VISITOR COLUMN

Ace cinematographer Velraj who is known for his impressive camera works in Engeyum Eppodhum, 3 and Aadukalam is debuting as a film director with Velai Illa Pattadhaari (VIP).

 

Anirudh Ravichander seems to know the secret of sustaining the fame and name of a celebrity - talent and hard work. More than just a name, he is quickly becoming (or shall I say already?) an undeniable brand in Kollywood today. With extremely talented musicians such as A.R. Rahman, Harris Jayaraj, Yuvan Shankar Raja, D. Imman and Santhosh Narayanan around, this young chap has successfully carved a name for him in the industry. He is maturing as an artist day by day and to prove that, here comes his biggest and most happening album till date, with lyrics by 'poetu' Dhanush.

 

I've always felt that a song should have a proper name. Not just for the purpose of calling the song when intended, but to represent the song. What I meant by 'represent' is, the name should describe and encapsulate the song as a whole. It is as similar as a movie's title. When someone mentions 'Baasha', you would know its a magnum opus about an underground don. Such an impact a title should give. But when it comes to songs in Kollywood, the names given have always been the first two words of the song's initial lyrics. When 3's music album was released in 2011, although the songs didn't interest me back then, the first thing about the album that caught my attention was the song's title style. Each number came with a tagline such as The Innocence of Love and The Kiss of Love to name a few. It informs us the song's mood and prepares us for it. After 3 years approximately, Anirudh has named his VIP songs in the similar pattern.

 

Velai Illa Pattadhaari (The Rise of Raghuvaran)

• This number is definitely the bomb! It carries the title of the film and as the tagline described, it makes you rise and dance each time it plays! Aggressively energetic from start to finish. My most favorite!

 

Po Indru Neeyaga (The Love of Raghuvaran)

• This song is instantly relatable. Why? Because this is how a powerless man would express his love to the girl he likes. I like the way minimal music was used to accompany the list of lyrics. And guess what? It turned out as a winner!

 

What A Karavad (The Philosophy of Raghuvaran)

• There is definitely a second favorite song in a wholesome album, and mine is this. The situation in this song is obviously taking place in a wine shop, which is a notable landmark in Kollywood films. But it is necessary to some extent since the film involves a jobless and frustrated youngster. Listen to Dhanush's attempt to tell philosophy in this animated dance number.

 

Amma Amma (The Loss of Raghuvaran)

• It dulls me off whenever a song that describes mum's or dad's love been made. I always believe strong touching footage could translate parent's sacrifice and love, instead of songs telling us that. But Amma Amma works very well with Anirudh's touch of symphonious sad tunes. It is a new addition to the very few mother's-love songs that triumphed such as Amma Endra Azhaikatha from Mannan and Amma Amma from M.Kumaran S/O Mahalakshmi.

 

Ey Inga Paaru (The Comedian Inside Raghuvaran)

• Guitar strings! Oh yes another novel attempt from Anirudh. Ey Inga Paaru is the exact opposite of Po Indru Neeyaga, with minimal lyrics and great deal of music mixtures. And with no doubt, this won too!

 

Udhungada Sangu (The Frustration of Raghuvaran)

• VIP is an all and all commercial Tamil film about a jobless person. Commercial; Tamil; Jobless. These three keywords call for a signature dish - a kuthu number! What started off as a sad moan ended up entertaining the ears with heavy music and funny yet sad lyrics.

 

Sunrise Theme (The Romance of Raghuvaran)

• It may be the film's theme or the protagonist's tune upon conveying his love. Which ever it may be, it is short, soft, innocent, melodious, and most importantly likeable.

 

The effort that went into the album's creation is evident and the success is the proof. Kudos to the entire team of VIP for a promising album. This is definitely a riveting start for Kollywood's journey in 2014.