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Dear all,
Bharathi Raja padap padalgalai solla niriaya irukiradhu.
Veru sila Directors ai patri parthu vittu marubadiyum thodaralam ena ninaikiren.
Ilaiya Raja padalgal ena ninaikum podhu, Director Mahendran Avaragalai patriyum, avarin padaipil IR in isaiyai patriyum Solla asaip padugiren.....
About Mahendran
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._Mahendran
Vishayam therindhavargal ellorum ingae thayavu seidhu pagirndhu kollungal Pl.
With Love,
Usha Sankar.
unakku aatchEbanai illEnA unnaya kalyaaNam pannikka aasaipaduREn
The innocent vaLLi starts crying and finally says adhu illEnga
Sarathbabu goes, naaLiku unga aNNan kitta vandhu pEsuREn.
Perfect situation for a song and who other than iLayaraja can do perfect justice to vaLLi and her new-found love and happiness..
The prelude may sound juvenile for ignorant people. vaLLi is an innocent, child-like character and the prelude shows just that. A naive girl on cloud nine. And the tune perfectly fits the bill. The ludes are God-awesome and two minutes into the song, IR gets us to the ninth cloud where shobA is at! We can totally relate to vaLLi's exuberance. Beautiful song is an under-statement.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uc7MRZDIDuI&NR=1
With Mahendran, There is a range that Raaja achieved that was amazing.
Raaja being a 'Mood' music composer, Mahendran was a master "Mood" creator in movies they jelled on together like sugar and sweet ness.
Mullum Malarum alone is enough to prove this:
1. There is the cheesy and funny "nitham nitham nelli soru" bug by Vani in an un Vani style..
2. There is mesmerising KJY in "Senthaazham poovil"
3. The ruckus created by SPB in"Raaman Aandaalum" is unmatched til date
4. "Adi penne " by Jensi stands tall amongst the company of songs like "Uravenum" and "Aaayiram malargale".
If we traverse to Master pieces like "Udhiri pookal" and "Nenjathai Killadhe" the emotions and awe they trigger in a connoisseur is undeniable. They not only tranport to the mood of the scene, but they transport you to the 80's, the dusty, melancholic, but innocent 80s. No one did that better than Mahendran and no one could have benefitted better than raja fans like us.
Thanks for opening this thread and pulling me back here.
welcome back jaiganes :) where were you hiding all these days!
Any one around here who was between 20 - 30 years when u heard uravenum for the first time..how did u feel..When i heard for the first time in the 90's had a very great feeling abt it..amazing composition..
Terrific combo:
Udhiripookal: The best JM work to date. The Children's theme is emotionally charged (and is a focal point to the film), Raaja's bgm when Vijayan* asks for Charuhaasan's* second daughter - Raaja plays violin with the camera zooming on Charuhaasan's, we get to experience the first reprehensible action of the character, Sundar's theme (Raaja goes for a playful track, thus help JM render the characterization of the new teacher), the final third of the film is tour-de-force (from Vijayan stripping scene to the denouement)!
(*I can't recollect the character names)
Mullum malarum, There are many sequences to choose from: Valli cleans the fish (her entry), Engineer dismisses Kaali (Towards the end of this sequence), lorry runs over Kaali's arm, Kaali's loses his arm, kaali's poignant exchange with the engineer, Valli consoles Kaali, Valli-Kumaran love blossoms, Kaali orders Murugesan to marry Valli followed by Kaali beating up Manga, the whole of the final Kaali-Valli moment. Valli's theme is innocence personified. :thumbsup: Kaali's varies from poignance to boorishness!
Though IMO, MM, and UP were somwhat minimalist works from Raaja compared to Johnny.
