Sunday, November 26, 2006

Music and me

Music has definitely been a big factor of my life - my failed attempt to learn carnatic music, my love for singing ( mostly limited to film music), listening to ARR and other filmi music.

Somehow, I don't know why, but whenever I listen to a song, I get transported to the time when I listened to that particular song the first time. Here's a list of some favorite songs and my thoughts associated with them.

1. Thenpandi Seemayile from Nayagan

My first cinematic experience from what I recall is nayagan, though my parents keep telling me
that they have taken me to numerous films before that. Coming to the point, this song affected me a lot, with a soulful rendition by Kamal Hassan and the effective use of this song twice in the movie makes this an unforgettable song. Also due to my dad's extreme temper, I was used to a thwack now and then and the line "Yaar Adithaaro? Yaar Adithaaro" makes me sneak a glance at my dad(or recollect one thwack or the other from my numerous ones) even when I'm 22 now!

2. Raaja Kaiya Vecha from Apoorva Sagodharargal

This is surely another reflection on my upbringing. My father has lots of fixed ideas about discipline, one of them being not singing film songs as they have lewd lyrics. Though I support his thoughts, my love for music, my incompetence with Raagas and Swaras leave me with no option other than to sing popular tunes from films. I remember it was a Friday evening and my dad was home from office unusually early that day and it was the day of the much awaited "Oliyum Olliyum" and since my father was around, the TV was not switched on and my mom was away cooking something when, I heard the "Raaja Kaiya Vecha" song somewhere in the distance (my neighbor?) and I involuntarily sang along and suddenly I heard a disapproving remark when I realized it was my dad and as suddenly as I had started I shut up. Though I didn't receive any other rebuke from him, this vision comes to me everytime I listen to/ sing this song.

3. Meenamma Meenamma from Raajadhi Raaja

I have two left "hands" when it comes to drawing and I can never go beyond anything than a line (not a straight one, mind you!) when given a pencil and paper. And it was in my 1st standard when I had a lesson on respiratory systems and when it came to gills and fish, I was at sea trying to draw one. I remember very well that the first time my mother was trying to test me before my actual exam, she asked me to explain the respiratory system of a fish and when she saw my answer she asked why I had drawn a picture of a lizard instead of a fish! After many hours of painstaking coaching, she finally gave up and till now, I draw a fish using the following steps:
a. Put a huge X
b. Complete LHS with a mirror image of 3
c. Complete RHS with a half of an elongated oval
d. Complete with a dot for the eye and some unrecognizable shapes for gills, fins etc.

I remember whenever this song was played on TV, I was scared stiff reminded of my "fish". Now this song just reminds me of my mother sitting on a chair and trying her level best to make me draw something which at least remotely resembled a fish (dead or alive!)


4. Karpoora Bommai from Keladi Kanmani

A purely circumstantial feeling for this song. It was 1990 and my mother was pregnant with my sister and blame Tamil cinema, I thought the survival rates of mothers thorough childbirth was almost zilch. I agree it was stupid, but at that age I was convinced that among the most dangerous things in life was childbirth. My mother left for Madras somewhere around July and there was this film which showed a child coping with the loss of her mother and this song shows her mother in the flashback. Whenever this song was within my earshot I used to run and hide myself so that I couldn't hear it.

5. Nooru Varusham from Panakkaran

I was one of the most naughtiest kids any parent could have and I was so troublesome one Saturday afternoon that my mom, to keep me quiet for sometime, told me that I was becoming a girl and I was paranoid all afternoon praying to all Gods to leave me as is. It was somewhere around this time that Rajini Kanth comes dressed as a woman in 100 varusham song and I'm always reminded of that unforgettable Saturday afternoon.

6. Sundari from Thalapathy

One of those days in my "aarva kolaru" (subt - eagerness), I tried my hand at karaoke singing when a popular song came on the radio and I blissfully sang along, when suddenly I realized that I had unknowingly had pressed the record button and though I could listen to my own rendition, it was on top of Sundari from Thalapathy cassette and I was horribly sick as I knew it was one of my parents favorite album. I had to hide it in various places till my parents actually forgot about the cassette finally.

7. Chinna Chinna Aasai from Roja

It was the time when we had finally settled down in Madras. I remember seeing this song first on SUN TV (Seeing SUN TV itself was I think a new experience for me) and even now, whenever I see this song, I'm reminded of my first day in PSBB and the first few days in Lotus Colony, Nandanam, Madras.

8. Muqqabula from Kadhalan / Telephone Manipol from Indian

Both these songs take me back to my middle school days, when life was pure fun, with zero worries. Crikcet was religion and Sachin was God (he still is. :D). Endless street (gully) matches and useless arguments with anybody who had the time to talk to me. I wish I was there once more.

9. En Peru Padayappa from Padayappa / April Madhathil from Vaalee

Tenth Standard exams holidays. The wonderful trip to Kerala, especially the temple at Varkala and the green pond there are etched in my memory.

10. Desingu Raja from Dum Dum Dumm

Though this is a romantic song, this song takes me back to April 10th-11th, 2001 when my beloved grandfather breathed his last. He was always a source of great support and envisioned lots of things for me, but unfortunately did not live long enough to see pass my 12th standard exams. I would say next to my parents he was one soul who wanted me to attain a good status in life. Wish I could get an hour to spend with him once more.....

11. Azhagiya Theeye from Minnale

The song which defined my 12th standard holidays. Entrance exams, results...Whew...It was one hectic period! Some useless guy planted the idea in me that I resembled Maddy and I was fooled by it, for the next 5 years! Added to this was Anbe Sivam and a coincidence when both Maddy and me had the same hairstyle... seems funny now - my happiness at being likened to Maddy.....

12. Enna Idhu Ena Idhu from Nala Damayanthi

2nd year holidays. The time I broke my wrist.

The most unforgettable day in my life - July 11th, 2003 - ...................

13. Yeh Jo Des hai Tera from Swades

I'm reminded of a dialog which I said to my friend while watching this song. We both had applied to universities in Florida and I remarked that we could be there in FL soon and even now whenever I hear/see this song, I'm reminded of my own prophetic words.

14. Songs from Chandramukhi and Anniyan

The last 2 movies that I saw with my mother and sister. One of my least worrisome periods in life. Post baccalaureate and Pre Masters, that time-period was heaven. The fun I had with my sister, my mother being with me 24X7 and my dad's softening were all an experience which I think would never come back or be forgotten.

15. Aararai Kodi from Ah Aah (BF)

This makes me go back to one of my toughest period of life - August 2005 - new world, away from home, confused, frustrated, desolation, excited - a cauldron of emotions.

16. Sutrum Vizhi Sudare from Ghajini

My first salary and happiness!

One song which has the ONE reason behind it - Kannampoochi Enada from Kandukondein Kandukondein