#ARR50

Allah Rakha Rahman turns 50 today. With "Roja" celebrating it's silver jubilee later this year, this year is a special milestone for Rahman. This post aims to list 50 favorite songs of my Rahman . Such lists are largely pointless because if I had to come up with a fresh list few months later, I might start that list with "Nadhiye Nadhiye" at the 1st position but in this list, it does not even warrant a place. Rather, the list's aim is to celebrate the range and depth of Rahman's musical genius.

50. Azhage Sugama  (Parthale Paravasam, 2001)

I am in tears every time Srinivas sings "Vaazhkai oru vattam pol mudindha idathil thodangadha?". Balachander did two movies with Rahman and both the movies feature in this list.

49. Moongil Thottam (Kadal, 2012)

To tweak what Pandiyarajan sang in Ilayaraja's voice in 1980s, "Indha kaala ilaignar seiyum kaadhaluku , A.R.Rahman endhan paatiruku".

48. Khamosh Raat (Thakshak , 1999) 

Roop Kumar Rathod aces this pleasant melody. I remember many night trips in bus with this song for company during college days. What I really love in many Rahman songs is that he uses two different tunes for the two stanzas. This is one such beauty.

47. Maahi ve ( Highway , 2014) :

I chose this song simply for this stanza :

Ye jeena bhi, naa jeena bhi
Hai dono ka tum se hi vaasta
O.. main hi to hoon tera pataa
Hai doosra naa koi raasta
Aaye mujh tak wo tum ko jo ho dhoondhta
Meri khaamoshiyon mein hai tu bolta
Ye jeena bhi, naa jeena bhi
Jo bhi hua hai wo tum se hua...

This living, or not living,
both are related to you only.
It's me who is your address
there is no other way (to reach you)..
Whoever looks for you, should come to me only,
You speak in my silences,
This living, and not living too,
whatever has happened, has happened from you alone.

46.  Mettu podu (Duet,1994)

 Vairamuthu was rendered jobless due to a spat with Ilayaraja in 1986 and he came back roaring only after Rahman made his debut. With Rahman by his side, Vairamuthu happily writes "Ethanai ethanai thadaigal kandom, athanayum soodam kaati sutri podu". This song is one of Vairamuthu's vairams.

45. Endhan vaanin kadhal nilave (Kadhal Virus,2002)

In a Kathir movie, the guy who faces a break-up in relationship does not rush to the nearest liquor shop and dance with random bystanders to sing "Indha pombalainga ipdi dhan". Rather, he hires SPB,Vaali, ARR (and Swarnalatha for humming) to vent his feelings. He sings "Nooru kodi aandu kaalam vaazhavdhingu veenadi, endhan kaadhal nee arindhaal podhum andha oru nodi".

44. Ennuyir Thozhiye ( Kangalal Kaidhu Sei , 2003)

My favorite Unnimenon- ARR moment comes not in Pudhu Vellai Mazhai or Nadhiye Nadhiye but when he sings "Thuraimugamum naane udane thaane thool thool thool aanadhunmai" in this duet.

43. Poovukenna Pootu (Bombay, 1995) 

 Rahman always uses kids wonderfully and this song is a testament to it. The kids chorus of "Kaana thaane kangal , kanneer sindha illai" at the end of the song is goosebumps stuff. There are no stanzas and the same lines are repeated in different ways for six minutes yet you do not yawn for even half a second.

42. Smiyai (Kandukondein Kandukondein, 2000)

A Rahman special in which peppiness meets eternal melody. "Thookam kalaindhalum kanavu kalayadha vaazhkai vaazhgindren" defines many of us.

41.  Idhu dhan vaazhai enbadha (Pudhiya mugam ,1993) 

This sad version of the Sujatha classic "Idhu dhan kaadhal enbadha" deals with death and after-effects. When Unnimenon sings "paadhi uyir pona podhum, meedhi vaazhvulladhu", you can only nod your head wiping away the tears.

40. Adiparu mangatha ( May madham , 1994) 

In the first interlude, Rahman ends the "Raja eduthu vai , Rani eduthu vai" refrain with claps. In the second interlude when you expect something similar, Rahman unleashes a crazy bit of percussion and unsettles us. There is no comfort zone in a Rahman song as he keeps throwing one surprise after the other, all of them pleasant.