Johnny, he stops to record the peasant's folklore, he's alerted by the radio, he cooly spray paints it in red, the opening credits follow - No dialogues whatsoever but we gather he loves his music, he has flicked the car, and we've just met Johnny! JM is truly the first real pioneer of such narrative for Tamil cinema, he takes his pace, and most importantly stays out of crass rushes (or irritating metaphors)! The director is in full control of sight(with DOP) and sound (the film composer). This equanimity would later inspire the likes of Balu mahendra and Mani ratnam. Raaja's genius to aid the master is on full display here. Johnny cons the Jewel shop, Johnny meets his father (montage of snapshots as Johnny narrates), Vidyasagar's intro (from egg gobble to counting the roses), Johnny meets Archana, Johnny's first encounter of Vidyasagar in the barber shop, Johnny meets vidyasagar (Actually all of them are variations of the main motif track for Johnny), the veena music (Johnny deja-vus his mother playing), Vidyasagar-Bama, Vidyasagar kills Bama and her lover (IR's music with the freeze frames renders Vidyasagar's action "cold"), Police chase the duo for murder, wonderful synth work with techno-ish sounds (a bass chorus too) for the chase sequence. :notworthy: Who can forget the classic Johnny-Archana romantic leitmotiv (piano accentuation is one, the other with the woodwinds, the final one played in the chords in the end credits is sublime, piano-guitar-violin making way for the woodwind). As you could see, I could name every event of the film. Raaja fully explores the double identity, and their parallel narratives, their encounters, he mixes it up for the swapping! Raaja's score contrasts the psyche of the characters. Vidyasagar is possessive, and ends up being explosive. Johnny for all his vilely (and calculative) actions, is committed. Archana and Bama are contrasting characters (defied the "then" conventions of rich/poor women) The change of Vidyasagar is the key point, and Raaja's memorable score aided with Rajni's subtle expressions paints the picture. A truly classic ensemble work from Raja IMO :)
Check this out, controlled expressions from Sridevi , who's hurt by Johnny's refusal, IR plays yet another variation of the love theme.
More later...
Thilak,
Nice write up on Johnny. Towards the end, when the thief Rajini comes to stay at Sridevi's house, there is a small piece with Organ and Drums, which sounded like one of Bach's pieces.
Dear Guys,
Thanks for the responses.
Anaivarin views um alasalaum - padathin kaatshiyai - ippodhu parpadhu pola oru feelingsai vara vaithadhu.
Ovvoruarin kadithathirum thani thaniya bhadhil solla asai padugiren....
Ungalai pola Mahendran FAns idam share seidhu kolla asaip padugiren...
With Love,
USha Sankar.
About Mahendran - In one magazine, neenda varudangaluku mun padithadhu.
Isaiyai patri sollum podhu, Mahendran sonnadhu,
"Cinemavil paduvadhu enbadhu ennal accept seidhu kolla mudiyavillai.Adhanal en padathil, charcters kaga asreeriyaga than mudindhavarai padalai vaipen.Or Character in manadhaga pada vaithu irupen.
About IR - Ivarin pinnani isai enaku migavum pidikum.En padathin BGM isai migavum pidikum."
Indha varthaigalin unmaiyai - Mahendran in ovvoru padathilum parkalam.
About Direction - Characters gunangal - cinema thanamaga illamal nijamana velippadaga irukum.I like this very much.......
Picturisation - Azhaganavai.Inimaiyanavai.
thanithanmai vaindhavai...
Menmaiyanavai.
Pengalin menmaiyana anbaiyum, aangalin azhuthamana anbaiyum miga azhaga kaatiya oru Soft ana Director........
I'm unfortunate to have missed out all the successful films of Mahendran - udhirippookkaL, muLLum malarum, nenjaththaikkiLLAdhe - I haven't seen these three:-( I lovvvve each of the songs from these movies and one day I'll see the movies too, hopefully.
The first time I saw Johny was during my III semester exams, in the college auditorium. Enjoyed the movie while still having the exams in mind. Could really relish the movie only recently when I saw it on DVD...wow! Great songs / BGM and classic Sridevi combined with a Rajini much different from his other movies!
