Milliblog Weeklies – India’s only multilingual, weekly, new music playlist.
Week 288: YouTube | Spotify
Back after a L-O-N-G time (a month!), thanks to a lot of travel and work. So, bumper-sized playlist this time – 38 songs!
Awaara Angaara, Jigar Thanda, Jigar Thanda (Female), Chinnaware – Tere Ishk Mein (A R Rahman) – Hindi: Both the title song and Usey Kehna didn’t work for me at all and I was left wondering what else is there in this soundtrack. Thankfully, there are some genuinely interesting tracks here, now that the soundtrack has released. Awaara Angaara is one of them. Faheem Abdullah’s singing is one reason why it works so well, but beyond the voice, Rahman’s composition made me sit up. It has the same intensity as Dil Se’s sedate Ae Ajnabi, but is slightly faster. And it has a winding melody that keeps finding ways to come back to the Awaara Angaara hook in beautiful ways. And the interludes are pure gold, especially the first one.
Jigar Thanda is a simple, catchy song that is easily to like. But what makes it unique are the two versions – Darshan Raval’s simple version pales into ‘decent enough’ when you listen to the jazzy female version where Shilpa Rao does a monumental job! Chinnaware is quite unusual – a Tamil song (written by Dhanush) in a Hindi soundtrack. I guess Dhanush plays a Tamilian settled ‘up North’ (I noticed a shot in the trailer where Dhanush is in a veshti, trying to burn down a wedding scene) and this song fits there aptly. The tune is lively and lilting, and even if Shankar Mahadevan seems like overkill for this tune (particularly after hearing Dhanush sing this during the music launch), he does a fabulous job.
Kya Paaya, Qubool – Haq (Vishal Mishra) – Hindi: In Kya Paaya, Vishal creates a deeply reflective atmosphere, blending Sufi and Qawwali influences with a modern cinematic touch. The rhythm keeps the song wonderfully engaging. The signers, Ali Brothers, infuse the song with a rich, qawwali-style texture, especially in the soaring vocal backings. Qubool has Vishal blending Mithoon and Vishal Bhardwaj into an elegant melody with old-worldly charm. The calm melody breaks out with a lovely Qawwali-style chorus only towards the end.
Adi Alaye – Parasakthi (GV Prakash Kumar) – Tamil: Sudha Kongara does know how to get the best out of GV Prakash Kumar! The tune here has a racy melody that gets a distinct tinge because of Sean Roldan’s familiarly raspy vocals. And then there’s Dhee too! The choice of singers adds so much to the already lovely song.
Kannukulla – Dude (Sai Abhyankkar) – Tamil: Overall, I’d say Sai Abhyankkar got his debut film in Tamil very right. The songs don’t particularly sound any different from his pop (non-film) songs, but that is—at this early a stage in his career—an advantage. His music has a unique twang that sounds very different from what other composers are producing now. It’s not as dramatically different as what A R Rahman unleashed in the early 1990s, but it is reasonably unique nonetheless. With Kannukulla and Nallaru Po, Sai showcases his flair for fairly complex and winding softer melodies. Unlike Nallaru Po that was the guy’s perspective, Kannukulla puts forward the girl’s perspective and Jonita does a stellar job with her singing.
I’m The Guy – Aaryan (Ghibran) – Tamil: It’s a relief to hear a solid new song from Ghibran who seems to be struggling with his form for a long time. The melody’s structure is genuinely interesting, with the opening lines mirroring in a different pitch immediately after it, and then the hook (‘I’m the guy’) landing and paving way for the captivating musical interlude. I wasn’t able to place the singers specifically, but I guess the opening was by Guru Hariraj and the differently pitched mirror is by Ghibran. Both are perfectly in sync for this tune and handle it really well.
Unna Naan Paatha – Kombuseevi (Yuvan Shankar Raja) – Tamil: Yes, Yuvan’s singing is unbearable in the anupallavi, but that is expected by now. The man however has a gorgeous tune in his usual style that simply works.
Meesaala Pilla – Mana Shankara Varaprasad Garu (Bheems Ceciroleo) – Telugu: Simple, lilting and a lot of fun! Add to that Udit Narayan and Shweta Mohan’s singing! Sounds like a unhurried, catchy song from a very different era.
Babai – Telusu Kada (Thaman S) – Telugu: Thaman weaves his rhythmic magic with an incredibly catchy tune in Babai! Ram Miriyala can hardly ever go wrong with a tune like this and his earthy singing is song’s biggest strength.
Sayyare – Mowgli 2025 (Kaala Bhairava) – Telugu: What a pleasant surprise from Kaala Bhairava! Right from the humming by Aishwarya Daruri that opens the song, the melody is constantly unpredictable and interesting, with a constant guitar refrain in the background. While Kaala Bhairava’s voice sounds great, I thought he went a bit off key at places… I wonder if that was intentional or it’s just the way he sings.