39. Thendrale Thendrale (Kadhal Desam , 1996) 

 Lucky are those students who were in college when "Kadhal Desam" released. And how lucky is Tabu to have Rahman play keyboard, Mano and Unnikrishnan sing and Vaali instruct the winds to talk with flowers in a hushing tone so that she sleeps ?

38. Ore Kana ( Guru, 2007)

When I temporarily closed my blog in 2011 for my UPSC exam preparation , I put up the lyrics of this song as my last post. Now in 2017, I have realised that life is never about just one kana. But for those who seek motivation from music notes, there is no better companion than this song.

37.  Edhuku pondatti ( Kizhaku cheemayile, 1993)

Though this feels like a guilty pleasure, I chose this song because of the frenzied tribal beat in the stanzas ( I heard similar beats when we were present at a tribal performance in Chattisgarh during our all India tour earlier in 2016) . Also , because what is a Rahman list which does not feature Shahul Hameed ?

36 . Kannai katti kolladhey (Iruvar, 1997)

MGR forms a new party and this song celebrates the freedom MGR gets from his old party. Iruvar's music is not keeping with the sound of 1970s but it is about how Rahman would have composed had he been alive in 1970s.

35. Khoon chala ( Rang de basanti, 2005)

The situation in the movie demanded trumpets which can increase the blood temperature. Instead, Rahman plays it soft with Mohit Chouhan and keyboard and gets the same impact on screen. It is a pity that Rahman does not work with Rakeysh Mehra nowadays. No one in the entire film industry has used Rahman songs as well as Rakeysh.

34. En swasakatre (En swasakatre, 1999) 

The first 200 seconds pale significantly because of the Chitra- Veena duet in the last 90 seconds. Rahman's creative use of such traditional instruments always stands out.

33.Varaga nadhi (Sangamam, 1999)

 This is a love song with a Sufi undertone to it. It is also quite easily the best of ARR-Shankar Mahadevan combination. The beats used in this song were reused twelve years later when Jordan found his inner self at  Nizamuddin Dargah in "Rockstar".

32. Thirakaadha kaatukule (En swasakatre, 1999)

The best moment comes when Unnikrishnan goes "kaadhal kaadhal kaadhal kaadhal kaadhal yosi".

31. Nenachapadi ( Kaadhalar Dinam, 1999)

Since this is a Tamil marriage song set in Mumbai, Rahman is allowed to use both Shehnai and Nadhaswaram.When Nadhaswaram says "hi" in the second interlude, you melt.

30 . Do Kadam ( Meenaxi, 2004) : For all those who struggle to cope with failures, these lines from "Do kadam" can come in handy.

Raah viraan, sahi, raath sumsaan, sahi
Har ghadi saath rahe, kitne gham saath sahe
Thor ghum aur, sahi
Do kadam aur, sahi    

The path is lonely, agreed. The night is silent, agreed.
We have been together all along, we have suffered so much
Just a little more suffering, all right
Two more steps, all right  

29. Ayirathil naan oruvan (Iruvar, 1997)

Ilayaraja could never get to compose an introduction song for MGR but Rahman composed one. When Mano sings " Indha ulagam kadhavadaithal etti udhaipen , adhu thirakum" , our heads are held high and our gait acquires swagger.

28 . Columbus Columbus (Jeans, 1998)

This song features the best of A.R.Rahman as a singer. Though Rahman's voice can make us patriotic enough to make us stand in ATM queues for many days together, I like his voice more when he casually puts his hands around my shoulder and sings : " Weekend kaadhali , Ok na kaadhali , Timepassing kaadhala ? Piriyum varai kaadhali".

27. Ye Jo Zindagi Hai (  Earth, 1998) 

 Sujatha Trivedi totally overshadows Srinivas in her rendition. The melody is so touching that along with headsets, one needs a handkerchief to listen to the song.

