PONNIYIN SELVAN Original Score by AR Rahman Part A : Music Review
Like good weather, AR Rahman’s music teases us. There are days of gloomy clouds or humidity that makes one pensive, and then suddenly, there is a welcome shower that makes you forget all the harsh weather.
Ponniyin Selvan’s music has been that season of showers that comes every few months. From the time the teaser of the first film was released back in July 2022, fans knew this would be a landmark score in the illustrious chronology of Maniratnam-AR Rahman films.
PS-1 released with much fanfare in September 2022 with the soundtrack already a mega blockbuster offering the best of eclectic AR Rahman signature sound tracks with thumping dance and anthemic-songs that matched the grand set-up of the film.
Once the euphoria of the film’s released softened a little, fans went to analysing the film and its technical departments more closely. With the OTT release, it gave them a chance to savour the score’s beauty in isolation, and there started the demand for the score album.
While the score didn’t release, many of the pieces became popular through word of mouth, and one specific piece- Aga Naga, even became a song in PS-2 album. PS-2 soundtrack arrived and gave us something only a Mani-ARR team can give- something totally contrary to PS-1, a score much more muted, much more nuanced in a softer sense. I have written on the PS-2 film here.
A promise was made by ARR to release the score by 100th day of release, and as promised the Part-A score is here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2c2hOHvjEM
While every AR Rahman fan may have his/her own wishlist, to produce and release a score album must take considerable efforts to refine the recordings and curate the list. In the recent past, fans have had a over joyous release season of scores, starting from 99 Songs, to Kochadaiyaan, to VTK, and all have been lapped up by the fans, leaving them asking for more. I for one would love to have scores from the legend’s films like Dil Se, Iruvar, RDB, Lagaan released for starters. But wishes are wishes. What we get from AR Rahman and his hard working team are gifts indeed to be treasured.
Coming to the PS score, much like any aspect of this dream project, it is a thing of beauty, class and a bit of surprise. Here are my thoughts, from the first day of listening to the majestic score…
https://music.apple.com/in/album/ponniyin-selvan-original-score-part-a-original/1701593172
ARMAGEDDON
As the title suggests, this is everything the epic saga comes to. A grand conclusion — of ambitions, a conflict but a closure of forces colliding. Rahman is a master at play here, shows up in all his composing skills to deliver a powerful track, using chants, strings, and a grandeur that only someone of his stature can bring. As the crescendo builds with the orchestra, you feel your pulse rise no matter where or how you hear this. In any other composer’s hands, this would have been a generic war theme, but ARR shows why he is the best in business. You get the track in different parts each delivering cinematic moments of emotional tension and redemption. The track also reprises the Nandini theme beautifully juxtaposed against the rising orchestral theme.
ARUNMOZHI’S DILEMMA
A Rahman favorite, the use of strings against rising string backdrop. There is a bit of grand piano and all the elements come together beautifully in an eloquent yet grand theme that reverberates in your head, especially the cello parts. The trumpets herald the victorious moment of coronation.
CHOZHA’S BRAVERY
Another grand track evoking the war theme, very kinetic very cinematic in a textual sense. After the initial climactic sounds, the track breaks to use of traditional percussion which when blends into the CHOZHA CHOZHA theme brings goosebumps.
This is the kind of track that can easily be used as a demo piece for anyone questioning ARR’s skills as the top composer for soundtracks, especially for an epic like Ponniyin Selvan.
CONSPIRACY
Intrigue brought about by use of rabab-like strings blends into ethnic percussion for a moment, followed by beautiful silences evoked through dreamy woodwinds. This is a rich track, built beautifully through layers of instrument and compositional mastery. The original theme recurs and interplays with tension-evoking use of horns, accompanied by rhythm in the second coming, you get transported in the Kadambur palace walls where intrigue takes birth in 12th century.
EXOTIC QUEEN
Nandini’s theme is a recurring motif in the film. And this track captures the mystery, the darkness, the unexplainable air about her so perfectly. Rahman treats this with muted use of classical chants, Indian percussion, and a haunting chorus hum. Minimal use of bells accentuate the sparse beauty evoking expansive palace corridors and plenty of loneliness in those chambers of power.
