Nayagan – Ilaiyaraaja (1987)

Ilaiyaraaja's score for Mani Ratnam's acclaimed underworld epic is an arrangement masterclass. From the tragic, haunting recurring motifs of Thenpandi Cheemayile to the exuberant celebratory brass and traditional folk percussion of Nila Adhu Vanathumele, every melody resonates with profound emotional weight.