Andhamaina Figaru Nuvvaa – Bad Boy Karthik (Harris Jayaraj) – Telugu: I don’t what Andhra/Telangana is feeding Harris, because his tunes there, like this one, are far more fun than anything he has composed in Tamil recently! The main tune is actually a bouncy, thara-local phrase, but Harris cleverly places that inside his sedate soundscape and makes it far more interesting. Sridhar Sena’s singing is wonderful, and even Priya Jerson, who appears only in the end, makes her mark.
Chinni Gundelo – Andhra King Taluka (Vivek-Mervin) – Telugu: I like what Vivek-Mervin are doing in their Telugu debut. It doesn’t reinvent anything but works at a simple, catchy level, just like this song. But even within the familiar templates they adopt, the duo adds little flourishes that go a long way. Like the orchestral wave of an interlude, for instance, is a lovely touch!
Chikiri Chikiri – Peddi (A R Rahman) – Telugu: It’s very easy to make the Matargasti connect with this song, it’s that obvious, made even more evident by Mohit Chauhan’s singing. Buy beyond such flashes, this is a brilliant song on every count. The hook is terrific, the lead up to the hook, with its guitar’y twang is superb. Mohit’s singing holds it all together and allows for Rahman’s free-flowing exploration of the tune after the catchy mukhda. Can’t wait to see what more Rahman has in store in this soundtrack.
Laayi Le – The Girlfriend (Hesham Abdul Wahab) – Telugu: With a 90s synthpop vibe and a throbbing rhythm, this is an effortless win for Hesham. Kapil Kapilan is pitch perfect here and Hesham’s handling of the vocal mix around the hook is impressive.
Rambai Neemeedha Naku – Raju Weds Rambai (Suresh Bobbili) – Telugu: I did not warm up to the song till Suresh drops that incredibly foot-tapping, almost Ilayaraja style rhythm at 1:20! Once I heard that, it’s very easy to get addicted to this simple, earthy, and charming song. Suresh keeps that captivating rhtyhm steadily throughout the song.
Pretty Baby – Biker (Ghibran) – Telugu: This is the second Ghibran song in this Weeklies, and just like how Telugu filmdom does something different to Tamil composers (Rahman’s Peddi song and Harris’s Bad Boy Karthik song as precursors in this Weeklies), Ghibran produces a song that almost took me back to his stellar form in his early days. The song’s sound is completely new and fresh, unlike anything I have heard recently. While Sublahshini does expectedly well given her stupendous recent successes, it is Yazin Nizar who hits it out of the park in this slow burn of a banger!
Nilagamanam, Irule Porule, Kan Konil, Paayakappal, and Smaranakal – Paathirathri (Jakes Bejoy) – Malayalam: Nilagamanam rides a quietly assured melodic wave, anchored by Chinmayi’s shimmering voice and a resonant orchestration by Jakes that reminded me somewhat of Mickey J Meyer’s sound. It’s possibly the soaring backing vocals that led me to Mickey. But the chorus is truly fantastic, and the way Jakes blends that with Chinmayi’s lead vocals is brilliant. Irule Porule unfolds gradually even as Jakes’ music allows the singers’ vocals to land without being intrusive. Unmesh Unnikrishnan is very good with his singing and I had to look up who he is. Both Kan Konil and Paayakappal hold terrific, soft melodies and their singing accentuates the tunes even better – Nikhilachandran for the former, and Jakes himself for the letter. Smaranakal is KS Harisankar’s show all the way! Jakes builds a propulsive melody that drops the beat beautifully and lands wonderfully imagined musical interludes. I was pleasantly surprised by the sheer number of songs I liked from Paathirathri, and that too from someone like Jakes who I think is very occasional (veyr hit-or-miss, in my view) with good music. Very happy to see (hear) excellent music from Jakes.
Kaattu Raasa – Vilaayath Budha (Jakes Bejoy) – Malayalam: Jakes again! Surprisingly, it’s a Tamil + Malayalam mix and that makes it more like a standard-issue Tamil film song. But Jakes does well with his choice of singers – Vijay Yesudas, and in particular, Parvathi Meenakshi, who does phenomenally well with the Tamil lines. The melody is innately simple and sweet, and that helps a lot.
Bhoomi – Kannalan (Arun Prasad) – Malayalam: I don’t recall hearing this song from this 2021 movie that was supposed to have gone direct to OTT. Did the makers release it only now (a lyric video in August 2025, and again, in mid-October 2025)? It’s a solid song, though – Arun Prasad crafts a rousing, earthy anthem, with soft percussion and rustic strings, and Job Kurian’s arresting voice that sounds equal parts like prayer and proclamation.
