Onde ondu saari – Mungaru Male (Mano Murthy, Kannada)
I listen to Kannada film music only occasionally, despite being in Bangalore. I do keep track of the good stuff that comes out, rarely. One such rare recent soundtrack is that of NRI composer Mano Murthy’s Mungaru Male. Besides a very listenable set of 7 tracks, the one that I just cannot get out of my head is Onde ondu saari sung fervently by Kunal Ganjawala. The flow of the tune starting out with a rather divergent pitch flows amazingly coupled with some incredible orchestration. This is a must-listen!
Ingivalai naan perave – Ninaithu Ninaithu Paarthen (Joshua Sridhar, Tamil)
Joshua Sridhar, after a really sorry soundtrack in Vikraman’s Chennai Kaadhal really strikes back in Ninaithu Ninaithu Paarthen. Considering it stars Vijay’s ill-fated cousin Vikranth, I was quite wary of this soundtrack, but Madhu Ambat’s name is credited for cinematography! Now, thats interesting! The movie is supposedly a cross-border love story between a Hindu boy and a Pakistani girl and this explains the soaring patriotic number Indhiya idhu. But, the sweeping melody of Ingivalai is my pick of the album. Imaginative lyrics, neat vocals by Goutham & Harini Sudhagar and very good fusion of instruments right across the track!
Ek pal – Hattrick (Pritam, Hindi)
Pritam strikes back with a very ear-friendly soundtrack in Hattrick. Ek pal does evoke strong images of Pritam’s earlier compositions – strong sense of deja-vu! But KK manages to whip up the right pitch in this uptempo track.
Chanda re – Ekalavya (Shantanu Moitra, Hindi)
Hamsika Iyer. That sums up the reason to listen to this track from Ekalavya, which seems to have already sunk, dragging with it, its interesting soundtrack, released on the day of the film’s release. Would it have helped if the soundtrack was released earlier?
Rozana – Nishabd (Vishal Bharadwaj, Hindi)
Vishal is at his best in Rozana, fantastically supported by Amitabh’s vocals. The pondering lyrics pitch in too effectively!
Hrudayavum – Notebook (Majo Joseph, Malayalam)
For a soundtrack that released back in November 2006 and a film that released in December 2006, I sure am late, adding it in this list. The intention is that others should’nt miss this. Majo Joseph’s tune is captivating, with the right use of the typical fusion elements used in Malayalam film music. Of course, its Vineeth Srinivasan who breathes life into this youthful track.
Kaatrin mozhi – Mozhi (Vidyasagar, Tamil)
What can one say about this track? Vidyasagar simply weaves magic into this one, with mesmerizing lyrics by Vairamuthu. Perfect blend!
