Kaaviya Thalaivan (soundtrack)

Kaaviya Thalaivan (Epic Ruler) is the 2014 soundtrack album to the Tamil historical fiction film of the same name, written and directed by Vasanthabalan. A. R. Rahman has composed the original songs and score for the film. Being a period film, the music of film reflects the sounds during the 1920s pre-Independence Indian era. The album marks poet Vaali's last lyrical work for this A. R. Rahman musical film. Prior to recording the original songs, Rahman carried out a research for six months for the music. Majority of the tracks were recorded by nine months, beginning from October 2012. Every song in the film has an underlying concept that justifies the screenplay. Prior to the album release, three tracks "Vaanga Makka Vaanga", "Yaarumilla" and "Aye Mr. Minor!" were released as singles on 1 September, 1 October and 17 October. The original version of the album that released on 31 October 2014 was aired through Suryan FM.[5]

Kaaviya Thalaivan
Digital Soundtrack Cover Art
Soundtrack album by
A. R. Rahman
Released31 October 2014 (2014-10-31)
RecordedOctober 2012[1]—May 2014[2]
Panchathan Record Inn and AM Studios, Chennai
Length33:58
LanguageTamil
LabelSony Music India
ProducerA. R. Rahman
A. R. Rahman chronology
The Hundred-Foot Journey
(2014)		 Kaaviya Thalaivan
(2014)		 I
(2014)
Singles from Kaaviya Thalaivan
  1. "Vaanga Makka Vaanga"
    Released: 1 September 2014[3]
  2. "Yaarumilla"
    Released: 1 October 2014[4]
  3. "Aye Mr. Minor!"
    Released: 17 October 2014

Development

A. R. Rahman revealed that he backed out from the Hollywood fantasy film Seventh Son to compose for Kaaviya Thalaivan,[6][7] because it gave him the scope to innovate with folk music like never before.[8] He had done six months research for the music of the film,[9] especially working on nuances of several ragas and folk music prior to recording actual compositions. From October 2012 to July 2013 Rahman finished composing 90% of the songs, prior to commencement of filming. The makers did not finish a schedule and waited for Rahman to give them another song.[1] Initially, the makers were skeptical about A. R. Rahman's agreement to the project. For an undisclosed song in the album, Rahman composed the lyrical tuning to six different iterations.[1] Rahman was well aware of singer Haricharan's strong foundation in classical music. Unlike usual recording routes, the composer and singer had an impromptu sort of jamming session.[10] Haricharan was diffident on the over-dramatizing lyrical works but agreed later.[10] As per The Hindu, he was quoted saying "It is a period movie about street theatre, I trained myself by listening to legendary singers such as S. G. Kittappa and M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar."[10] Haricharan has sung for ten tracks (inclusive of bit songs) in the album. The complete album was supposed to be written by Vaali but his untimely demise, he wrote the track "Alli Arjuna" for the soundtrack, his last poetic contribution to Tamil music.[10] For this conversational track, Haricharan sang for both the characters 'Krishna' and 'Arjuna' by bringing alterations in his voice.[10] As per the producer, S. Sashikanth, "Every song in this movie has a concept behind it. With "Yaarumilla" – that particular idea was based on the romance between Kitappa and KB Sundarambal. There were letters that Sundarambal had sent to Kitappa which are supposed to be on par with Shakespearan love letters! So the song's inspiration comes from that."[1]

In an interview with Deccan Chronicle Rahman was quoted saying, "Being a period film and the subject being about a dramatic trouple, I needed to go into the subject in some depth. Apparently, it was done for people to relate with the music of that era with immediate ease."[9] The film has 20 bit songs of varying lengths that partly form the score. At The Economic Times, Rahman noted, "The limitation was the throw (performing on stage needs high-pitched tunes with dynamism) at which the songs needed to be composed." In October 2013, singer Madhushree announced that she had performed a duet titled "Thamana" with S. P. Balasubrahmanyam,[11] however the track eventually did not feature in the soundtrack album. Seven original songs in each of the plays are featured in the film. All the compositions reflect the sound and musical preferences of the 1920s era.[12] Director Vasanthabalan selected old verses of Madurakavi Bhaskaradas so as to tune them for selected songs.[13] All the songs were recorded by early May 2014.[2] Vasanthabalan confirmed in early September 2014 that Rahman was working on the background score of the film in his studio in Los Angeles.[14]

Marketing and release

The audio rights of the film were sold to Sony Music India in April 2014.[15] The first single track "Vaanga Makka Vaanga" was released on 1 September 2014. On 15 September 2014, preview clip of track "Sollividu Sollividu" (previously noted as "Karnamotcham") was released on Rahman's SoundCloud channel.[16] The second single "Yaarumilla" was released on 1 October 2014. The video preview clip of the making of the track, "Aye Mr. Minor" was released on YouTube on 8 October 2014, and the full song was released as the third single on 17 October 2014.[17] It was earlier reported that the album would launch on 24 September 2014, but sources confirmed that the album would release digitally on 31 October 2014.