26. Vennilave Vennilave ( Minsara Kanavu, 1997) 

If someone deserves more credit than Rahman in this song, it is Prabhu Deva who visualized such a graceful choreography for this evergreen melody. The girl and the guy keep singing about nature throughout and at the end also, the guy does not say that he wants to live with her .Instead, he wants to relish the beauty of this world with her for company . Those were some days !

25.July Matham ( Pudhiya Mugam , 1993) 

SPB  and Anupama try hard but in a way, the actual song gets over in the guitar prelude itself. It is a pity that Vineeth gets to perform in such classics : this fantastic duet as well as the all-time favorite friendship song ("Mustafa").

24. Anbe Anbe ( Jeans, 1998)

Vairamuthu's lyrics is so exquisite that it ends up spoiling the beauty of the original tune. I sincerely wish Vaali had written the lyrics for this song as he would most certainly have played second fiddle to this gorgeous tune. One thing to note is that the hero is singing this song for a girl without realising that it is his own bhabhi.

23. Vellai pookal (Kannathil Muthamital , 2002) 

 This is Rahman's tribute to the Gandhian dream of a world with peaceful co-existence. Wish this world is as lovely as the flute in the second stanza of this song.

22. Maana Madurai (Minsara Kanavu, 1997)

For other Tamil music directors (except Ilayaraja) , there are two types of songs : pacy kuthu songs and slow melodies. This song cannot be easily shelved into any of these categories. There is a crazy second interlude tailor-made for Prabhu Deva but when Chitra sings "Kayil boomi thandhane valamodu vaazhathane", you are in tears of joy. Cry at 2:45 and dance at 3:45. RahGod!

21. Nadaan Parindey (Rockstar, 2011) 

This anthem is for all those seeking to discover their inner selves. Whenever I was lost during my exam preparation period, this line from the song came to my rescue : "Koi bhi le rasta tu hai tu le hasta , Apne hi ghar aayega tu".

20.  Evano Oruvan (Alaipayuthey, 2000)

Goutham Menon said in an interview that he takes inspiration from this song video for all his movies. While Madhavan's emotions are there for us to see as he goes in search of Shalini, Shalini's emotional turmoil is revealed through Swarnalatha and flute. And of course, Rahmanin innisai matum illai endral yendro yendro irandhirupen.

19 . Thickuruvi (Kangalal kaidhu sei , 2003) 

Harini has sung three absolute gems for Rahman spread across three decades : Nila Kaaigiradhu, Sonnalum Ketpadhilai and Moongil Thottam. But my favorite Harini- ARR moment comes in the last minute of this song when Rahman tests Harini's voice range like only he can.The moment comes after 4:00 here.

18.  Theera Ulaa ( Oh Kadhal Kanmani , 2015)

Only when a song releases, it remains an A.R.Rahman song or an Ilayaraja song or a DSP song. Once we fall in love with the song and internalize the emotions in it, it becomes our song. This song is my song. Look out for the strings which plays right at the end of the song (4:40-4:41 here). It is Rahman tugging at my heartstrings.

17.  Yeh Jo Des Hai (Swades, 2004) 

I sincerely believe that this (and not Maa Tujhe Salaam) is the best patriotic song composed by Rahman. It is because real emotion oozes only when you miss something and not when you are enjoying it. The postlude featuring shehnai is out of the world.

16. Kalluri Salai ( Kaadhal Desam, 1996) 

 This is real Rahman mischief as he starts with Hariharan paying tribute to women devotionally but then the song goes berserk with rap and guitar. Vaali cannot be left far behind as he writes random stuff like "Lightning kannangal laser , undhan love matter solladho pager, naan kaadhal computer, nee dhane software".

15. Kadhalenum Thervuzhudhi (Kaadhalar Dhinam , 1999) 

My favorite moment in the song is when SPB sings "Ingu naan vandhu serndhen meyyuzhuthaga ,Nee vandhu serndhai uyir ezhuthaga" and Rahman fills the high with flute and keyboard. In the second stanza, Rahman fills the same space with Swarnalatha's humming because Rahman could not find an instrument better than her voice.

