The new rainbow

The warrior once sat down bespectacled, wondering if at all he will attain what he desired. What he wanted. He is still making that journey, but the perennial doubts keep visiting him, throwing him into a whirlwind of uncertainty. Is this a battle that he has to fight alone? Will it be a futile one? Is he making a journey in which the destination will never materialize?

Word of wisdom had drained his ears. Some wise man had once told him that when you want something so badly, the whole universe will conspire to make you achieve it. The warrior knew for sure that his destination is not even remotely close yet- the only way to continue is to keep going despite all the uncertainties riddled in his mind- that's when he had realized that what he was actually looking for is a shoulder to lean on, somebody who could accompany him in this bewildering, taxing journey. The warrior knew that he had had been looking for this person for a long time, hoping someday she would come in his line of sight, but now the thought of whether she ever existed was needling him.

And then the warrior realized he had someone to pick him up from his troubles all along. A companion who has always been there to help him through a hard times, a woman adorned with qualities that he has been looking for all along- but how did he not realize it? Now that woman rides with him through that journey, and the warrior does not fear falling or being defeated. For he knows she will be there to hold him up in good stead. The lack of soldiers had once been his greatest concern, but now he know he wasn't actually looking for soldiers, but instead looking for someone like her- he was looking for the most magical word of all- love.

And they say love can conquer mountains. The warrior still has to climb up the mountains himself, but facing demons doesn't seem like an ardous task anymore- if anything, love conquers fears and uncertainties.

The warrior once reached an edge of the mountain which looked like a dead end, he could not see a way put or a way further up from it. All he saw was a small path that was heading nowhere, he took it, and the only thing that rang in his mind was the same adage that he has so blindly followed for six years- when you want something so badly, the universe will conspire to make you achieve it. Next thing the warrior knew, he was climbing a difficult slope, but at the end of that slope, he realized that he had taken a step closer to the peak of the mountain he wants to conquer. He looked down back, and realized how impossible an task it was, and yet he did not heed to the difficulty at all. The wind of the mountain seem to be telling him that he has embarked on a new phase in his journey.

Few days later, the warrior had made a new group of friends, a pack of travelers as well to different destinations-- they were all at an altitude where they were exhausted and have not feasted for a long time. Word has it that somewhere around the mountain, a feast has been prepared for them. There's plenty of food still left around the place, little scraps of bread here and there, on which they have been feeding on for some time. But they felt it was time for some feast, but to find the feast there is a price to pay. They to abandon their breads behind as the luggage would prove to be too heavy, and with starvation already visiting them, they made the journey. The warrior once again remembered that old adage that the wise old man had told him once- and after a seeming futile journey that reduced all of them into a state of weakness, they were starring at a faint light inside a dark cave. As they sauntered inside, they were shocked to find that they were starring at the feast that they were looking for. They found plenty of offerings on the way, that of breads and mountain guards and old men discouraging them from their ridiculous urge to find the feast. For reasons they themselves could not explain, they were adamant on finding the feast, and at a time when the exhaustion had totally caught up with them, they found the place.

And when the warrior had his feast and walked back outside of the cave to a bright sunshine greeting, he realized the adage wasn't a blind one. When you want something so badly, you do eventually attain it. And he also realized something else- that the journey might be grueling, but it will never be futile- just when you thought your energy has been drained out, the desire will materialize, the dream will come true. The universe will conspire to give it to you when you least expected it- and when you do get it, you will realize that the tools to reach the destination has been lying around you all along- the journey is about attaining that wisdom to be able to look at things differently, and when you reach that stage, you shall be able to look around you and find the hidden treasures that were meant for you.

Today, the warrior has love- which he once though was an endless search. And with the universe seemingly ready to give him everything he pursues without an iota of fear, with only faith and hope in his heart- he looks up at the peak and smiles. He knows he will get there too. But there's no rush. He will enjoy the journey with love, faith and hope. He has abandoned fear at the foot of the mountains.

And he walked on.

Raavanan- Music Review

Mani Ratnam and AR Rahman are probably two names that the industry most desperately want to see come together- there is never a bad time for both of them to come up with an album on all respects. The music of Raavan was already creating ripples in the Bollywood arena, now it is time for ARR-Mani to grace Kollywood for the first time in almost six years (let’s discount a dubbed version of Guru out of the way).