An event for the digital release of the album was held at A. R. Rahman's studio was aired through Suryan FM 93.5 across Tamil Nadu on 31 October 2014.[18][19] The highlight of the event was an audio – visual presentation of the experiences of five theater artistes. All five namely PC Kalaimani, Nellai Sriram, Anandan, Prasad Rajendran and Tamilarasan were felicitated by A.R. Rahman.[20]

Critical reception

The album received extremely positive reviews upon release.[21] K. Siddharth of Sify stated that Rahman was "at his creative best!" in the album and gave it a rating of 4 out of 5 stars.[22] Behindwoods chose "Vaanga Makka Vaanga", "Aye Mr. Minor!" and "Yaarumilla" as the picks of the album and rated the album 3.75 out of 5 stars, concluding, "Rahman brings back live instrumentation to its full glory !"[23] Vipin of Music Aloud concluded, "One of the year's most awaited soundtracks, and A R Rahman delivers in style. Big props to the singers (not just Haricharan) for a top class effort! Kaaviya Thalaivan. Go listen!", and gave a rating of 9 out of 10 for the album.[24] S. Saraswati of Rediff.com wrote "Music by AR Rahman anchors the film well. Every song takes you back to an era that glorified music and understood its nuances. They form an integral part of the film and give greater depth to the narrative. There are a multitude of songs, but every song is handled differently, ensuring a thoroughly enjoyable experience."[25] R. S. Prakash of Bangalore Mirror called Rahman's work "soothing and adds value" though he felt that it was not the best.[26] Avinash Gopalan of Oneindia Entertainment called the soundtrack and background score as the film's backbone.[27] Haricharan Pudipeddi felt that Rahman's work is one of the places where Kaaviya Thalaivan works.[28]

However, Baradwaj Rangan of The Hindu wrote "The film opens with a dedication to legends like S. G. Kittappa and K. B. Sundarambal, but a soundtrack filled with those kinds of voices would be booed off the screen today. The singers sound lighter, more contemporary, even while rendering bits like Kaayadha Kaanagathe, which was immortalised on screen by T. R. Mahalingam – again, a voice that would most likely make the audience collapse into giggles."[29]

Chart performance

The album topped the iTunes charts across India within a few hours after its digital release.[20]

Chart (2014) Peak
position
Top Indian Albums[30] 1

Release history
Album Region Release Date Format Audio Label Ref
Kaaviya Thalaivan (Singles Release) Worldwide 1 September 2014 Digital Download Sony Music India [31]
1 October 2014 [32]
17 October 2014 [33]
Kaaviya Thalaivan (Album Release) 31 October 2014 [34]
India 25 December 2014 CD [35]
United States Sony Music Entertainment
United Kingdom [36]
Pradhi Nayagan (Malayalam Version) Worldwide 2 November 2014 Digital Download Sony Music India [37]
Premaalayam

(Telugu Version)

 25 March 2016 [38]

Track listing

The official track listing was released by Sony Music India on 29 October 2014.[39][40] The soundtrack album for the original Tamil version was released on 31 October 2014.

Tamil Version
Kaaviya Thalaivan (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)[41]
No.TitleLyricsSinger(s)Length
1."Vaanga Makka Vaanga"Na. MuthukumarHaricharan, Dr. Narayanan03:36
2."Aye Mr. Minor!"Pa. VijayShashaa Tirupati, Haricharan04:43
3."Sandi Kuthirai"Pa. VijayHaricharan03:56
4."Sollividu Sollividu"Pa. VijayMukesh04:24
5."Yaarumilla"Pa. VijayShweta Mohan, Srinivas04:32
6."Thiruppugazh[c]"ArunagirinatharVani Jayaram02:18
7."Alli Arjuna[a]"VaaliHaricharan, Bela Shende, Srimathumitha10:28
Total length:33:58

Malayalam (Dubbed) Version
Pradhi Nayagan
Soundtrack album by
A. R. Rahman
Released2 November 2014
RecordedOctober 2012[1]—May 2014[2]
Panchathan Record Inn and AM Studios, Chennai
GenreFeature film soundtrack
Length33:58
LanguageMalayalam
LabelSony Music India
ProducerA. R. Rahman

The soundtrack album for the dubbed Malayalam version, Pradhi Nayagan was released on 2 November 2014.

