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Tuning In: Gautham Vasudev Menon on the music in his movies
Posted on November 27, 2019
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11 Responses “Tuning In: Gautham Vasudev Menon on the music in his movies” →
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Baradwaj Rangan 
tonks
November 27, 2019
Why aren’t the Goutham Menon romances available on streaming platforms?
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bart
November 27, 2019
I liked his post-VTV interview with Vishal Menon. Hope he gets to make that movie.
This was great too, esp considering the consistency of the top-notch quality in his movies’ music he manages to get. Anything you ask or he picks is going to be a gem…. BTW, why did IR not work with Thamarai in NEP? I just noticed that during the interview that he used Na. Muthukumar. It is a great album but still..
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Kay
November 27, 2019
Tonks – hope the following helps.
Minnale is available on Prime.
Hot star – Nadunisi naigal, Ekk Deewana Tha, RHTDM
Sonyliv – Yennai Arinthal, Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu, Ye maaya Chesave
Neethane en ponvasantham can be watched on Jaya TV on 01/12 at 8am
Courtesy – Google 🙂
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Madan
November 28, 2019
Marvellous interview. I don’t know if he is necessarily the Tamil director most well versed in music, but he is definitely the most articulate. I can’t think of anybody else who would use words like orchestrate or overtures. He is a real musicophile. Would have loved to know what all he likes from different genres.
Regarding him getting more out of HJ, I think it’s basically that firstly it must be easier for composers to work with a director who really knows his music. Secondly, GVM, like the older stalwarts like Mani or KB, knows how to film a song, how to use it well. If you take Anniyan, there too HJ’s music works well because whatever else Shankar messes up, he is really good at picturising songs. OK, he prefers the gaudy, overdressed route (and GVM is just a way better filmmaker anyway) but at least he throws the gauntlet at the composers, giving them a variety of situations to handle.
As far as NEPV goes, the sheer baggage of opinions everyone has by now (or had by then) about contemporary Ilayaraja meant it was never going to win everyone. As such, we are not used to a John Williams or Morricone like figure going strong for years and years. We have a mental block in our head that an older composer is going to be old hat (even though SDB himself was going strong when he died)and after that, no matter what IR does, it won’t get past that pre conceived opinion. With all that said, it earned Filmfare nominations and I believe Ramya NSK got the best singer award at Vijay Awards for Sattru Munbu, so it isn’t quite so bad as GVM imagines. Reading between the lines, the bitter fallout with the producer over selecting Raja is still lingering in his memory and that is understandable.
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Tina
November 28, 2019
Very articulate! Interesting interview. The best part about it is your decency. Always and forever!! I’ve been watching the Queen and one of the dialogue goes sth like this – it takes most energy to not react…and olivia Colman as the queen talks about how it takes every ounce of her energy to not have an opinion.
I do sincerely believe it takes a LOT to not talk about what isn’t so pleasant.
Super sir!
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TambiDude
November 29, 2019
“but he is definitely the most articulate.”
Agreed. Like Karan Johar in Bollywood. I can’t stand KJ’s movies and I grant that GVM movies are at least watchable once, though little stays in memory after some time.
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TambiDude
November 29, 2019
“(even though SDB himself was going strong when he died)”
With generous help from his son.
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abishekspeare
November 29, 2019
Does anyone know why does nenjukul peidhidum have the line “oh shanthi shanthi”?. Its quite random. It’s neither the heroines name nor had any concrete meaning. Gvm movies always have great lyrics but I’ve never understood why they chose to have an unrelated set of words here.
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Madan
November 29, 2019
Tambidude : Well, I did like Kaaka Kaaka and VV, both being more in the thriller genre. I couldn’t make it through VA and VTV and those are KJ like in how flabby and overemotive they are. Maybe that’s a problem with being able to describe how you feel too well. Normal people don’t verbalise everything. I mean, everybody doesn’t HAVE to be normal in a movie but when everyone is talky, it gets on my nerves.
Agreed about the help received by SDB in his last few films. Frequently refuted but suffice it to say the music speaks.
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rsylviana
November 29, 2019
@abishekspeare – As far as I can tell , its more about Harris Jayaraj’s songs than GVM’s. HJ’s songs always have such confusing , quirky, trying-too-hard-to-be-cute kind of lyrics that its almost a running joke in the Tamil social media .Whoever knows where the Halenas and Shanthis are I wonder!
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TambiDude
November 29, 2019
Hey BR: That was a great interview. Come to think of it, I probably enjoyed it more than the movies of GVM 🙂
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