‘Komaram Puli’ Audio Review: AR Rehman’s ‘Sweet-Torture’

It’s not an instant winner of listeners’ attention.

The tunes are:

• vague although varied,
  
• not catchy although novel and
  
• difficult although different.

It is true that people tend to listen to AR Rehman’s tunes with open mind assuming the tunes must be ‘great’. That is because he scored numerous hits and truly made a few catchy tunes. And now he is an Oscar winner.
 
But Rehman’s tunes these days hardly become favorites in first listening. They need to be listened again and again to accept that there is some pulling factor in them.
 
Same applies for Komaram Puli tunes. They are dull and sounding dud when listened for first time. But slowly they inject something into the senses. It is sure that you tend to love the songs only after your 5th listening. And that too, when you carry open mindedness. That’s how AR Rehman repeated his trade mark.
 
But Chandrabose, who penned lyrics for this album must have found it very difficult to fit in the words for this broken syntaxes. Although he found successful in writing for the tracks, Rehman comfortably killed the lyrics with his staccato.
 
The album sounds like a Tamil dubbing one but not straight Telugu. That is unfortunate. There is no nativity or contemporary feel for the album from the view point of Telugu ears.
 
Power Star:
The track sounds Arabic and it’s the first number in the album with the cacophony of heavy orchestra. But it’s like Tequilla shot that brings in kick after listening twice. Except the word ‘naati charaaami’ rest of the Telugu words sounded like Tamil. Vijay Prakash and Tanvi Shah sang the number.
 
Amma Thalle:
‘What is this’? ‘Am I listening right’? This is the expression of anyone after listening to the first few words. It runs like an express. The fast rendering is pleasing for the ears with novelty but no word is going to the heart. Naresh Ayyar and Swetha sang this song. Rehman seems to have used his technique to make the lyrics run faster. The BGM of the song recalls ‘Chayya Chayya’ to some extent.
 
Maaralante:
This is the song that scores better in the album. Obviously the tune that has got catchy appeal is being sung by music directors themselves these days. Rehman is also not an exception from them. He sang this song. ‘Maaralante Lokam..Maaralantaa nuvve..’ is clear to ears and it pumps in some lesson for entire humanity. Chandrabose deserves commendations here.
 
Nammakame:
This number recalls ‘Man Mohana’ from Jodha Akbar. There is nothing new to ears and feel. But the lyrics sounded with clarity -thanks to Rehman. Chitra, Madhusree and Harini rendered voices for this song. It sounds to be good prayer song.
 
Dochey:
Shreya Goshal loots hearts with her mellifluous voice always. She did that again. Lady Kash N Krissy joined voice with Shreya Goshal. The song sounds completely western in take off and it is hard to find out it’s a Telugu song although every word is Telugu. But in charanams the song sounds like a remix from old melody. There is sensuous appeal in the song that takes the mood of listeners to dalliance.
 
Maha Maaye:
Javed Ali and Suchitra sang this number and it is very catchy in first listening. But the expressions like ‘Meesam Molichenu manasuke’ recalls AM Rathnam’s lyrics (he wrote ‘kanubommale meesamayanu..’ in the movie Boys). We can hardly see Chandrabose in this song. The rendering of Telugu words are anglicized and sometimes sound like Tamil!!! 
 
Bottom Line:
To sign off on lighter note, ‘Komaram Puli’ music will taste sweet for some and torture for some…………That’s 50:50..
 
Venkat Arikatla ([email protected])