The other Mahendran films that I've seen so far are 'metti' & 'azhagiya kaNNE' and the baby Anju film was unimpressive (may be because I went with a lot of expectations based on the magazine reports wrongly stating that "Mahendran 'The oman' mAdhirippadam edukkiRAr". May like it if I view again now without any expectations. I don't remember much about 'metti' too (except Raja songs ofcourse). I think Radhika was in the cast. ("kalyANam ennai mudikka, avasthai unakku adhigam irukku", was it deliberate?:-))
poottAdha poottukkaL, naNdu, kai kodukkum kai were other Mahendran movies with Raja and all had great songs. (I think all were BO disasters). The only Mahendran directed film without IR was 'sAsanam' produced by NFDC and released recently with Aravindsamy in the lead...had good reviews but I don't think it did well at BO and may never get a chance to view this too.
Mahendran is also credited with writing screenplays and probably dialogs for some MGR-Sivaji movies, some of which I've watched during school days, without knowing anything about him (as it was all about only MGR / Sivaji those days and none else counted -not even heroines- in my world then).
I don't think any of the metro Detroit Indian stores has any Mahendran movies except Johny. Will keep searching for his (supposedly) best 3 till I get them someday.
Azhagiya Kannae
is another movie that had terrific BGMs.
This is a movie on rebirth and revenge (an unlikely theme for mahendran movie). Charuhasan is the villain and Sumalatha is the main character in the movie. Raja has scored brilliantly for this movie. The movie was a flop and was not popular. However thanks to Raj TV I watched the movie and got pleasantly surprised by this movie.
Checked the wikipedia article and made a couple of movie name corrections in my post.
How come Kamal was never in a Mahendran project? That combo with Raja could have produced another classic. ( I remember watching the Mahendran interview in kumudam.com where he narrated about how Kamal helped him complete muLLum malarum)
Dear app_engine,
Udhiri Pookal DVD is available for rent at www.italkies.com
The other 2 might also be there. If not they are there in www.techsatish.com :P
Not related to J.Mahendran but his son John is a chip off the old block. His 2006 movie Aaniver about the Eelam movement was a hit was the expatriate tamils, with excellent acting with Nanda(Pollachi new face) and Madhumita(?). John is chitthapa to one of my friends who added that junior is currently working on a movie related to the tholseelai movement.
Oh, surprising, considering this came from the man who made Sachein...Quote:
Originally Posted by vramesh
Oh, true, Sachein sucked big time. If that was cool, then I'm Aravind Swamy of thaLapathi days.Quote:
Originally Posted by crajkumar_be
On Mahendran, has anyone read Cinemavum nAnum? It's a very good read. Mahendran talks at length about his films and what he thinks of Tamil cinema.
crvenky,
True about Bach inspired piece. Bach has always been in Raaja's blood! :)
Thilak,
That was a superb write-up on Raaja's work in Johnny. In that book I mentioned in the previous post, Mahendran writes how his films were among the first in Tamil cinema to use background score as an organic part of the film, so aptly fitting the mood of the scene. Mahendran was really the pioneer in *using* the background score as an integral part of the film for accentuating the mood.
But, all said, I think this usually happens with Raaja "by design." Some very ordinary scenes work so well just because of Raaja's score which sets the mood of the scene much more evocatively than what the writer and the director manage to do.
By the way, it's Sitar that Kanchana plays in the film. It's a divine little piece. Is it a standard piece of music, played as alaap or something, by Sitar players?
in the annoying side track of johnny comes "Aasaya kaathula". This one and "Meen kodi theril manmadha rajan", both have some similar arrangement of rhythms with "tribal" like percussion arranged in a "catchy" and imaginative manner. Again when you hear that, you are transported into a Bamboo jungle and the "tribal" tone is unmistakably real. If he could do that to an almost uninspiring section of the movie, no wonder he did those magical little things to almost every scene in movies by Mahendran and Balu mahendra.