Though it turns out hard enough to judge one version over the other, the Tamil, for one, doesn’t come across as even remotely inferior to the Hindi version- probably a repeat of the 2004 scenario, when the music of Aayitha Ezhuttu were more at home compared to the Hindi Yuva. More at home? That seems to be the case with at least few of the songs, while others seem to have fitted the Hindi version better.

Veera Veera (Vijay Prakash, Keerthi Sagathia)

The opening song of the album which has already become a catchy sensation in Bollywood, Veera retains the same tune, beat and length. The lyrics are uncharacteristic of a Mani movie for a start, probably a clear indication that the number was composed originally for the Hindi version. A change of singers was made clearly to fit a more southern environment, and lyrics which exude reference to Ram and Raavan makes it intriguing nevertheless, even though words such as ‘Veera’, ‘Sura’, and ‘Kala’ seems a little over the top. A good number but not great.

Usure Pogudhey (Karthik)

Forums and listeners were full of ‘Behene De’ when it came out last week, many comparing it to the same breath as ‘Satrangi Re’ from ‘Dil Se’. Usure Pogudhey meanwhile seems to go even a notch higher than the already famous and highly appreciated Behene De. This has the potential to be another sparkling song to add to Karthik’s CV, which he sings with such panache that all the infusing passion is almost tangible. Vairamuthu’s lyrics are spot on, bringing out a distinct rural feel about them (which is where the movie is set). Karthik alone carries the song on his shoulders and his modulation and timely stressing at certain stanzas and certain words makes this one of the quality compositions to have come out from the Rahman stable in recent times. Two thumbs up.

Kodu Potta (Benny Dayal)

Though ‘Thok de Killi’ sounded decent in the Hindi version, it got monotonous after some time with Sukhwinder Singh’s singing keeping the song with the same tone variation throughout. However, with Rahman’s own favorite Benny Dayal crooning here, Kodu Potta sounds more unique and pleasant. Once again, lyrics that represent a rustic rural environment prevail and even the tune seems to have been tailor-made to suit a southern environment. Combined with synthesized Arabian sounds, Kodu Potta is a good number.

Kaatu Sirrukki (Shankar Mahadevan, Anuradha Sriram)

Talk about using the same tone and composing a number which would fit a rural Bollywood setting and also a rural southern setting, no one does it better than Rahman. Ranjha Ranjha was an instant hit when it came out last week, and although Kaatu Sirrukki takes a little longer to grow on you, it eventually strikes a chord and looks every bit like a hit that will stay there for an awfully long time. Look out for Anuradha Sriram’s unique voice modulation at different parts of the song, singing again under ARR after such a long absence from his albums. Shankar Mahadevan infuses more life to the song than Javed Ali did to the Hindi version, proving once again that his experience definitely counts for something. Another quality composition. Whether it will become an instant market hit remains to be seen, but any music enthusiast would never deny that this is one composition off the top shelf.

Kalvare (Shreya Ghosal)

The lone classical number of the album, that should immediately appeal to those who love to listen to such classical, almost pure compositions. Rahman opted for Shreya Ghosal for the Tamil version and she seems to be able to bring out more emotions and more variation here than the Hindi version ‘Khilli Re’.

Keedaikari (Benny Dayal, Tanvi, Reyhana)

Just like in ‘Kaatu Sirrukki’, ARR tweaks masterfully to make ‘Kedaikarri’ sound just as southern, original and catchy as the Hindi version ‘Kata Kata’. Understandably, Bollywood wedding songs have the tendency to run at a higher tempo and for that very reason, the Hindi version sounded extremely catchy. Should the same tempo retained in the Tamil version, it might have looked a little out of the place, but ARR’s tweaks works the song wonderfully, sounding as refreshing as ‘Kummi Adi’ from ‘Jillendru Oru Kadhal’.

All in all, AR Rahman and Mnai Ratnam have definitely not disappointed, with the Tamil version of the Raavan album not sounding even an inch like it is a translated version of Raavan in Hindi, but instead sounding just as fresh and infusing as the Hindi version sounded, and even in certain parts, better and more variated, and ultimately sounding more like at home. Maybe because this is home. Mani Ratnam’s home. And also Rahman’s. And no composition elsewhere can better the ones they are able to produce in Tamil (for an original film that is).