Paradesi Movie Online – Music Review

Paradesi is the most recent offering from the stables of director Bala’s B Studios. The project also sees Bala pairing up with music director G.V. Prakash and lyricist Vairamuthu for the primary time. The movie is a period film set in pre-independence India.

“Avatha Paiyaa…”Singer(s): Yasin, Vandana SrinivasanLyrics: Vairamuthu

The track features some beautiful flute playing inside the composition. While it’s easy to get over excited with such fills, the composer mixes it in some way that it’s just around your sonic periphery as opposed to overpowering the song’s melody. Vandana Srinivasan and Yasin make it hard so that you can choose the simpler performance between the 2. Vandana especially nails the dialect in her delivery.

“Or Mirugam…”Singer(s): V.V. Prassana, Pragathi GuruprassadLyrics: Vairamuthu

This song features Pragathi of the ‘Super Singer’ fame on vocals and she or he delivers a powerful performance with a way of despair in her voice. Prassana’s voice tries to be reassuring when all hope appears to be lost. The vocal delays utilized by G.V. Prakash gives the song a haunting sadness. It is a typical Bala number drenched in pathos and philosophy. The string instrumental interludes are heavy and serious while the percussions has been kept minimal. The flute stands out with its pure sound.  More emphasis was put on the lyrics and the meaning in them.

“Sengaade…”Singer: Madhu BalakrishnanLyrics: Vairamuthu

The orchestration with the string segment that opens the song is harking back to an earlier time of Tamil film music. The words and the vocal delivery that follow confirm the nostalgia. G.V. Prakash employs a minimalistic approach keeping the weather inside the song simple and sparse, giving room for the vocal emotions to sink in. Madhu Balakrishnan shows good range on this solo performance of his.

“Thannai Thaanee…”Singer: Gaana BalaLyrics: Vairamuthu

Essentially a gospel song, going by the lyrical content, however the treatment is completely different and does catch you off guard. Gaana Bala appears to be free from being typecast as a singer fit for a specific genre. That is another instance where his voice is used unlike his homegrown singing style. The shortest track at the album has pounding percussions and catchy nadhaswaram fills.

“Senneer Thana…”   Singer(s): Gangai Amaren, Priya HemeshLyrics: Vairamuthu

Like almost every song within the soundtrack this one too heavily rests upon the shoulders of the playback singers to bring the words to life and provides it an emotional meaning. G.V. Prakash backs them up with a stirring string segment. There's a certain seniority in Gangai Amaren’s voice that immediately warrants for sympathy. Priya Hemesh leaves you with a gulp on your throat along with her vocal interludes,, with no need any actual words to precise her emotions.

Verdict: G.V. Prakash’s core elements for the album are local percussion instruments, flute and string sections. This achieves an undistracted and uniform sound-and-feel throughout this album and it succeeds in placing the listener within the time and place of the tale. The album, though clearly not intended for the masses, proves to be rich in its music, singing and lyrics.