Kaalam yen kadhali has captivating phrases; that ‘Kaalam yen’ hook after the anupallavi layered with kuthu or the catchy ‘Vaa machakkaara’ in the charanam that’s different from the anupllavi. But as an overall song it is less coherent, albeit interesting enough. Naan un aruginil seems like Tamasha’s melodic remnant, and works for its lilting melody with a tinge of melancholy, and excellent singing by Arijit and Chinmayi. Mei nigara, on the other hand, has a Kaara Aattakkaara flavor, and the intriguing R&B sound works as much for its inventive audacity as it does for Sid Sriram’s impeccable lead vocals and Sanah Moidutty and Jonita Gandhi’s backing vocals. Punnagaye is where Rahman lets his imagination loose, letting the interplay between Shashaa’s Punnagaye part and Haricharan’s heady Adi aathi (which also ends the song on a high) become the highlight, along with the tune’s free-flowing vibrancy. Aararo harks back to early Rahman—En Swaasa Kaatre, to be specific—with its minimal lullaby accentuated brilliantly through Sakthishree’s phenomenal vocals and Rahman’s guitar-loaded orchestration. My Twin Brother is intriguing and soars magnificently at 1:12, in line with Rahman’s recent international projects. There are more than enough alluring sounds in 24 to make it a great listen.
PS: As Siddharth mentions, there is a Kulirudhu Kulirudhu influence in the way Punnagaye opens! Also, interestingly, a line in the song (by Vairamuthu) goes, ‘Hindolam isaikirathey’, indicating raaga Hindolam. The side note here is that while Kulirudhu may seem like Hindolam, it is more of Sindhubhairavi/Bhairavi! And Punnagaye doesn’t seem like Hindolam either!
Keywords: 24, A R Rahman, A.R.Rahman, 200, #200
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