Engae pogudho’s soaring Hollywood-style composition is disjoint and at best background’ish. Its other version, Rana’s Dream, by London Sessions Orchestra showcases the tune’s rich tapestry better. Medhuvaagathaan is a throwback to the older ‘En veettu thottathil’ Rahman, with sweet chorus lines and fantastic vocals by SPB and Sadhana Sargam. Maattram ondrudhaan is a triumph of Vairamuthu’s terse, meaningful dialogs, more than its utterance by Rajini, incongruent in diction with the period the film is supposedly set in. The unintrusive music and jathi in the background accentuates it well, though. Latha Rajinikanth sounds incredible in the mellifluous Manappennin sathiyam! Vairamuthu’s imaginative lyrics may rile modern-day feminists, but it sounds apt in the film’s context. Haricharan’s Manamaganin sathiyam is equally good, espousing chivalry. Idhayam’s desolate, seemingly Puriyadhanashree sound stands out wonderfully with the way Chinmayi delivers them, particularly that tantalizing ‘Idhayam nazhuvi nazhuvi’ part! Engal Kochadaiiyaan has a functional tune at best, but the music – the percussion in particular, is spellbinding! Karma veerane is that mandatory Rahman-sung soaring motivational number, but the package is spunky and engaging. Rahman seems to have placed Kochadaiiyaan’s sound right at the intersection of his Indian and Hollywood musical pursuits and it sits pretty well there!
Keywords: Kochadaiiyaan, A R Rahman, Kochadayaan, 200, #200, Too early a review, If you had reviewed it after 24 hours, this would have been 400 words, How many times do you listen to a soundtrack before you review, Rahman’s music takes time to sink in