14. Konjam Nilavu (Thiruda Thiruda , 1993) 

It is an open challenge to Anirudh, Santosh Narayanan and other such upcoming names to compose a song with arrangements and sounds like this. Even in 2017, the new boys cannot come close to this sorcery but Rahman did this in 1993. Yes, the same times when Rajkiran was starring in "Aranmanai Kili".

13. Satrangi Re ( Dil Se, 1998) 

This is Sonu Nigam's best for Rahman as he explains to us the seven stages in love in a free-flowing way. Maniratnam mentions in his book that Rahman was in a zone and music kept flowing out of him. And how not to mention Gulzar's "Ishq par zor nahin, hai yeh woh aatish Ghalib , Ja lagaye na lage, aur bujhaye na bane".

12. Kappaleri Poyachu (Indian , 1996) 

Shankar says that he needs a song to celebrate Indian independence. Rahman coolly says "ok". Shankar says that he needs a love duet. Rahman again says "ok". Now, Shankar says that  a single song must meet both these demands. Rahman thinks, calls up SPB, Suseela, invokes "Saare jahan se achha" and comes up with this absolute stunner.

11. Luka Chuppi (Rang De Basanti ,2005) 

Usually , the mother dies and the son sings yearning for her. Here , it is the reverse as the son dies for the country and Lata ma sings in agony. Rahman holds his own in a tough song. The last two minute duet is the icing on the already delicious cake.

10. Margazhi Thingal ( Sangamam, 1999) 

When Ilayaraja mentioned in the Oscar felicitation speech that Rahman deserves a golden crown for his humongous talent, he would have meant songs like these.

9. Rehna Tu (Delhi 6, 2009 ) 

I remember not liking the song for some months and as compensation, I have added it to my all time favorite list. The last two minutes when Rahman plays the Continuum fingerboard is ,well, Rahmantic.

8.  Thoda Thoda ( Indira, 1995) 

For trivia lovers, the first interlude is not Naveen playing flute but Rahman effortlessly whistling his way to musical immortality . There is a touch of Ilayaraja's famed Thalapathy BGM in the second interlude when the flurry of violins ends in the kiss of a flute.

7. Kandukondein Kandukondein (Kandukondein Kandukondein,2000) 

In 2008, I was a first year student and my seniors doing their final year studies in college were vacating the hostel. One senior alone was listening to this song without packing the desktop and speakers. Everyone else was saying goodbye even as he was chewing gum and playing this song on repeat mode. Instead of completing the goodbye formalities, he spent the entire night listening to this song.What memories did this song evoke in him ? What else is a song but a string of memories played to music ?

6.  Tango for Taj ( Rockstar, 2011) 

This is the only instrumental piece in this entire list. Every time I listen to it, a painful story of love and passion comes to my mind. Hope I write a script based on that some day.

5. Dil gira dafatan (Delhi 6,2009) 

This song sees protagonist getting confused between dreams and reality. The first European styled interlude is priceless.This is quite easily one song I hesitate to listen because it haunts me.

4. Phir se ud chala (Rockstar,2011)

 Rahman is Brand India but in this song, he becomes Air India by allowing us to fly to unexplored corners of ourselves in a four minute song.

3. Kun Faaya Kun (Rockstar, 2011) 

 One becomes a believer after listening to this song. If not in Allah, then atleast in Allah Rakha Rahman.

2. Kannamoochi yenada (Kandukondein Kandukondein, 2000)

For trivia lovers, this song is based on the Naatakurichi Raagam which Chitti The Robot sings at the demo in "Endhiran". (Sujatha,the writer is common to both these movies).It is a pity that Chitra did not receive a National Award for this song. The sitar (or Veena , is it ? I do not know to identify instruments , I can only write about the smiles these instruments evoke) interludes are phenomenal.

1. Chinna Chinna Aasai (Roja ,1992) 

 For a person who won Oscars and the love of an entire nation later, it is ironical that he began with a Chinna Chinna Aasai. Life takes curious turns once in a while, new persons replace familiar faces, some unsettling winds are blowing all around you but you know that all is well when a good boatman named Allah Rakha Rahman is rowing in the waters singing "Yelelo" just for you.

Thank you Rahman for all the tears , smiles and music.

Matha,pitha,A.R.Rahman,Deivam.