LIFE AT LANKA
A mostly sparse track again, this is formative years of the king to be, so the mood is created with classy string section and touch of flute. It is amazing how Rahman has used so many western orchestra elements so smoothly in this period film score. It never sounds out of place and makes the score so expansive and rich with nuances. The track ends with Buddhists chants that do feel a bit abrupt.
NANDINI’S FORTRESS
Soft piano notes accompany a lone female voice, there is a tinge of Arabic somewhere. Slowly strings build up but it is still quite sparse, so that the vocals stand out underlining the mystique. The finale is interesting, where things fasten from piano and you get a beautiful violin solo that concludes the number beautifully recalling the cues from earlier parts.
THE GUARDIAN ANGEL
This is the theme for Oomai Rani, a mysterious guardian angel for Ponniyin Selvan and the theme created for her is just magical- a lone flute pattern that creates ripples in your mind.
THE PANDIYAN’S OATH
Tense yet boisterous, horns and raucous rhythm accentuates the rise of a rebellion, one is taken almost to Thiruda Thiruda..
THE THIRST FOR THE THRONE
Nandini’s quest for the throne and the obstacles that follow are covered in this piece. The vocals take me to earlier Rahman OSTs like Elizabeth Golden Age and Muhammad.
THE WISE KING
A somber piece, soft string theme builds a regal atmosphere, slowly the harp addition makes it richer and more expansive. This is such a short yet melodious composition.
VT’S PLAY
Vanthiya Thevan’s theme are built with fun interplay of male chorus, western-ish string blending with very Indian percussion. There should be a lot more of it in next parts.
OO REY SOORIYARE
Sunitha Sarathy
The Ponni Nadhi Lament piece embraces silences and let’s each word register the emotion of longing, pain, almost in a questioning the fate manner. I am again taken to Thiruda Thiruda/Raasathi…
SAAYA SANJALE
Nakul Abhyankar
The meeting of the mighty princesses — Kundavai and Nandini is a dense piece that was a background standout in PS-1. What one hears is crystal clear elements- beautiful Indian sitar, and denser thavil and veena?blending with ragams and alaap that evoke a time period long lost.
SOODANATHU RATTHAM
Deepthi Suresh
Another standout track from PS-2, this was eagerly awaited. The intrigue, the unrest, the tension is perfectly captured in the arabic-touch strings and rustic vocals with signature Rahman touch in chorus and muted rhythm. ARR is really flexing his rustic/folkish muscles in a beautiful way with Deepthi Suresh and this track is another showcase of their wonderful new collaboration.
VAANATHI’S MESSAGE
Sivasri Skandaprasad
A song that fits in nicely with PS-2’s classical leanings, this is just sheer timelessness in form of music, capturing the emotions of longing for eternal love, the purity of that time period reflecting in the raga-heavy atmosphere.
VERDICT
A score that showcases Rahman’s brilliance not just in choosing the right sound for characters, pivotal points in an epic saga like Ponniyin Selvan, but also in curating a seamless experience meant for listening as a coherent session.
While I feel few pieces could easily spin off into complete tracks(Soodanathu Rattham) like Aga Naga, we do enjoy them in what form we get them here, as every note every string section every build up and crescendo in this epic, magical score is pure gold.
CREDITS
Re-Recording Mixer: Craig Mann
Additional Re-Recording Mixer: S Sivakumar
Sound Designer: Anand Krishnamoorthi
Background Score Supervisor: Tuomas Kantelinen
Music Supervisor: Nakul Abhyankar
Panchatan Sound Engineers: Suresh Permal, Karthik Sekaran & Aravind Crescendo
Music Mix Engineer: Pradvay and Craig Penny
Music Mastering: Suresh Permal
Apple Digital Master: Riyasdeen Riyan
Moroccon Vocals: Nabyla Maan
Thanks for reading, you may want to check out these other write-ups on AR Rahman:
Also, check out 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.
Pics courtesy: https://twitter.com/exulticsmusical
