Tamil cinema has a number of songs that are just right for the low-spirited, the lost, and the directionless. Chances are, if you hear one of these songs when you’re down, it’ll help you find a way out of your troubles.
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“Therku theru machaane” – Ingeyum Oru Gangai
Singers : P Susheela, Gangai Amaren
Composer: Ilaiyaraaja
Starring: Murali, Tara
Murali is the therku theru machaan. Tara is his vadakku theru vannakili. As these directional love-birds fell in love, all worldly things fell apart. And only true love remained. Or so we like to think.
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“Kezhakke Nandavanam” – Taj Mahal
Singers : Ganga Sitharasu, Febi Mani, Theni Kunjaramma, Kanchana
Composer: AR Rahman
Lyricist: Vairamuthu
Starring: Riya Sen, Manoj, Ranjitha
A sort of prelude to Taj Mahal’s song of the same name, this small track is charming. If not for Riya Sen’s (and Manoj’s) spectacularly bad acting skills, this song could’ve found redemption.
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”Then Kizhakku Cheemaiyile” from Kizhakku Seemaiyile
Singers: KS Chithra, Malaysia Vasudevan
Composer: AR Rahman
Lyricist: Vairamuthu
Starring: Radhika Sarathkumar, Vijayakumar, Napoleon
This lilting song is about a poverty stricken people waiting for redemption. And yet, director Bharathiraja fills it with the stolen glances between a new couple, the long trek to reach the marital home and so forth.
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”Tamizhan Padaichu” from Kolangal
Starring – Jayaram, Khushbu
Singers: Mano, KS. Chitra
Director: I.V. Sasi
Producer: Henry
Music: Ilayaraja
Mano is at his most forbidding in this song about copyright infringement. Also, it has ‘Vadakku’ (North) in it. So.
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“Thenmerku Paruvakaatru” – Karuthamma
Singers: Unni Krishnan, KS Chithra
Composer: AR Rahman
Lyricist: Vairamuthu
Starring: Raja, Rajashree, Maheshwari
A frenetic beat accompanies this song about rains, Theni and the rainy season in Theni. ARR infuses the song with a compulsive energy that makes it impossible to not tap ones’ foot along with the song. Featuring Raja and Maheshwari showcasing early 90’s dance movements, this song is a precious one indeed.
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“Merke Merke” – Kanda Naal Mudhal
Singers: Shankar Mahadevan, Sadhana Sargam
Composer: Yuvan Shankar Raja
Lyricist: Thamarai
Starring: Prasanna, Laila
A languorous jazz piece, “Merke Merke” is an exploration of love and lust, made even more beautiful by PC Sreeram’s camerawork. Thamarai’s lyrics perfectly capture the yearning between the protagonists and also have a vein of gentle humour running through them. The result is a complex synthesis that the poet drove home so well.
