Aadujeevitham (The Goat Life): AR Rahman’s Labor of Love
Much has been said about Aadujeevitham/ The Goat Days, be it the project, the team, or the struggles they have faced. No different perhaps than the ones faced by Najeeb, the protagonist played by Prithviraj, though his struggles are in a completely different plane of reality. For fans of good cinema and AR Rahman, this film has been long awaited. From being a project forever in progress to a film that is now releasing worldwide in less than a day, we have seen all possible phases of Aadujeevitham. Since there are many interviews and articles available on the project, I will try to focus on the music of the film and hopefully, get a film review out once I watch the film very soon.
If you don’t see me much here, I’m probably listening to Periyone, again.
Goat Days by Benyamin
I guzzled water again from the container. My belly full, I was finally at ease. I slept in the masara with the goats. By then I had indeed become a goat.
From Benyamin’s Aadujeevitham to the English translation ‘Goat Days’ (Joseph Koyippalli) to Blessy’s The Goat Life.
I read the English translation back in 2017 (I think) and recently revisited it. Without giving much spoilers, I do feel Benyamin is a fearless writer, for he portrays Najeeb as a man of circumstance, one who doesn’t always do the best thing in a situation, but somehow lives to see another day. It will be interesting to see how this aspect is covered in the film.
The Album
There are AR Rahman scores for films of a large canvas and then there are AR Rahman scores like Aadujeevitham. With every AR Rahman score that has transcended the limits of commerce, there has always been an x-factor. Be it the spiritual connection, a freshness of sounds, or something that never leaves our psyche. With this particular score, there is that x-factor in abundance. It is a score blessed by the higher powers. You listen to many AR Rahman songs and albums out of a sense of discovery, or a sense of entering a zone of calm, and especially in this blessed year, the superfans are showered with one eclectic album after the other. There is Chamkila, Maidaan, Aadujeevitham, and a lot more lined up for the rest of the year.
Periyone rendered soulfully by Jithin Raj will be the song of the album for sure, and Benevolent Breeze makes the experience of a sprawling Arabic melody even more immersive. Istigfar is a heartfelt prayer.
Like all AR Rahman albums, this one too went against and beyond my expectations. I expected a more dramatic sound like Muhammad Messenger of God, while what we get here is so rich, so diverse, so understated at times. There is truly so much research and thinking that has gone behind this score, that bring to fore not just the musical finesse of Rahman, but also his understanding of human emotions, and a seasoned understanding of cinema in all its devices, subtleties and grandeur where needed.
While the Hindi version (lyrics by Prasoon Joshi) does have its positives, I am not too fond of the songs in Hindi. Especially, Periyone as Meherbaan O Rahman doesn’t quite have the same impact (the word Barsaade has more appeal if it was chosen to be sung in place of Meherbaan). Khatti Si Imli by Arman Malik & Chinmayi again, I have grown to like now, Arman’s vocals, cheesy as they sound in general, work here in the blind, unapologetic, silly romantic tenor.
OMANE
Waking up to the sounds of santoor and an alien mood of smiles and comfort next to a lake…
I grew to like this expansive, romantic duet slowly. I could liken it to Saans (Jab Tak Hai Jaan) in the way it is no hurry to win over you. Or I could liken it to Aga Naga (PS 2), in the symphonic structure and the use of strings to convey a complementary envelope of mood enveloping the vocals of Chinmayi & Vijay Yesudas. This is another of those AR Rahman songs that make you revisit it and discover a new element every time. Whether it’s the opening synth-electronic based bass ambiguity or the tabla and ethnic beats that infuse a sense of joy and happier days, the cinematically grand vocal interludes (tom-tadom!), or the fantastic qawwali portion that somehow always reminds me of a lavish wedding meal with the aroma of Nikkah Biryani in the air.
Towards the end, the song almost gives 50 seconds to soak in the world it has created in a lingering, sustaining musical self-reflection.
SONG COMPOSED, PRODUCED AND ARRANGED BY AR RAHMAN
LYRICS RAFIQ AHAMED
SINGERS
VIJAY YESUDAS, CHINMAYI SRIPADA, RAKSHITA SURESH ADDITIONAL VOCALS NAKUL ABHYANKAR, SURYANSH, APARNA HARIKUMAR
MUSICIANS
TABLA TARANG — SAI SHRAVANAM
CHENNAI STRINGS AND SUNSHINE ORCHESTRA
CONDUCTED BY JERRY VINCENT
SUPERVISED BY SHUBAM BHAT
PERIYONE
It is not the divine blend of intimate and grand, it is not the chants and words that refuse to leave you, it is not even the meditative zone that this landmark song creates, it is the feeling of being touched by something special. PERIYONE might go down as Top 10 or Top 20 songs in ARR’s career, for something noone can quite pin down. For me, it is the absolute organic vibe of it. The male solo just starts off without any build up. You are thrown right away in the emotional call of a troubled soul. The mood that feel while listening to PERIYONE is not of all hope lost, but of the ones that remain, of belief, that things will be fine if we believe. It is not attached to any religion or philosophy, it is just a pure human spirit of attachment to a higher power, that keeps us going on.
