Myna - D.Imaan

Love-making songs in films are getting more and more interesting nowadays. A new template that fits the shifts in the emotions of the situation is slowly evolving for such songs. The song begins with a slow rhythm, mild arrangements, and voices tenderly render the lines – almost like a seductive whisper. All the layers slowly and gradually gather momentum. Voices open up. Strings race. All these layers join to form a crescendo, which sustains at its peak for a while, and all of a sudden everything crumbles to the ground and returns back to whisper but now at an even lazier pace. Like the songs, “Enna Paarkirai” in “Thavamaai Thavamirundhu” and “In Lamhon ke daaman” from Jodhaa-Akbar, the song “Kaiya Pudi” from D.Imaan’s latest soundtrack “Myna” strictly follows this template and achieves its intended purpose exceedingly well. D.Imaan is back to his “Kaadhalae Swasam” form in “Myna”. And how!

All the songs in “Myna” has an instantly catchy rhythm, which is usually there even in worst of D.Imaan’s songs, but what makes it interesting is the melody, which is instantly catchy and also endearing. Though one may not be able to guess that these songs are composed by D.Imaan by just listening them, there are quite a lot of unmistakable D.Imaan stamps in the soundtrack. The crazy usage of “Udukkai” for a romantic song (“Myna Myna”) is one such signature. D.Imaan tries to keep the folksy kids’ song “Kichchu Kichchu” folksy for the most part of the song, but he couldn’t resist the temptation of making the song more peppy and catchy by introducing towards the end of the song, the Synth bass and DJ beats from “Vaada Vaada Paiyya” song of Katcheri Aarambam.

Though, we have heard many folk songs like “Jingu Chikka” before, the addictive Veena motif, the free-flowing melody, restrained and elegant orchestration hook us to the song. “Neeyum Naanum” begins well and has interesting interludes but the melody meanders in the middle. Moreover, where is the place for rock guitars in a story about tribal people set in deep forests in a mountain?

Pokkisham Soundtrack

Cheran’s filmography can be easily seen as pre-Autograph and post-Autograph. Post Autograph, whatever he does, whether it is good or bad, there is a certain amount of earnestness, sincerity and passion in it which I like very much. He is now concentrating on every technical aspect of film making like cinematography, casting, and production design to elevate the core emotional impact of his narrative. The one department which indeed got great amount of Cheran’s attention is music, which was there even before Autograph, but in those movies songs were mere fillers but now Cheran treats the songs as a part of the narrative through which he tries to cover an episode of his screenplay.

Cheran gets closer the scripts demands as in 'Pokkisham', there is bangla song interpersed with Tamil lyrics as the male protagonist lives in Calcutta. The female Protagonist Nadira, who is a student of Tamil literature addresses her lover as ‘Seyyul’, ‘Ilakkanam’, ‘Thirukkul’, ‘Natrinai’ (thank god for these lines being sung by a Tamil singer). There are 4 songs that fill the soundtrack using the same melody like a motif expressing the thoughts and emotions of the protagonist in the journey of his life throughout the movie.

Perfectly blending with Cheran’s vision is the composer duo Sabesh-Murali, who with Pokkisham soundtrack proved yet again that with a good amount of push from the director they can come up with songs that would make up a good movie soundtrack (not essentially a hit music album). Lyricist Yuga Bharathi has worked hard to translate chapters of the story into poetry and he has succeeded to a great extent.

The only problem in the soundtrack is the slow songs that are meant to be emotional, sad and make people cry. They are not punchy enough. Just by stretching end note of each and every phrase, a melody cannot evoke sadness. These songs sound more sentimental than sensitive or emotional.

Yet, Pokkisham definitely is a good movie soundtrack, which would appeal better after watching the movie. If the movie is good, people will definitely go back home and put this CD on to relive those moments as they did with Autograph and Thavamai Thavmirundhu.