Daily Chennai - Tamilnadu, India

The most expected movie of this year Sivaji staring Super star Rajinikanth, audio tracks are released on net by the internet pirates.Sivaji is produced by AVM Productions and directed by Shankar with the Music by Asian Mozart A.R. Rahman. The Official audio release is slated on April 4 and the movie is slated to be released on April 12. Today ( March 22 ) Unofficial audio tracks of 3 songs namely Vaa Vaa Sivaji, Sahara Saaral, Oru Kodai Sunlight are been released on net. The information about the unofficial release of the audio tracks are been sent to AVM Productions and they are sure to get down in action to trace the culprits through the Cyber Crime Police Chennai.

Its a Bad morning for director Shankar to hear the news and AVM productions are also Upset on the Unofficial audio release of their movie. Lets hope the movie should not be released before the Official release!!

This is piracy at its peak. A team of dedicated technicians work their hearts out to bring the best music, just to find their creations released online even before the official launch. Yes, we are talking about Sivaji, Superstar Rajinikanth magnum opus under the direction of Shankar and the music of A.R.Rahman.The audio of this most awaited movie was all set to be released on April 4th with a small in house ceremony at AVM. But the online pirates had a different plan. The full length versions of three out of the proposed six songs were illegally released by an UK website in the early hours of 22nd of March.Oru Koodai Sunlight, Oru Koodai Moonlight, ala the style of American rapper 50 cents, Vaa Vaa Sivaji, a peppy number by Hariharan-Sadana Sargam combination and Sahana Saaral, a trade mark Rahman melody, sung by Udit Narayanan, are the three songs for which the full length mp3 tracks have been released.

March 22nd 2007, will be a Black Thursday for Shankar and his crew, who have been working day in and day out to get the movie ready for the big World wide release on April 14th. They will be mighty shocked with this news of songs leaking out online, or on the contrary, were they already prepared for this.

Mp3 leakage is not something new to Shankar and Rahman. Their earlier venture, Boys had met with the same fate with songs hitting the Information Highway two days before the official launch. Even in the case of Sivaji, a 40 sec clip of Oru Koodai Sunlight was doing the rounds online much before this release of the full length version.

Rahman who has been raising his voice in support of royalty for musicians might be taken a back by this development. No one is sure about the source of this leakage as yet. The processing lab, someone in the maestros team or a production crew member, anyone can be responsible for this bad doing. It would also be interesting to see if the production house, AVM files an official complaint with the Cyber Crime Police.

In the meantime, expectations among Rajini and Rahman fans is at an all time high for the audio to hit the stands on April 4th. Reports from Music world, a music outlet in Chennai, suggest that there is a growing enquiry on the release of the audio and there are also requests for advance reservation on the CDs. The audio is getting released under the AVM banner.

Piracy or no piracy, come April 4th, the music showrooms would be flooded by fans to get their hands on Sivaji audio.

Finally, the most-awaited Sivaji album has been released. The film Sivaji — The Boss has the biggest Tamil cinema stalwarts lined up under highly reputed AVM banner — director Shankar; composer A R Rahman; lyricists Valee, Vairamuthu, Pa Vijay, Muthukumar; cinematographer K V Anand; dialogue writer Sujatha; art director Thotta Tharani; choreographers Prabhudeva, Raju Sundaram, Lawrence and Brinda; and, over and above all, superstar Rajnikanth in the title role.

Shriya Saran plays the female lead. Incidentally, Sivaji is director Shankar’s ninth film, and Rajni’s ninth with AVM. The title of the film resonates with Rajnikanth’s real name, Shivaji Rao Gaekwad.

Previously director Shankar always managed to keep movie details close to his chest till the release. But Sivaji became an exception with first the storyline becoming common knowledge, and then three music tracks leaked on the Internet. Shankar’s films always deal with malpractices in various sectors of society. Likewise, Sivaji also is supposed to be the story of an NRI crusading against the capitation fee syndrome, the bane of our educational system.

A R Rahman’s compositions are in tune with the crusader image of the film’s protagonist. The lyricists have milked Rajnikanth’s screen image to the fullest, making the line dividing the actor and the character very thin. They are really on an overkill trip.

The album kicks off with the foot tapping number Balleilakka aggressively rendered by S P Balasubramaniam, Rehanah Benny and an effective chorus. The opening line has a faint echo of Rahman’s Veerapandi kottayilae from his own Thiruda Thiruda. Lyricist Na Muthukumar eulogises Tamil Nadu and the Tamilian’s supportive camaraderie with his neighbours. He also paints a larger than life picture of the hero comparing him to the sun, moon and even Shiva the destroyer, with lines like ‘he can even turn Tamil Nadu into America.’ SPB’s rendition is vibrant and the fast pace towards the end makes him sound breathless. The number has aggressive percussion and faint melodious nuances in between.

The racy track Oru koodal sunlight follows with obvious reference to the superstar’s sobriquet ‘Stylemannan.’ It is a scrappy number with Pa Vijay’s lyrics, a medley of bits and pieces of phrases. He even coins new appellations for the hero like ‘heerathihero!’ Rags, Tanvi, Suresh Peters and Blaze belt out this peppy piece. Fast beats and Tanvi’s whispery rendition give it a sensuous touch.

Sahana saral thoovutho is a melodious piece with western instrumentation. This is the only track (along with the Vaji vaji number later) with significant lyrics. Vairamuthu’s lyrics have an appealing freshness and originality. This track, a love duet rendered by Udit Narayan and the dulcet-voiced Chinmayi, has been embellished with a sprightly chorus. The only jarring note is Narayan’s stilted Tamil diction.

A second version of Sahana, much better than the first, soulfully rendered by Vijay Jesudas, comes later. Gomathi Sri replaces Chinmayi in this version full of pain and pathos. It is a pity this second version is not included in the cassette, but only on the CD. Gomathi Sri’s voice, though a bit babyish, has an identity of its own.

Vaji Vaji is the title track, with all the potential to become a chartbuster — pleasing rhythm and a powerful rendition by Hariharan and Madhusree, good instrumentation, fast beats, lively chorus, and a good melody. Vairamuthu’s lyrics exude passion, but thankfully not excessively.

Up next is the theme song Vata vata by Blaze, Naresh Iyer and Raqueeb Alam. Beginning in hip-hop style with a few English words thrown in, the track soon slides into rap. As in earlier numbers, the lyrics (Na Muthukumar with Blaze) picturise a superhero ‘who can gobble up even a lion like a jalebi!’

Rahman the composer as singer comes into his element with concluding track Athiradi. Another chartbuster in the making, it is incendiary stuff with power-packed percussion. The solo guitar and Rahman’s singing — with a manic vibrancy in his soaring voice — really adds to its impact. This will be a hot favourite on the dance floors. The lyrics are more or less irrelevant in these kind of songs, and Valee’s lyrics — with titles of some Rajni films and a spatter of English words — fall in line.

Rajni fans will have a field day listening to this album because the lyrics are more synonymous with his film persona than his character in the film..

Rahman’s music is such that it takes repeated listens, and time to grow on you. Only Athiradi captures your sensibility instantly. The other numbers are worth a listen, but feature nothing extraordinary. They make you yearn for the old Rahman of Gentleman and Roja.

An album in tune with the pulse of the current generation.

Categories: Movies, Mp3, Sivaji - The Boss, Songs