Rahman provides his signature arrangement in the interlude with the synth-pad almost working like a glue to all the elements in the track. You could talk on and on about the instrumentation here, or the evocative vocals of Jithin Raj, but like I said before, PERIYONE defies explanation. At times it’s a simple melody that you feel like listening over and over or hum at any time of your day or night, at times you feel like diving into the ‘Rahman’ness’ of it with the stanzas and inteludes and the climactic crescendo, it is many emotions, many sounds, but a song touched by divinity that makes it an eternally profound zone of comfort.
SONG COMPOSED, PRODUCED AND ARRANGED BY AR RAHMAN
LYRICS RAFIQ AHAMED
SINGER JITHIN RAJ
BACKING VOCALS
SREEKANTH HARIHARAN, SARATH SANTOSH, ARAVIND SRINIVAS, SHENBAGARAJ, APARNA HARIKUMAR, ANU ANAND, DEEPTHI SURESH, POOJA VENKAT
MUSICIANS PLUCKED INSTRUMENTS —
SUBHANI PERCUSSION — HARIPRASAD
STRINGS — SUNSHINE ORCHESTRA CONDUCTED BY JERRY VINCENT SUPERVISED BY SHUBAM BHAT
BENEVOLENT BREEZE
The instrumental version of Periyone almost exists to prove that this tune is worth having an encore. Reminiscent of ARR albums like Jodha Akbar & Mohenjodaro, where we had instrumental tracks of the lead songs, this one gives you a chance to immerse again in the soundscape of Periyone, and appreciate the instruments like the flute (Navin Chander) and the plucked strings more.
SONG COMPOSED, PRODUCED AND ARRANGED BY AR RAHMAN FLUTE NAVIN CHANDER
MUSICIANS PLUCKED INSTRUMENTS — SUBHANI PERCUSSION — HARIPRASAD
BADAWEIH
A beauty of a song, a minimalistic masterpiece, led by Sana Moussa in a lament with a touch of musicality. Love how the latter choir humming lends the song a grand harmonic echo.
The hallmark of a great artist is not just composing great music but also to present a piece of original music where it fits best, AR Rahman presents this zero ego production finesse in songs like this, Veera Raja Veera, Benazara, Maakelara, Vaishnav Jana..
PALESTINIAN FOLK SONG MUSIC ARRANGED BY AR RAHMAN SINGER SANAA MOUSSA — PALESTINE ADDITIONAL VOCALS DEEPTHI SURESH MUSICIANS CHENNAI STRINGS CONDUCTED BY JERRY VINCENT SUPERVISED BY SHUBAM BHAT
ISTIGFAR
A prayer song, that goes from a query, a doubt, a question, to an exploratory quest mood-wise, represents Rahman’s characteristic flair in composing and producing music in this genre, Istigfar, sung by Raja Hassan, Faiz Mustafa & Murtuza Mustafa, impresses you with the layering of vocals that put you in a trance like mode, and when you listen to it multiple times, you appreciate the other elements, like the space-y percussion, the harmonium touches amidst a mellow and ominous strings buildup, the arabic instruments, and variations towards the latter half before the song concludes beautifully in a divine resolute chant.
SONG COMPOSED, PRODUCED AND ARRANGED BY AR RAHMAN LYRICS A R RAHMAN SINGER RAJA HASAN, FAIZ MUSTAFA
PERCUSSION HARIPRASAD
HOPE SONG
I have a special fascination to this song that was released rather hilariously as I was in an unplanned bus ride. I kept listening to the song, despite it not giving me many reasons to love it. Of course, I love it now. I love that it is Rahman unfiltered, in the way he expresses the verses and the emotion of hope through five languages, the way the strings complement and give you a pick-me-up you didn’t know you need, and the way the backing vocals in English don’t leave your head.
“May the emergence of new hope bring blessings.” -A.R. Rahman Experience the healing power of music with ‘Hope’, a song that resonates with the human spirit and a soul-stirring anthem that illuminates the path forward. The uplifting melody of ‘Hope’ is a beacon of light in the darkest of times.
SONG COMPOSED, PRODUCED AND ARRANGED BY AR RAHMAN LYRICS RAFIQ AHAMED, PRASOON JOSHI, VIVEK, , JAYANT KAIKINI, TELUGU LYRICS: RAAKENDU MOULI ENGLISH LYRICS : AR RAHMAN, RIANJALI SINGER AR RAHMAN, RIANJALI BACKING VOCALS ALEXANDRA JOY, SREEKANTH HARIHARAN, SARATH SANTOSH, ARAVIND SRINIVAS, DEEPTHI SURESH, RAKSHITA SURESH
MUSICIANS CHARANGO — PRASHANTH VENKAT GUITARS — KEBA JEREMIAH
While you’re here, also check out this ‘unsung’ track by AR Rahman & Firdaus Orchestra
I imagine waking up in the middle of the night, with curiosity not fury. I observe everything is so quiet, on the street, in the sky, the lightbeams are speaking to each other, the tree branches whispering amidst the concrete structures. It’s all very quiet, I should be sleeping like millions others yet this moment is so solemn it is worth staying up and feeling happy for being alive.
Thanks for reading. Also, do check this book on AR Rahman which I self-published in 2021. I plan to come up with the sequel in 2024, and many of such articles will be included in it.
