How many times have we seen a love story from Mani Ratnam’s stable? He pushes the bar a notch higher whenever he does one, filled with something fresh every single time. Kaatru Veliyidai is the latest entrant to the romantic collection of Mani. So what’s different this time? The characters for sure, the premise and of course the treatment.
What makes Mani Ratnam special is that he comes up with some well-designed characters that stay with us long after the film ends. Here again in Kaatru Veliyidai, even after all these years, Mani has two absorbing characters for us to goggle at. At first, you may not understand them, you may, in fact, hate them for a moment but with time we get more involved. Mani Ratnam’s characters are never perfect as they have their share of negatives. Despite their flaws, you would love them and that is how beautifully sketched characters are officer VC (Karthi) and Dr. Leela (Aditi).
Karthi looks in his ostentatious best. He plays a fighter pilot, a role that you see being performed in Tamil cinema once in a blue moon. A pilot who undergoes so much of mental trauma. More than the trauma, it is his personal in born character, a self-centered young man, who likes no one but himself. That said, one might feel that Karthi is a little less natural in romantic portions.
Leela (Aditi), a doctor who falls head over heels in love with officer VC, a not so stable person. She is at constant pressure, dilemma and there is too much going on in her head. How she handles herself? Is she mentally strong enough to face her problems? This character faces a lot of challenges. So not an easy deal to play Dr. Leela and for a non-Tamil speaking girl like Aditi it is an even tougher job but she has played it well.
Azhagiye
Singers: Arjun Chandy, Haricharan, Jonita Gandhi
Lyrics : Karky
The medium paced pop song, Azhagiye has been sung by Arjun, Haricharan, and Jonita. The song which was released as a single has already become a sensation among the youth. Following the theme of how a guy woos his girl, this song has beautiful strings and guitar portions. The Punjabi portions are not too great, but the rest of the song makes up for it. Lyrics by Karky are easy and impressive making it an any time listen.
Vaan Varuvaan
Singers : Shashaa Tirupati
Lyrics : Vairamuthu
Vaan is a romantic melody that was also released as a single. It has vocals by Shashaa Tirupati, and she has done a great job with her variations and peaks. Usage of instruments like piano and flute makes it a feast for the authentic music lovers. It is a slow paced montage number with some depth filled lyrics by Vairamuthu. It is backed by extremely superior mixing and mastering.
Saarattu Vandiyila
Singers: AR Raihanah, Tipu, Nikhita Gandhi
Lyrics: Vairamuthu
The slow paced folk number which has vocals by AR Raihanah, Tipu and Nikhita is the marriage song. This number which is dominated by percussions has a simple yet very catchy beat. Even though the tempo is monotonous, it becomes an enjoyable listen. The blend of various instruments like flute, mandolin, santoor and saz gives it an indigenous and native feel. Saarattu Vandiyila is a classy experimental folk number from Rahman for Kaatru Veliyidai.
Nallai Allai
Singers: Sathya Prakash, Chinmayi
Lyrics: Vairamuthu
Nallai Allai which has been sung by Sathya Prakash and Chinmayi is dominated by the vocals of the two singers. This number is again a romance based song. It has a faint shade from Rahman’s old song Pookum Malargal from the movie Udhaya. A simple, straight and pleasant number that would please all the melody lovers with minimal experimentation.
Tango Kelaayo
Singers: Haricharan, Diwakar
Lyrics: Vairamuthu
As the name suggests, Tango Kelaayo is a Tango dance number and has a good rhythm. It’s another innovative song and this time the variations are further enhanced. The beautiful blend of the piano, strings, retro beats and the vocals give it a different flavour. The high pitch portions lay the ground for an intense dance sequence. On the whole, a different number that could grow into the listener after a few listens.
Jugni
Singers: AR Rahman, Tejinder Singh
Rap Vocals: Rajakumari, Shikara
Lyrics : Shellee
This is a stylish, fast-paced Western based number. Jugni has an amazing touch of Punjabi flavour blended to it’s Western backdrop. The use of synth is evident, and the electro music takes over in this song. The rap lyrics are catchy, and the English vocals also add to the positives. The ending has a bang too, making it a fantastic combination of well-packaged layers to cater to all music genre lovers.