A Day to Extol the Legend – A R Rahman

Well, a day late!

My playlist brims with the songs created by the legend who was born yesterday and so, how can I not come up with a post? I initially thought of singing one of his songs and tried recording a few. It has been more than a month since I sang and so, it turned out to be pathetic. Finally, I managed to record just a portion of one of his masterpieces. Since I thought that is too less, after a lot of deliberation, I decided to compile a list of my favorite A R Rahman songs too.

So, here goes the part where you bear with my singing. Thank God for ‘On’ and ‘Off’ buttons. 😀 I apologize for the off tones and the wrong pronunciations, if any.

If you like the song and haven’t heard the original, you must. 🙂

ARR is known for his very own unique tunes that take the weirdest and mysterious routes when we expect them the least. The best example being the lines in Ae Ajnabi.

Vo Jo Doodh Dhuli Masoom Kali
Vo Hai Kahan Kahan Hai

When I heard them for the first time, I just sat there perplexed thinking, ‘What was that?’ The lines before these were moving smooth and simple and then suddenly, there came a gush of unexpected notes so unique. At first, I wondered how Udit Narayan sang that portion. It was pure magic. And then many years later, I wondered how someone could create music that unique, with so many twists and turns. Later, I found many such unexpected twists in Rahman sir’s songs. I could only bow down to the maestro. 🙂

Shhh… He is weaving magic 🙂

Image courtesy: Official page – arrahman.com

Here are some of my favorite songs by him:

1. Puthu Vellai Mazhai (Ye haseen vadhiya) and Kadhal Rojave (Roja jaane man) are my favorites from the movie. The maestro was known to the world through this movie and the songs in it took the world by their spell. These two songs still give me goosebumps when they are played unexpectedly in the public.

2. Uyire (Tu hi Re) – This soul stirring song from Bombay has been sung and played a million time and yet it remains evergreen. I wonder what made him compose this melancholic piece filled with so much desperation.

3. Roja Roja – Many aren’t aware of this beautiful song from Kadhalar Dinam (Hindi: Dil hi Dil Mein). Ae Nazneen Suno Na (Enna Vilai Azhage) is another breath taking number from the movie. The second stanza takes it to another level. Here is the song ‘Ae Nazneen Suno Na’.

4. Piya Milenge – Raanjhana has many more songs that caught people’s attention. This is my favorite because of the sufi-ness, Sukhwinder Singh & Rahman Sir.

5. Anbe Sugama – This song from Parthale Un Paravasam has a lot word play. I had written about this in this post earlier.

6. Yeh Jo des hai Tera – You can’t help but be proud about our country when you listen to this song. Whenever this plays in school/college, right after ARR’s Vande Mataram, that is when the Republic/Independence day celebration becomes complete.

7. Vennilave (Chanda Re) – He has given lots of wonderful songs in Minsarakanavu, this being my favorite. Maana Madurai and Poo Pookum Osai (Awaara Bhawre) isn’t far behind.

8. Ae Ajnabi – I have already mentioned the reason why I fell for this song. When Roja and Bombay were released, I was a child and didn’t know that there was someone called a Music composer. Somehow, when I fell in love with Ae Ajnabi, that was when I began to realize that this and the rest in my playlist were ARR’s creations. Ae Ajnabi is my Neem Tree 😛

I Had to Make Another List

I began to prepare this list and then, I realised that the number of songs were increasing beyond control. It is difficult for a Rahman fan to list just a few. Hence I jot down some more songs that I have to mention. They were my favorites when they released. The fever has abated but still, I like them. 🙂

• Khoon Chala
• Lukka Chuppi 
• Entrendrum Punnagai (O Humdum)
• Snehidane (Chupke Se). All of us were crazy about this one.
• Rock Star – I like all the songs in the movie. But Phir Se Udd Chala, Kun Faya Kun & Sadda Haq top the list.
• Behne De –  An enchanting music, this one’s got! I don’t know why, whenever I listen to this, I imagine myself climbing a mountain. There is a lot of energy in my imaginations. 😀
• Jodha Akbar – In Lamhon Ke Daaman Me, Jashn E Bahara and Khwaja Mere Khwaja. The last sufi one stole everyone’s hearts. There is something about this sufi music and then there is something about AR Rahman’s music. When the two merge, bliss it is!
• The legend of Bhagat Singh – His patriotic songs convey the right emotions. They hit the heart where it must, point blank. Des Mere and Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna convey extreme levels of patriotism but the two songs are entirely different.

Songs From the Movie ‘Boys’ 

This require a special mention. This movie that lured teenagers, was released in my tenth standard. We had several music channels that played every song from this movie day in and day out consecutively. People who never watched Tamil until then were flocking outside the theatre to watch it, many of my classmates being among them.

These songs began the fever. In my eleventh standard, I knew all the songs in the movie fully and when teachers were late to class, my classmates used to ask me to sing them. I have sung them a hundred times! Maro Maro, Girlfriend, Dating, Please Sir, Ale Ale, Secret of Success, Boom Boom 😀 I knew them all!

The Must Mention Fast Numbers

Muqqala, Urvasi, Humma Humma, Chayya Chayya etc are still feet tapping numbers. You can’t just ignore them. I grew up listening to the first three and they were all everywhere. Musthafa is still the best friendship song ever! I have many more songs to add in the fast number, but if I list them all, I’ll never stop will I?

Hence, I am putting an end to this post extolling The God of Music. The greater fans will know that I haven’t done any justice to the list. I never can. Wishing a lovely year of music to the legend that is AR Rahman, I sign off. 🙂

PS – I have confirmed all the details given in this post with wikipedia. If there has been any misstatements, kindly let me know. 🙂 Because, being a fan doesn’t mean I am always right, right?