rediff certainly has a grudge towards ARR. its quite apparent for many
years. thankfully, many dont .respect rediff review. rediff wants to boost
itself being critical. rediff gives a funky album 4 stars but not to
sivaji?. that's a BS!
On 4/3/07, Nithin Sujathan [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
Guys pls go thru the rediff review of shivaji I have always noticed
tht tamil rahman albums will be under rated. According to them Athiradi is
the catchy song on first listen. From this statement itslf its undrstood
without even listening to the album properly they are giving their reviews.
Hail Saraswathy srinivas the reviewer
*puneet [EMAIL PROTECTED]* wrote:
Finally, the most-awaited Sivaji album has been released. The film
Sivaji -- The Boss has the biggest Tamil cinema stalwarts lined up
under highly reputed AVM banner -- director Shankar; composer A R
Rahman; lyricists Valee, Vairamuthu, Pa Vijay, Muthukumar;
cinematographer K V Anand; dialogue writer Sujatha; art director
Thotta Tharani; choreographers Prabhudeva, Raju Sundaram, Lawrence and
Brinda; and, over and above all, superstar Rajnikanth in the title role.
Shriya Reddy plays the female lead. Incidentally, Sivaji is director
Shankar's ninth film, and Rajni's ninth with AVM. The title of the
film resonates with Rajnikanth's real name, Shivaji Rao Gaekwad.
Previously director Shankar always managed to keep movie details close
to his chest till the release. But Sivaji became an exception with
first the storyline becoming common knowledge, and then three music
tracks leaked on the Internet. Shankar's films always deal with
malpractices in various sectors of society. Likewise, Sivaji also is
supposed to be the story of an NRI crusading against the capitation
fee syndrome, the bane of our educational system.
A R Rahman's compositions are in tune with the crusader image of the
film's protagonist. The lyricists have milked Rajnikanth's screen
image to the fullest, making the line dividing the actor and the
character very thin. They are really on an overkill trip.
The album kicks off with the foot tapping number Balleilakka
aggressively rendered by S P Balasubramaniam, Rehanah Benny and an
effective chorus. The opening line has a faint echo of Rahman's
Veerapandi kottayilae from his own Thiruda Thiruda. Lyricist Na
Muthukumar eulogises Tamil Nadu and the Tamilian's supportive
camaraderie with his neighbours. He also paints a larger than life
picture of the hero comparing him to the sun, moon and even Shiva the
destroyer, with lines like 'he can even turn Tamil Nadu into America.'
SPB's rendition is vibrant and the fast pace towards the end makes him
sound breathless. The number has aggressive percussion and faint
melodious nuances in between.
The racy track Oru koodal sunlight follows with obvious reference to
the superstar's sobriquet 'Stylemannan.' It is a scrappy number with
Pa Vijay's lyrics, a medley of bits and pieces of phrases. He even
coins new appellations for the hero like 'heerathihero!' Rags, Tanvi,
Suresh Peters and Blaze belt out this peppy piece. Fast beats and
Tanvi's whispery rendition give it a sensuous touch.
Sahana saral thoovutho is a melodious piece with western
instrumentation. This is the only track (along with the Vaji vaji
number later) with significant lyrics. Vairamuthu's lyrics have an
appealing freshness and originality. This track, a love duet rendered
by Udit Narayan and the dulcet-voiced Chinmayi, has been embellished
with a sprightly chorus. The only jarring note is Narayan's stilted
Tamil diction.
A second version of Sahana, much better than the first, soulfully
rendered by Vijay Jesudas, comes later. Gomathi Sri replaces Chinmayi
in this version full of pain and pathos. It is a pity this second
version is not included in the cassette, but only on the CD. Gomathi
Sri's voice, though a bit babyish, has an identity of its own.
Vaji Vaji is the title track, with all the potential to become a
chartbuster -- pleasing rhythm and a powerful rendition by Hariharan
and Madhusree, good instrumentation, fast beats, lively chorus, and a
good melody. Vairamuthu's lyrics exude passion, but thankfully not
excessively.
Up next is the theme song Vata vata by Blaze, Naresh Iyer and Raqueeb
Alam. Beginning in hip-hop style with a few English words thrown in,
the track soon slides into rap. As in earlier numbers, the lyrics (Na
Muthukumar with Blaze) picturise a superhero 'who can gobble up even a
lion like a jalebi!'
Rahman the composer as singer comes into his element with concluding
track Athiradi. Another chartbuster in the making, it is incendiary
stuff with power-packed percussion. The solo guitar and Rahman's
singing -- with a manic vibrancy in his soaring voice -- really adds
to its impact. This will be a hot favourite on the dance floors. The
lyrics are more or less irrelevant in these kind of songs, and Valee's
lyrics -- with titles of some Rajni films and a spatter of English
words -- fall in line.
