have you ever heard Tango music? I’ve been introducing a lot of western style music to you people, now it’s time for some Tango.’ The biggest strength of Rahman, whatever be the genre of music, is that he ensures to add local flavour through his singers and lyricist. Here Haricharan and Vairmuthu come in handy for the Academy-Award winning composer. Do listen to the track with a quality earphone or music system to enjoy the rich orchestration and don’t miss the high note in the end!

Singers: Diwakar, Haricharan
Lyrics: Vairamuthu

Jugni
They say music has no language barrier and I just realized it after listening to the energetic Jugni number. Tejinder Singh and Rahman duo throw a lot of energy in this number. One small tip, listen to Jugni during your early morning workout session, a perfect way to begin your day!

Singers: Tejinder Singh, AR Rahman
Lyrics: Shelle