Mangal Pandey- Signs of saturation, yet a sign off in style

A.R.Rahman has had it with period films. I heard on one of the news channels that he has decided to stop working on them. So self-admittedly Mangal Pandey is going to be his last period film for quite some time and if this is the kind of work he does when he has had enough, then he should have enough more often! Now this album is not without the tell-tale signs of saturation, some minor indications as to why the man wants to stop, but it is still a sign off in style. I started hearing the songs emerging from the shadow of TIS and my initial reaction was whether I would have to denounce one of God’s creations. But after Al Maddath Maulah and Mangal Mangal, I am really and totally hooked.

Obviously, the centerpiece of the album is Mangal Mangal, which has three versions. You can’t exactly call them versions; the first two are sort of trailers for the grand finale. The percussion is overwhelming- cow bells, dhols, dhumris and add to that Kailash Kher’s earthy, throaty vocals and the result is magic. The Athma version seems to be the song that signals the break of the mutiny- if you note the ominous echoing drum beat, the cymbal crash followed by a war cry and Javed Akthar’s lyrics are awesome- Dhanya hai Bhaag har us mata ke jo aisa beta paye and Phansee tho lagti sirf than ko, kaun sapnon ko phansee lagaye. They can hang our bodies, but who can hang our dreams? Sounds as good even when transalated…

I have been bitten by the Sufi bug, and been bitten real bad and Al Maddath Maulah which I would call Zikr’s(Bose) twin is an absolute treat. While the latter had a dominant stand alone voice supported by a chanting chorus, the vice-versa is the case with the former. The voices blend in beautiful harmony which makes you sway in sync and when Rahman cries out Maula, you can’t help but put up your arms and bow in respect! Now, I am all eager to hear him do a tamil Sufi number.

Main Vari Vari,the mujra is exquisite and the effect is as though the entire Zakir Hussain family decided to have a Tabla fest. Kavita Krishnamoorthy is spectacular as always. However it is given a run for its money by Rasiya, a song that I think is fabulous and also surprisingly anachronistic. Rahman has always made a conscious attempt to get the appropriate feel for a period film both in his choice of instruments as well as tunes. But this song, especially the Mmmmm bits and Richa’s vocals sounded sort of new age to me.

Takey Takey which rehashes the Bhangra beat of Pagdi..(Legend of Bhagat Singh), is slowly likeable. But the biggest disappointment of the album is Holi Re which is sub-standard to say the least. If Rahman had a reason to think he had reached a period film creative block, then his must be it. Unimaginative, crassy rhythm, and a quarter-anna worth tune, this song does not belong in the album.

Now the one thing that bothers me is why Rahman, who took the pains of using such exotic instruments as the Dilruba, Oud and Kora(I am typing the last two from the credits, swear I don’t know what they are), wants to stick to contemporary music with his electronic gadgets for company. Beats me, especially when he is doing such a God-level job. Probably I heard wrong...really hope I did.

TIS- Speaking the language of the Gods

There is this compelling question that arises every time I think about Thiruvasagam in Symphony as to why Ilayaraja did not deem it fit to use Carnatic, Hindustani, Folk or any other form of music that we can call “ours” for this monumental effort. It is a rather silly question, one that arises out of a programmed tendency to call something “ours” and then take pride in it as “our” country, “our” music, “our” culture, “our” endless list. This question fades into oblivion every time I listen to TIS, for it is truly beyond all such pettiness. For in bringing together the work of a 10th Century Tamil Saint and Symphony Orchestra music in a perfectly harmonious confluence, Ilayaraja reinforces the adage that though the paths may be manifold, where they lead is one place.

The essence of TIS is captured in one epic of a composition Polla Vinayen that lasts a sapping twenty minutes. After being accustomed to the charmingly simple Pallavi-Anupallavi-Charanam arrangement, to listen to this song is to get lost in a bewildering maze of fantastic music and profound lyrics. Ilayaraja’s meticulous hard work and his deep understanding of the words of the Thiruvasagam is evident in every single line of this piece. The highlight: He brings out the pain and suffering of the cycle of births as he sings Munivaraai Devaraai... in his trademark style; The music then builds up to end in the reverberating Om chorus; He follows it up with a deeply impactful silence and the Nama Shivaya Vaazhga refrain with a brilliant use of the choir. My personal favourite is however Poovar Senni Mannan. The haunting Uh Ah chorus, Ilayaraja’s most controlled, most somber rendering makes this the ideal beginning to the album.

Ilayaraja has had to overcome two handicaps in this effort. First being the underplayed usage of percussion for a man who makes such prolific use of the tabla and drums. The second being the incongruity of fitting classical tamil lyrics to western classical music. He does away with the former with some subdued and intelligent usage of drum beats and the cymbals. How he deals with the latter, he summarises in the last song Putril Vaazh, in which he walks us through how he went about picking and fitting the appropriate verses to his compositions. At the end of that song, you have to wonder if these two were destined to be brought together in this made-for-each-other union.

There is this anecdote that Ilayaraja narrates about TIS. When he started recording with the Budapest Orchestra, there were giggles from the members when they were asked to play repetitive music, which they thought was funny. It was then that Ilayaraja explained the significance and seriousness of the work and sang some verses which totally transformed the way they looked at it. But now, there is no need for any more such explanations. All that needs to be done is to play snatches of TIS and the seriousness and the significance and a deeply moving effect automatically sinks in. It is said that when you truly believe in something, it can inspire you to do miracles. It is that deep belief in the Thiruvasagam, that has led Ilayaraja to come up with this masterpiece, a masterpiece Manickavasagar would be proud of.

On a personal note....

I am back in Chennai..home, sweetest of homes. I finished my 6 month stint in London and am now back to do the "finding my roots" thing...just kidding...I am on a sabbatical from work figuring out what to do with my life...err...not exactly..I just said that because that sounded so exotic...when in fact I am on leave waiting for something to work out so that I can do what even a third rate dreamer should aim to...chase my dreams!

The most important event after I came back, other than getting papmpered by my parents, hanging out with paati, thatha, catching up with kith and kin, getting wet in a five-minute-lasting-chennai-rainshower, hogging and sleeping, is grabbing my copy of Thiruvasagam in Symphony and I must say it simply is divine! Hope to dedicate an entire post to it pretty soon...

Planning to do a little touring if time permits....have been wanting to see the Brihadeeswara temple ever since I read Ponniyan Selvan....and a lot of travel abroad has shamed me into realising I have seen so little of home! Lots to see....too little time.....hope to fit something in....

And before I sign off this boring purposeless filler, I have been reading the ripping apart of Anniyan in a lot of blogs and my rather flattering review stands out conspicously. This can mean only two things...either my taste in movies has become abysmally low or I saw the movie in an eager-to-appreciate-anything-that-is-thrown-at-me frame of mind. Or maybe...what the hell....I really *gulp* liked the movie!