The Golden Era of Dr.IR and Dr.SPB

[app_engine]

#125 அடுக்கு மல்லிகை
(தங்க மகன், 1983 , ஜானகியுடன்)

The flute / violin / tablA / santoor sweetie! SJ switches to a very different kuRumbu voice here while SPB sings with a lot of "srungAra rasam". Ofcourse, another bedroom song but even with some mukkal munagals this one doesn't sound as virasam as rAththiriyil, for some reason. Nicely brings in a rich country side to mind -some rich bungalow located in the middle of a coconut grove which is on a river side. Well-watered, green, breezy kind of a setting that invites one for a lazy evening fun with lover on the huge corridor, with no one around!

Well, if one had imagined things like these prior to watching the movie (which I did), terrible jolt in the theater (which too I expected). IIRC, it turned out to be another silukku number. Looking back, one can understand how much clout she had with the distributors - demanding an important timeslot for her in the movies of even the biggies of the field. bayangarams!

I remember posting in the "last-heard-IR-song-thread" about a south-TN MSV fan who started appreciating IR with this number. I can still hear him in my mind - singing aloud in the hostel "mAmpoovE eLam poongAththE, mArbOdu enaiththAlAttE"! He had such a sweet voice and singing capability, we often pushed him to sing and enjoy the occasions! Interestingly, his name too had "gold" in it

One occasion which I clearly remember with this song is when the prelude started in a town bus when my stop arrived. Could not let it go (the bus had such a great sound system and the bass was sounding great as was the treble) and there was no question in my mind of getting down. Possibly a "TsT" bus - a company that ran many town buses in Trichy those days. Student life had so much of vetti time and I could afford to travel until the song was over and return to my destination by another bus

[V_S]

App,
Wonderful description and memories Especially I liked the portions when you intentionally missed your stop just to hear this song Definitely a song not be missed on any occasion. Waiting for this song App

I had a different experience about this whole film and songs. We had one neighbor and close family friend (even now) of big family just opposite to our house (now they shifted), when I was doing my school. They were really crazy hard core Rajini fans and they hate Kamal like anything. We used to have conversations about who is doing better and the usual ones.

Every Rajini film they used to go first day and they never forget to take us every time. Those were beautiful times when we used to see some wonderful Rajini films that too with them who enjoy each and every moment of the film. Films include Thanga magan, Sivappu sooriyan, Kai kodukkum kai, Nallavanukku Nallavan, Thaai veedu, Thambikku entha ooru, Padikkaathavan and lot more. Slowly we also got addicted to Rajini.

But this is one of the first films we went with them. Especially during the start of this song, everyone whistled. The makeup of Rajini with peculiar glasses, even though it was funny, it was those moments that could not be explained, but that defined my youth. Too good! When silk enters the room, Rajini will kick his feet and bite his tongue with that vetkam and puts his hand over mouth (vaayile 'avva' pottukarthu, you got it?). They used to pick these scenes and compare with Kamal and challenge if your Kamal can do this. It somehow comes very natural to him. One of Rajini's best acting exhibition. What a jubilant personality!

It's sad we don't see such natural acting talent nowadays in any actor, except a very few.

Again SPB in this song, wow!. See how he sings the charanam 'naan vaaren puthu paai podu nalthorum iLa neerodu' in open throated voice. No inhibition. And the beats after 'adukku malligai'. SJ tantalizing everyone with her singing skills. As you said, the munagals by SPB in pallavi after charanam and similarly SJ during last pallavi. It's a steal and no deal!

My top song of the film.
Just watch the whole song just for Rajini's acting. Unforgettable!! Why don't they make these kind of films now?

[app_engine]

Nice write-up, V_S!

While I'm amazed at the ease with which Rajini can do such scenes, the overall setting is quite unpalatable to me

Ofcourse, the subtitles on that youtube provide instant

[app_engine]

#126 பூமாலை ஒரு பாவை ஆனதோ?
(தங்க மகன், 1983 , ஜானகியுடன்)

What a song! A total biriyAni-vadai-pAyAsam virundhu!

Despite the minor cost saving on using SPB to also mouth the "irritated audience shout" part, a grand song in every count. The orchestration that freely uses majestic trumpeting sounds, exuberant tune, variety of genres packaged in one song while maintaining the TFM-spirit, joyful singing by the celebrated pair - once again, what a song! It will sound RDB-ish / MSV-ish / IR-ish and many other -ish depending upon how one wants to view the song as it has shades of all of them, IMO, but stand startlingly unique. Not many songs in a similar rich format -prior or after- by IR himself, IMO.

Pity it had to be that way on screen - that groucho keeps resenting about. masAlA directors & imagination are poles apart it appears. And makes one wonder how such an environment let a highly complex composer with a lot of creativity survive. Interesting facts of nature

Every time the lead guitar - claps - tabla -northie sounding part of 1st interlude got played in that national panasonic audio in the hostel, I've seen boys going delirious! I still don't know how I preferred vA vA pakkam vA to this song those days as the top one.

Ofcourse, my top pick from that album - after all the initial fad weaned away. Now, my order of preference of gold son songs are exactly reverse to the order I posted them in this thread firstu poo mAlai, secondu adukku malligai, thirdu rAththiriyil (see, all SPB-SJ) and lasttu vA vA pakkam vA. I don't think it's a question of personal SJ-bias, this is the natural way these songs aged in my case.

[Bala (Karthik)]

The song was cited by someone (dont remember the author) to showcase Raaja's maturity in using a soga raagam (subapanthuvaraali ?) for a Louuu situation..

Jai,
I think that was for "Aayiram thamarai mottukkale"

[Bala (Karthik)]

BTW, App_engine :mytakku:

[app_engine]

nanRi, B(K)!

youtube of "a garland changed as a girl" (funny subtitles for all the gold son songs) :

[V_S]

Very well written for a superb song App! Loved that 'interesting facts of nature'
For a disco song, Maestro utilizes tribal style arrangements except for the finishing. deivame : Amazing syncopation! Yes the rhythm arrangements little bit resembles RDB's Mehabooba (sholay). Maestro inserts qawwali in between which is a again brilliant one!

[Plum]

app, one of the best for Rajini that IR provided. Grand coverage of Thanga Magan.
Hard core fan of Rajini then as I mentioned before. The guy who says "pOtti pAttnnu sollittu..nalla kadhayA keedhE" was a neighbour and brought passes to the premiere of the movie for us. I remember seeing RM Veerappan(not sure how he is connected), Silk Smitha and K Bhagyaraj. Cant remember seeing Rajini in the premiere.

[app_engine]

nanRi, V_S & Plum

I remember seeing RM Veerappan(not sure how he is connected)

RMV = Sathya movies i.e. producer of thanga magan.

(Possibly he was with MGR right from Sathya Studio days as manager and over a period of time, took it over completely...his Rajini connection later led to the famous 'oru thadava sonnA - bAshA', 'vedi kuNdu culture in TN' speech & the 'even God cannot save TN' muzhakkam...)