Kulire – Nellikkampoyil Night Riders (Yakzan Gary Pereira & Neha Nair) – Malayalam: After Kaadhal Ponmaan, Yakzan and Neha have another winner here, but it is also vastly different from that earlier released song. Kulire’s calm, whisper-like melody gains immensely from the warm and intimate singing by the film’s leading lady, Meenakshi Unnikrishnan, and Alan Joy Mathew. Amidst this soft overall texture, the composing duo add a vocal humming, that seems ill-fitting and charming at the same time!
Athishayam – Innocent (Jay Stellar) – Malayalam: Tastefully conceived melody by Jay Stellar (that’s his real name? What a stellar job by his parents!) that doesn’t reinvent anything, but does well, within its template of a lilting, soft melody. Hanan Shaah is particularly good as he lands the Athishayam hook, while Nithya Mammen manages the song’s anupallavi beautifully.
Premavathi – Athi Bheekara Kaamukan (Bibin Ashok) – Malayalam: A jaunty, easy-on-the-ear song from the composer who owns Onam 2025 with his Onam Mood. That he gets Sid Sriram to sing this song assures the song’s charm even more.
Nannedeya Haadondanu – Moda Kavida Vaatavarana (Judah Sandhy) – Kannada: Judah Sandhy spins an effortlessly lush melody here with an affecting tune that gets even better in Sanjith Hegde’s unique vocals. There’s a touch of melancholy in both Sanjith’s singing and Augustine Sandhy’s solo violin that beautifully punctuates the interludes.
Ayyo Sivane – Cult (Arjun Janya) – Kannada: Considering this song by Arjun Janya features strings and bass by Budapest Scoring Orchestra, I wonder if there was a ‘Record 1 song, get another song free recording’ offer there, since KD’s Settagalla too had the same orchestra, again with Arjun Janya at the helm 🙂 But, on a serious note, just like that song from KD, this one too is mounted on an ambitious scale in terms of sound, and Arjun pulls it off brilliantly. Jaskaran Singh, already a prolific Kannada singer, does a tremendous job, along with Prithwi Bhat.
Chandana – Gondhal (Ilayaraaja) – Marathi: A vintage Tamil melody from Ilayaraja… only difference, it is in Marathi! The folk orchestration and the chorus have the Maestro’s trademark charm. And it’s wonderful to see the choice of singers who significantly elevate the melody – Ajay Gogavale, who opens the song, and Aarya Ambekar in particular, who joins in the charanam and does an outstanding job. I wouldn’t be surprised if Raja reuses this tune in Tamil.
Chamkeela – Jassi Weds Jassi (Rev Shergill) – Punjabi: Had I not seen Rev Shergill’s name, my guess would have been Amit Trivedi. But mid-way, with the ‘Meri Beeba Beeba’ line and the unusual twists in the melody, that guess would have dissipated 🙂 This is a peppy song that has Mohit Chauhan doing a phenomenal job with his singing.
Yun Hi Kahi – The Yellow Diary (Indipop/Hindi): This is classic The Yellow Diary! Built on the band’s signature expansive, indie-rock sound, with Rajan Batra’s predictably soulful vocals working its magic over Himonshu Parikh’s persistent piano, the song makes for an excellent listen. Rajan’s lines too deserve a special mention, given how wonderfully they evoke longing for a friend/company.
Inaiyum Padhaigal – Shravan Sridhar (Tamil/Indipop): Vinaita Sivakumar’s lyrics beautifully weave reflections on self-discovery with the gentle joy of exploring the world in Shravan Sridhar’s enjoyable tune, sung brilliantly by KS Harisankar. Shravan’s composition mixes flute, strings, and earthy mridangam to create a wonderful fusion of modern and classic sounds.
Yeno Indru – Rakhoo (Tamil/Indipop): A song that was likeable enough for me to ask, ‘Who is this Rakhoo?’. A simple, nice tune punctuated by Rakhoo’s imagination of employing Suraj G Shankar’s flute so beautifully!
Maara Makka – Rudh (Tamil/Indipop): If Sai Abhyankkar is a hit, can his clones be far behind? Not at all. Here’s the first one! Try a blind test by playing this to someone and ask them to name the singer/composer. But because we are in an early phase of liking most of what Sai produces, this one passes muster too.
Thalaivan Oruvan – Santhosh Narayanan (Coke Studio Bharat) – Tamil/Indipop: How did Santhosh not use this for the many films he composes which feature heroes who always want to be eulogized as ‘Thalaivan’? I’m so surprised that this is an independent song and does not feature a cinema hero as ‘Thalaivan’! The melody is grandly cinematic and soaring, and Vivek’s lyrics aptly accentuate the expectations from the ‘leader’. The Indian Choral Ensemble’s powerful harmonies turn the song into an electrifying call to rise, even as Santhosh’s lead vocals are consistently powerful.
