Director Mysskin introduced composer K to the film industry through Yuddham Sei, in 2011. In the five years since then, he has composed for over fifteen films, worked with Rajeev Ravi* twice and even featured as an actor in one of them – Kallappadam. An engineering graduate, he is no night owl like his peers, and prefers to think of music composing as his ‘9 to 5 job’. He also likes his music warm and neat and is happiest when he’s listening to songs from the ’60s. Ahead of World Music Day, he takes a trip down memory lane, to introduce us to the songs that still serve as his inspiration.
1. Ilaya nila – Payanangal Mudivathillai
The Film: Payanangal Mudivathillai
The Artists:
Singer – SP Balasubramanian
Composer – Ilaiyaraaja
Featured Players – Mohan, Poornima Jayaram
The Setting: A fairly tame setting for a song so profound, it continues to serve as the soundtrack of many romantic relationships. Filmed like an impromptu jam session, the song features Mohan doing his best SPB impression, alongside Poornima as his adoring muse. In hindsight, the intention is clear: let nothing distract you from the music.
The Song:
Acoustic guitar, flute, and SPB’s effortlessly beautiful vocals blend together to create this gem of a song that’s ideal for listening while walking along a shoreline, staring at the moon. The track was originally composed for Balu Mahendra’s Moodu Pani. The director opted to go for En Iniya Pon Nilave for his film, instead.
K Speak:
“I was in class 8 when I first listened to it. I was a hardcore Rahman fan and this song was a turning point for me. I believe it was what got me into the world of Ilaiyaraja. It was a very ‘ear-opening’ moment. It was the peak of ‘digital’ music and this song just blew my mind with its beautiful analog sound. I was simply hooked. I like this song so much because of the simple yet beautiful guitars, bass, and drums.”