:exactly: Have to read the book. Yes indeed Mahendran "used" Raaja's score. He had a control over it, unlike few other directors of the time who should simply thank Raaja (as you say, it's "by design").Quote:
Originally Posted by equanimus
I also feel Raaja's score "refines" the emotional scenes, and bring novelty to it. His score for the subplots holds that "continuum", with the same peice with variations. Sometimes, a deft touch is the work of the genius.
I'm reminded of Mani's "Pagal nilavu", which Rangan, and Jaiganesh had written about (recently), I wish they had talked about Raaja's work in the confronation sequences in PN, and AN, or the muscal motif for Periyavar and Velu nayakar. There's Raaja's sketch for the sequences, and the characterizations. In general, the sketch of Raaja to the sequences, and characterizations in Mani's oeuvre has been top rack stuff. It's amazing how he brings different dimensions and qualities to the filmmaker, there's a JM, then there's a Balu Mahendra, Mani saar of course. Then KB, BR, Bala,..then there's a host of other filmmakers. whoa, heavy artillery. :)
Raaja's score also helps for fixation of time and place. Jaiganes' elucidated, "they transport you to the 80's, the dusty, melancholic, but innocent 80s." And also, "you are transported into a Bamboo jungle and the "tribal" tone is unmistakably real". This always happens with Raaja's score. Something more than just "nostalgia", it's also not operatic, and yet, it's been "memorable" so to say.
Thanks, my bad. Yes, it's sitar. It's quite evident with how she plays it in the film.Quote:
By the way, it's Sitar that Kanchana plays in the film. It's a divine little piece. Is it a standard piece of music, played as alaap or something, by Sitar players?
I cannot but bring in today's music directors and see what is missing in their compositions when compared to what Raaja did in his days. While putting Raaja in the high pedestal we should also acknowledge the simple but hard hitting fact that Raaja was having directors like Mahendran, who picked amazingly beautiful stories and characters for their films. Take Udhiri pookal for instance. Not only the story of trials of an abused family heart wrenching, the serene natural setting and wonderful supporting characters of saamikannu and the superbly crafted scenes like the panchayath scene were an absolute treat for cinema overall and for the composer too it must have been a joy to score for such a subject. The melancholic flute and the montages of the kids and the mother in the valley is poignant enough for the creative team of the lyricist and the music composer to come up with gems and the result is an everlasting portrait of life.
Mahendran always picked stories that were about people struggling with uncomfortable truths in their lives, be it Kali having to adjust to physical handicap, or Aswini having to put up with a sadist for husband, vidyasagar and johnny both having to adjust to their predicament of financial and personal shortcomings. This trend was continued even till Rajini starrer "Kai kodukkum Kai" where rajini's character had to reconcile to his victimised wife. This inherent awkwardness in the characters gave rise to a lot of untold situations, gaps - that would lose their meanings if the character had to express the uncomfortable truth. And this is where Raaja would come in. Case in point is Sarath babu's predicament of having to live with a snob of a wife while finding recluse in the company of a woman friend - a relationship that is misunderstood by his shrewish wife. Such small plot and character devices make the proceedings in a Mahendran movie deeper than usual and lend enough scope for people like Raaja to revel.
Whereas today we are in an era of non-linear narratives and splitscreens, but ever more shallower characters who are paper thin in their motifs and motives. It is hence not unusual to see the current crop of music directors to put their energy into catchy songs that sell more than compose deep and everlasting tunes with soul and expression.
With due credit to Raaja whenever a script with quality has been provided to him he has tried his bit to elevate the proceedings as is evident from a retrospective viewing of classics by mahendran or Balu.