All lyrics are written by Rafeeq Ahammed.

Pradhi Nayagan (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)[42]
No.TitleSinger(s)Length
1."Vaa Changaadhi Vaa Vaa"Haricharan, Dr. Narayanan03:36
2."Aye Kochu Kalla"Parvathy Jayadevan, Haricharan04:43
3."Mandi Kuthira"Haricharan03:56
4."Cholluga Nee"Vishnu Raj04:24
5."Aarumilla"Bela Shende, Srinivas04:32
6."Kaamasharakshigal"Vani Jayaram02:18
7."Naadaga Gaanangal[b]"Haricharan, K. S. Chithra10:28
Total length:33:58

Telugu(Dubbed) Version
Premaalayam
Soundtrack album by
A. R. Rahman
Released25 March 2016
GenreFeature film soundtrack
Length33:58
LanguageTelugu(Dubbed)
LabelSony Music India
ProducerA. R. Rahman

The soundtrack album for the dubbed Telugu version Premaalayam was released on 25 March 2016.

All lyrics are written by Bhuvanachandra.

Premaalayam (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)[43]
No.TitleSinger(s)Length
1."Randi Babu Randi"Haricharan, Dr. Narayanan03:37
2."Hey Hey Mister"Shashaa Tirupati, Haricharan04:42
3."Aye Kanya Gurram"Haricharan03:58
4."Arjunuda"Hemachandra04:22
5."Chalunaya"Bela Shende, Srinivas04:30
6."Devagananvitha"Vani Jayaram02:18
7."Vandhanam"Haricharan, Shashaa Tirupati, Maalavika Sundar10:26
Total length:33:58

Album credits
Backing Vocals[24]

Malavika, Pooja A.V., Sharanya, Dr. Narayanan, Nivas

Personnel
Production
  • Producer: A. R. Rahman
  • Mastering: S. Sivakumar
  • Engineers:
    • Suresh Permal, T. R. Krishna Chetan, Jerry Vincent, Srinidhi Venkatesh, R. Nitish Kumar, Vinay S Hariharan (at Panchathan Record Inn)
    • S. Sivakumar, Kannan Ganpat, Pradeep, Karthik Sekaran, Anantha Krishnan (at A.M. Studios)
  • Music supervisor: Srinidhi Venkatesh
  • Project Manager: Suresh Permal
  • Chennai Strings Orchestra & Sunshine Orchestra: V.J. Srinivasamurthy (at AM Studios)
  • Mixing: K. J. Singh
  • Additional Programming: Jim Satya, T.R. Krishna Chetan, Hentry Kuruvilla, Marc, Satish Chakravarthy, Santhosh Dhayanithi
  • Music co-ordinators: Noell James, Vijay Mohan Iyer
  • Musicians' fixer: R. Samidurai

See also

Notes
  • ^a The total duration of "Alli Arjuna" as 10:28 but no individual track duration(s) are mentioned for each seven bit songs. The seven bit songs are - "Vandhanam Vandhanam", "Yaadhavanam", "Alli Varugiraal", "Priya Sakhiyae", "Kanna Kanna", "Naan Annathooviyil", "Gettimaelam" and "Nenju Porukkudhillaiyae".[39][40]
  • ^b In the Malayalam version of the soundtrack, the track "Naadaga Gaanangal" is the Malayalam counterpart of "Alli Arjuna" with the same length but the names of individual bit-songs under it were not released officially.
  • ^c The song features lyrics from the compilation "Thiruppugazh" written by Saint Arunagirinathar

