Mani Ratnam’s O Kadhal Kanmani is the story of young Tara and Aadi, who want the rush and intimacy of love without having to formalise it ...
Mani Ratnam’s O Kadhal Kanmani is the story of young Tara and Aadi, who want the rush and intimacy of love without having to formalise it with a marriage. And of Bhavani and Ganapathy, who provide a counterpoint to the younger couple’s belief that the exigencies and daily annoyances of marriage would mean the fraying of love.
The Tamil movie from 2015 stars Dulquer Salmaan and Nithya Menen as the young couple and Leela Samson and Prakash Raj as Bhavani and Ganapathy. The music maps the story beautifully, with AR Rahman showcasing his extraordinary versatility. A lesser composer might have stuck to a single genre to trace the journey of young love, but not Rahman, who captures it in all its shades – brash and zany, liberating, and tender at different times. Gentler, contemplative melodies come into play when the spotlight is on Bhavani and Ganapathy.
Kaara Attakkara is a gamer’s song and sets the pace, with vocals by Darshana, Shashaa Tirupati and Aaryan Dinesh Kanagaratnam. Startling and dizzy, much like the neon reds and greens in the video game Aadi’s working on, it starts out as EDM, layered over with a bit of rap – and then without warning, a little Mumbai street-style keyboard whimsy and martial...