Here is another simple yet bewitching melody from poottAdha poottukkaL. Signature Mahendran picturization
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KD6I4NgjS5k
I have not seen this movie. In fact I have just seen 8 movies of his:
Uthiri pookkaL
muLLum malarum
johnny
nenjathai kiLLAthE
metti
kai kodukkum kai
naNdu
kaNNukku mai ezhuthu
(Arranged in the order of my liking :P )
Dear app,Quote:
Originally Posted by app_engine
Mahendran was supposed to direct Kamal and you know which movie? It was Meendum Kokila. There was a full page ad in Dina thanthi in 1979-80 which showed Kamal along with SriDevi and Rekha (Hindi) with Mahendran's name in the director's slot. But due to reasons undisclosed, Mahendran dropped out and GN. Rangarajan stepped in. After some days of shooting now it was the turn of Rekha to go out and Deepa to get in. Had always thought about Mahendran directed Meendum Kokila though GNR did a decent job.
Same manner another movie announced again through Dina thanthi full page ad had raised lot of expectations. The ad was like this
முள்ளும் மலராகும் இந்த 100வது நாளில்
எங்களது அடுத்த படைப்பு
எந்த ஊர்?
எந்த பஸ்?
மகேந்திரன்
பாலு மகேந்திரா
இளைய ராஜா
It showed Rajini in a conductor's attire. This immediately aroused lot of expectations. But nothing came out after this.
Regards
Thanks for the info, Murali Srinivas!
meeNdum kOkilA is another movie that I never had a chance to view. All excellent songs! ponnAna mEni was my fav, though chinnanjiru vayadhil was more popular. (Was Mahendran involved when songs were composed and recorded, by any chance?). I think this was a Kovalan-KaNNagi-Madhavi kind of story, with less drama (for e.g. no pANdiya mannan:-))
Murali sir, interesting info esp. Rajini's adv.
Mahendran kum IR kum MOZHI THEVAI ILLAI enbadhai pola oru scene and Music....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yhlkotw2QY
My SPECIAL THANKS to Starmusik.......
Title song of "MUllulm Malarum"
(title song manadhil padhivadharkavae sila padangalai marubadiyum parka vendum enru ninaitha kalam...)
Manidhargalai Avargalin Iyalbil (Cinemathanam illadha ) kaatiya oru Great Director....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxGjuEUeW5Y
Nice Character - Fadafat Jayalakshmi...
Saapatu Rami...
Rajini - seriyana Nakkal....Ragalai Rajini kalyanam ana udan - Beautiful Change......
IR - Simple katam and Morsing. BGMS aga fill pannum IR al, Simple sound ilum Inimaiyana composing aiyum thara mudiyum ena unara vaitha oru padal.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wk39y...eature=related
Mullum Malarum Climax
Enaku migavum piditha mudivu idhu.
Oru sila padangalai pol illamal - ie - Annan enbavan - Thiyagi - Thangai enbaval pasam enra peyaril - kannir vittu kannir vittu - avan sothai kaali seiyum oru uravu - enru illamal,
Annanin pasathirkaga - kadhalai vidum thangai character - adhilum siru unmai - mudhalil kadhalai vida ishtam ilai dhan... Analum,
kadaisiyil Annan mel ulla pasam vendru, kadhalai vidum thangai character - I love this type of sisterhood....
Adhai purindhu kondu, kalyanam seiya sammadhikum Annan ...
Director Mahendran - ORU KAVIDHAI .. Manidhargalin Unmai managalai Ulladhu Ullapadi kaanpitha oru Director.....
Podhuvaga, kadhaigal cinemavaga maarum podhu,
Kadhai alavuku cinema nanraga ilai enra unarvae ellorukum varum...
Kadhai - niriaya imagination ku idam irukum.
Cinema - Ellam visual...
Anal,
Indha padathai porutha varai, Azhagana kadhai - Azahgaga Direct seiya pattu irukiradhu...Kadhaiyai ,kedukamal.....
Nice to See Egoist Rajini, Innocent SHobha,
Rajiniyai porumaiyudan samalikum Sarath babu, Velipadaiyana Fadafat, OOr makkal Ivarkaludan - IR - Indha anaivarin Unarvugalukum Isai amaitha IR - IR in BGM ai purindhu kolla yezhu jenmam vendum......
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1R-eX6jJmyk
My Heartiest Thanks to agnibalan..
