I know what you are thinking. Why introduce someone like Anirudh Ravichander in the north, when the music composer is known across the world with his breakout song “Why this Kolaveri?” But do you know Dhanush and Anirudh Ravichander are not fond of being called Kolaveri Boys (Dhanush once told that he is not that proud of the song anymore)? There is more to Anirudh Ravichander than “Kolaveri” and “Arabic Kuthu”. On his birthday, let’s look at some of the USPs of Anirudh that have turned him into the most sought-after composer in the Tamil industry who is making inroads into Bollywood with Shah Rukh Khan’s Jawan.
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The Master of hooks
In the age of reels and stories, people have no time for ‘slow poison’ anymore. Gone are the days when we provided the time for the songs to grow on us. Now, tracks have to get into your head the second time or third, or else they don’t make it to our Spotify or YouTube playlists. The need to be instantly good has only worked in favour of Anirudh, whose expertise in coming up with a jingle or chorus or even something gibberish that gets imprinted on our minds instantly is almost masterful. You might not even like the entire song, but the hook will live in your head rent-free.
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Un-folk
One of the predominant genres of songs you find in the south are the folk numbers — as a significant number of the films here are set in villages. The market of a Tamil musician is also determined by his mastery of that genre. AR Rahman might now be introducing new sounds to the industry, but he also had to prove his folk mastery with Kizhakku Chemmayile (1993) and Uzhavan (1993). Similar, to Rahman, Anirudh also brought his own unique touch to the folk genre of Tamil cinema. I am particularly amused by how Anirudh uses singer Anthony Dasan for his songs. It is easy to employ his rooted voice for true blue folk songs, but how will you categorise Dippam Dappam (Kaathuvaakula Rendu Kaadhal) or Kattikida (Kaaki Sattai) or Aaha Kalyanam (Petta)? One can’t be sure whether or not they are folk numbers, but one can be sure that they are great.
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Tryst with Bollywood
Jawan is not the Hindi debut of Anirudh like it is perceived to be. The music composer has already composed the underrated song, “Yun Hi Re”, for Tamil-Hindi bilingual, David. A glance through the comment section of the song would leave you wondering why Bollywood had taken so long to take in Anirudh. Also, Anirudh has sung both the Tamil and Hindi versions of the song.
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Recognition long overdue
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Critics of Anirudh have issues with his blaring sounds and the racing tempo of his songs. However, seldom the musician gets his due for some of his minimalistic melodies. Melody is not something that pops up in one’s mind while talking about Anirudh. However, hearing Neeyum Naanum (Naanum Rowdy Thaan), Megham Karukatha (Thiruchitrambalam), and Po Nee Po (3) one cannot help but wonder why that seems to be the case.