References
  1. Dilani, Rabindran (8 November 2014). "PRODUCER S SASHIKANTH INTERVIEW". Behindwoods. Retrieved 8 November 2014.
  2. Ramanujam, Srinivasa (4 May 2014). "Of music and a Million Dollar Arm". The Hindu. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  3. "Vaanga Makka Vaanga is here". The Hindu. 1 September 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  4. "Yaarumilla (From 'Kaaviya Thalaivan') - Single". iTunes. 1 October 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
  5. "Rahman's The Hundred- Foot Journey from August 12". The Times of India. 7 August 2014. Retrieved 9 August 2014.
  6. "AR Rahman pulls out of Hollywood film 'The Seventh Son'". The Times of India. 14 July 2013. Archived from the original on 25 May 2014. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
  7. "'I am very proud to work on 'Kaaviya Thalaivan' - Rahman'". Rahman360. 1 March 2014. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
  8. "Kaaviya... gave me freedom to innovate with folk music: Rahman". Hindustan Times. 3 March 2014. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
  9. Balachandran, Logesh (5 May 2014). "Is AR Rahman a magician or our Mozart?". Deccan Chronicle. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  10. Srinivasan, Sudhir (23 August 2014). "Jamming with Rahman". The Hindu. Retrieved 24 August 2014.
  11. "'Kaaviya Thalaivan' - is the movie and the song name-Thamana". Twitter. 16 October 2013. Retrieved 18 October 2013.
  12. Naig, Udhav (1 March 2014). "Tunes from a bygone era". The Hindu. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
  13. Rangarajan, Malathi (19 March 2014). "A peek at the past". The Hindu. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  14. "Rahman busy with Kaaviya Thalaivan's BGM". The Times of India. 5 September 2014. Retrieved 6 September 2014.
  15. "What's in 'Kaaviya Thalaivan' album?". The Times of India. 16 August 2014. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
  16. "A small preview of the 'Kaaviya Thalaivan' song". Rahman360. 15 September 2014. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
  17. "Aye Mr Minor Making video - 'Kaaviya Thalaivan'". Cinemalead. 8 October 2014. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
  18. "CHILDREN OF HEAVEN DIRECTOR TO GET HIS EYES ON 'KAAVIYA THALAIVAN'?". Cinemalead. 31 October 2014. Retrieved 31 October 2014.
  19. "A.R.Rahman will show 'Kaaviya Thalaivan' to Majid Majidi - Event Story". Behindwoods. 31 October 2014. Retrieved 31 October 2014.
  20. Gupta, Rinku (2 November 2014). "'Kaaviya Thalaivan' Music Hits iTunes No 1 Within Few Hours". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  21. Nicy V. P. (31 October 2014). "'Kaaviya Thalaivan' Songs Review Round up: AR Rahman Creates Magic Again [AUDIO]". International Business Times. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
  22. K. Siddharth (31 October 2014). "Kaaviya Thalaivan - Mesmerizing music by AR Rahman". Sify. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
  23. "KAAVIYATHALAIVAN SONGS REVIEW". Behindwoods. 31 October 2014. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
  24. Vipin (31 October 2014). "Kaaviya Thalaivan – Music Review". Music Aloud. Retrieved 31 October 2014.
  25. Saraswati, S (28 November 2014). "Review: Kaaviya Thalaivan is worth a watch". Rediff.com. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  26. R. S., Prakash (29 November 2014). "Film Review: Kaaviya Thalaivan". Bangalore Mirror. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  27. Gopinath, Avinash (28 November 2014). "Kaaviya Thalaivan Movie Review: Lead Actors Shine". Oneindia Entertainment. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  28. Pudipeddi, Haricharan (29 November 2014). "'Kaaviya Thalaivan'- Salute the effort, but not the film (IANS Tamil Movie Review)". IANS. Sify. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  29. Rangan, Baradwaj (28 November 2014). "Kaaviya Thalaivan: a great premise that doesn't fulfill its potential". The Hindu. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  30. Top Music Albums Charts, via iTunes Store India. IMI. 18 August 2014. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
  31. Vaanga Makka Vaanga (From "Kaaviyathalaivan") - Single by A. R. Rahman, Haricharan & Dr Narayan, retrieved 2 November 2019
  32. Yaarumilla (From "Kaaviyathalaivan") - Single by A. R. Rahman, Shweta Mohan & Srinivas, retrieved 2 November 2019
  33. Kaaviyathalaivan (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) by A. R. Rahman, retrieved 2 November 2019
  34. Kaaviyathalaivan (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) by A. R. Rahman, retrieved 2 November 2019
  35. "Kaaviyathalaivan (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)". www.amazon.com. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  36. "Kaaviyathalaivan (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) by A. R. Rahman on Amazon Music - Amazon.co.uk". www.amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  37. Pradhi Nayagan (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) by A. R. Rahman, retrieved 2 November 2019
  38. Premaalayam (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) by A. R. Rahman, retrieved 2 November 2019
  39. "Kaaviya Thalaivan tracklist". Sony Music South. 29 October 2014. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
  40. "Official Kaaviya Thalaivan tracklist". Rahman360. 29 October 2014. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
  41. "Kaaviyathalaivan (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) - A. R. Rahman". iTunes. 31 October 2014. Retrieved 31 October 2014.
  42. "Pradhi Nayagan track list". Gaana. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  43. "Premaalayam (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) - A. R. Rahman". iTunes. 25 March 2016. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
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