EN manadhil enrum irukum oru Climax... Idhai ketkamal kodutha agnibalanuku - my Sincere Thanks......
NENJATHAI KILLADHAE
Mahendran in indha padathai patri oru paarvai.
Ennudaiya teen age il vandha padam.
indha padathai parka sandharpam varavillai.
(Village il eppadi Mahendran padathai edhirparka mudiyum....)
En friend kadhai solli, kadhaiyai therindhu konden.
After my marriage, indha padathai cable il parkukm sandharpam vandhadhu.
Enaku oru kuzhandhai piradhu, adhan pin oru sandharpam vandhadhu.
Ippodhu sila madhangaluku munnum tv il parka chance vandhadhu.
Padam - Onru dhan
Paarvai - Ennudaiya views il - Niraiya maatrangal.
En friend sonna kadhai padi,
padathai - Teen Age Suhasini view il keten.
After My Marriage - padam parka pidikavillai.
Kuzhandhai pirandha pin -= En life il niriaya matrangal.
En Annavukum marriage anadhu.....
Ippodhu indha padathai - Anni view il parthen.
(Suhasini SEri illai..)
Ippodhu parkum podhu - Padathin - Ellarudaiya view ilum parka theirndhadhu.
That's Mahendran.
Ovvoru padathaiyum ippadi parkalam. pesalam.
Title score of Nenjathai Killadhae
My sincere THANKS to Anantha...
http://www.esnips.com/doc/1968d02c-c...llathe---Title
I think NK should be fascinating to watch, if I can get the DVD. I recently saw a Malayalm movie 'ente upAsana' *ing Mammootty & Suhasini of that time period and the movie was awesome.
Ushaji ungaLukku Johnny climax pidikkumA? One of my personal favorites. Especially the last one minute or so, no dialogues just God-awesome BGM and very good expressions from the actors kavithai kavithai!! :thumbsup:Quote:
Originally Posted by tvsankar
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOxmBwaRQdI&
Another scene from Johnny in which the BGM is particulary impressive. The two theme music bits of the movie interspersing beautifully. Adds to the beauty of the scene..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SO8O5qInUsk&
Nerd,
Thanks for the youtubes.
Simple and Beautiful lyrics form Mahendran.
Especially Romance scene.
Nicely delivered by Sri Devi and Rajini.
BGM - Crown of the Scene.
Recently watched the song "adi penne" from "MuLLum Malarum" . Homely beauty Shobha never looked so bewitching . The panoramic scenery and the interlude music , despite Jency , need a million lifetime to savour . Don't miss the fleeting rainbow rarity in the second charanam. I have already mentioned about the postlude in earlier threads. Madhyamavathi treat for the melody parched ears in TFM.
Kudos to director Mahendran, cinematographer BaluMahendra , our dear old IR, Shobha !!!
I don't know where to post, but I want all Mahendran fans to read this:
Do away with duets' – Director Mahendran
IndiaGlitz [Friday, July 04, 2008]
Director Mahendran who rendered an awesome film in the form of 'Mullum Malarum' called upon filmmakers to do away with duets and run-of-the-mill love stories. Speaking at the audio launch function of the movie, 'Vannathupoochi' a film based on the lives of children, the veteran director urged young directors to treat cinema as an art form.
'When a young director makes a film based on human emotions and somehow does not taste the desired success, it is so very easy for him to change tracks'. But then the director urges young directors to hold true.
Says Mahendran, 'We treat children with reverence, but then never make children's films. Most films that feature children actually have them mouthing dialogues meant for grown-ups. This is not good'.
'People think making movies with enormous budgets is what good filmmaking is all about. This is totally false. True human emotions amalgamated with a spectacular narration will never go unnoticed'.
He also called upon Tamil filmmakers to do away with needless 'exercise schedule' dance sequences and running around trees in foreign locations and urged directors to be more responsible.
Precise observation and absolute truth from the heart of an ace director.