Director Mahendran & IR movies - mullum malarum

[thilak4life]

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.

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").

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.

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?

Thanks, my bad. Yes, it's sitar. It's quite evident with how she plays it in the film.