The Golden Era of Dr.IR and Dr.SPB

[Plum]

Sometimes I wonder how we define hits. For example, it is widely accepted that after Roja, till 1998 and KMari, Raja didn't have an authentic hit. Yet, down south, among the discerning folk(!) of Madurai and suththupattis, Albums like Aranmanai Kili and Nadodi Thendral were huge, monstrous hits. Even in late 2000s, you could hear these songs reverberating in Madurai streets as though were the latest hits. Or indeed timeless classics. Nary a shred of Kaadhalukku Mariyaadhai I heard during these late 2000s. So wherefrom the claim comes that from 92 until 98, Raja didn't have a "genuine" hit? From the MTMDevans and Chennai-is-TN folks for whom until Kaadhalukku Mariyaadhai, there was no cigar.