Ivan Megharoopan – Music Review (Malayalam Movie Soundtrack)

You can listen to 5 songs from the soundtrack here.

The drone of pulluvar veena, Kaavaalam Narayana Panicker’s earthy-yet-out-of-the-world lines, and Remya Nambeesan’s spotlessly folksy execution – Aande Londe is a stunner, no other words! It is not often the folk veteran writes these days, and composer Sharath does not waste the opportunity, a first for him. Kavalam writes a second song as well in the movie before passing the baton to ONV Kurup O Marimaayan. While the composer’s arrangement featuring some exotic sounds is engaging in itself, it is Mridula and Krishnachandran’s chatty but top quality rendition that owns the song. The soundtrack has three more folk-based tracks – the sobre lullaby Innale Njaanoru sung by Sunitha Nedungaadi and the seemingly background pieces Maya Gopabala and Yahi Madhava sung by Ria Raju, both of which are traditional compositions presented with not much change.

If I were to make a list of composers with whom Chithra has had highest success ratio, Sharath would definitely be up there, I just cannot recollect a bad song involving the two. Vishukkili takes that ratio a notch up – the singer doing a seemingly effortless rendition of a brilliantly arranged Kaanada-based tune (did I feel a hint of Kharaharapriya in places?). In Anuraagini Sharath seems to be a doing a tribute to late composer Johnson, the style is so evocative of the maestro, furthered by the fact that Yesudas is behind the mic. Swetha Mohan renders the last song of the soundtrack, a partly ahir bhairav-based Nisha Surabhi. The minimal orchestration is a splendid choice here letting the flute, veena and the vocals (all of them superbly done) to stand out, and the effect is really heart-rending.

Just a month after Thalsamayam Oru Penkutty composer Sharath strikes again with another different and spectacular soundtrack.

Music Aloud Rating: 9/10

Top Recos: Listen to all, but start with Aande Londe to set the mood. J

Adithya says:

Vishukkili is briiliant. Reminds me of Sharath’s masterpiece ‘Sreeragamo’ in early 90’s..