Items12The creator’s order
  1. 1Roja – A.R. Rahman (1992)Roja – A.R. Rahman (1992)A.R. Rahman's 1992 debut changed the sound of Indian film music with clean digital recording, layered synthesisers and percussion placed in sharp, wide stereo. Chinna Chinna Aasai, sung by Minmini, is light and joyful, and the rest of the album moves from romance to tension without losing that…0
  2. 2Thalapathi – Ilaiyaraaja (1991)Thalapathi – Ilaiyaraaja (1991)Ilaiyaraaja's 1991 soundtrack for Mani Ratnam's gangster drama shows his gift for grand arrangement. Rakkamma Kaiya Thattu, one of his best-known songs, builds from choral voices into folk rhythm and swirling strings. Choose it to hear how he combined Indian folk and classical elements with Western…0
  3. 3Bombay – A.R. Rahman (1995)Bombay – A.R. Rahman (1995)A.R. Rahman's 1995 soundtrack is best known for the Bombay Theme, a flute and string piece that became famous far beyond India. Kannalane, sung by K.S. Chithra, layers her ornamented vocal over insistent percussion and choral backing. Choose it for Rahman at his most cinematic, mixing big…0
  4. 4Alaipayuthey – A.R. Rahman (2000)Alaipayuthey – A.R. Rahman (2000)A.R. Rahman's 2000 soundtrack for a modern urban romance is one of his warmest. Pachai Nirame, a song about colours, has a breezy, acoustic arrangement, while Snehithane is a gentle, semi-classical love song with delicate instrumental detail. Choose it for adventurous arranging in a softer,…0
  5. 5Nayagan – Ilaiyaraaja (1987)Nayagan – Ilaiyaraaja (1987)Ilaiyaraaja's music for Mani Ratnam's 1987 underworld epic gives the story an emotional backbone. Thenpandi Cheemayile, a lullaby-like folk melody that recurs through the film, is the heart of it, and Nila Adhu Vanathumele, sung by Ilaiyaraaja himself, is lively and playful. Choose it for a classic…0
  6. 6Kannathil Muthamittal – A.R. Rahman (2002)Kannathil Muthamittal – A.R. Rahman (2002)A.R. Rahman's 2002 soundtrack for Mani Ratnam's film about a girl adopted from Sri Lanka's civil war is delicate and acoustic. Vellai Pookal, sung by Rahman himself, is a quiet plea for peace, and the title song uses strings and chorus around poetic verses about belonging. Choose it for restraint…0
  7. 7Aayitha Ezhuthu – A.R. Rahman (2004)Aayitha Ezhuthu – A.R. Rahman (2004)A.R. Rahman's 2004 soundtrack is his most aggressively modern, built around three young men's lives in Chennai. Jana Gana Mana and Hey Goodbye Nanba use distorted synths, rock energy and rap, while Nenjam Ellam is soft and atmospheric by contrast. Choose it if you like rock and electronic music and…0
  8. 8Pudhupettai – Yuvan Shankar Raja (2006)Pudhupettai – Yuvan Shankar Raja (2006)Yuvan Shankar Raja's 2006 soundtrack for a Chennai gangster film is dark and gritty, mixing brooding orchestral strings with gaana, the street music of Chennai, and rock beats. Oru Naalil is a haunting, reflective song and Variya is raw and energetic. Choose it for a soundtrack that sounds as tough…0
  9. 9Aayirathil Oruvan – G.V. Prakash Kumar (2010)Aayirathil Oruvan – G.V. Prakash Kumar (2010)G.V. Prakash Kumar's 2010 soundtrack for a historical fantasy sets old Tamil poetry against rock guitars and big folk percussion. Thaai Thindra Manne is the centrepiece, a lament built from ancient-sounding verse to a heavy, dramatic climax, and Un Mela Aasadhaan is the playful hit. Choose it for…0
  10. 10Super Deluxe – Yuvan Shankar Raja (2019)Super Deluxe – Yuvan Shankar Raja (2019)Yuvan Shankar Raja's 2019 work for this anthology film avoids conventional songs and leans on retro synthesisers, funk bass and ambient textures. It is more a sound world than a song collection. Choose it if you like film scores and experimental electronic music, and want to hear a Tamil composer…0