Match made in Kollywood

The Saran-Bharathwaj combo has often struck gold at the box office. Can they rework the magic?

CHENNAI, TAMIL NADU, 12/02/2015: Tamil Film Director Saran and Music Director Bharathwaj at an intrerview to The Hindu in Chennai on February 12, 2015. Photo: V. Ganesan

In the fickle world of films, it’s almost impossible to have two people collaborate for as long as director Saran and composer Bharathwaj have. Five years after their last film, Aasal (starring Ajith), and 17 years after their first, Kadhal Mannan (also Ajith), the duo is now joining hands for two Vinay-starrers, Aayirathil Iruvar and Aal Ambu Senai, their 11th and 12th films.

Saran took some time off after Aasal’s flop, while Bharathwaj was busy with Oru Kurall Oru Kural , an ambitious project that saw him collaborate with 380 vocalists singing 380 couplets from the Tirukkural . “People said I was crazy to spend three years on it, but I needed the break.”

Tell Saran that with the exceptions of

Alli Arjuna and

Modhi Vilayadu , all his films have had music by Bharathwaj and he says, “He is like a brother to me. It’s the sort of rapport that’s forged when you meet in a film that’s a debut for both,” referring to

Kadhal Mannan (1998).

Unlike other composers who like to get the script before they begin work, Bharathwaj, says Saran, “often gives me a great song — ‘Unnai Naan’ from

Jay Jay , for example — and inspires me to write a scene.” In his opinion, (and he has worked with Rahman in Alli Arjuna ) Bharathwaj is the best composer in the industry.

Their most popular track was ‘O Podu’ from Gemini . “This was eight years before ‘Naaka Mukka’,” says Bharathwaj. “I can’t listen to many new songs because of the lyrics: ‘Ding Dong, Kovil Mani’ from Ji, for example. Couldn’t they have done better than ‘Ding Dong’? Or ‘Kilimanjaro’ from Enthiran ? The lyrics are non-negotiable.”

For

Aayirathil Iruvar , Bharathwaj is reinventing himself. “I have added more electronic sounds, but not at the expense of what I’m known for — good tunes and lyrical strength.” Bharathwaj, known for melodies like ‘Unnai Partha’ (

Kadhal Mannan ), ‘Ovvoru Pookkalume’ (

Autograph ) and ‘Unnodu Vaazhatha’ (

Amarkalam ), believes the audience is starved for lilting tunes. “Why do you think

Kumki ’s songs were such hits? A simple tune always wins.”

Saran agrees, pointing to ‘Ammane Ammane’, a devotional track from the film. “I didn't want the song to sound like an old L. R. Eswari song. But he has surprised me with a contemporary track, with rap thrown in for good measure. Rap in a devotional song, can you imagine?”

For Saran, returning after five years has done him good. The audience is smarter, he says. “Their mind is quick. They don’t like to dwell on scenes for too long.”

Aayirathil Iruvar travels at breakneck speed. It has everything, “from familial rivalry to property issues to hawala scams to Swiss bank issues.” In fact, it even has a song called ‘Unnai Enni’ because Saran read a survey that said songs beginning with the word ‘ Unnai ’ are downloaded a lot.

Bharathwaj is equally careful. In Ajith films, for instance, he alters the music to suit image. “ Kadhal Mannan ’s romantic numbers suited him when he was young but for Amarkalam , we needed something tougher, like ‘Satham Illatha’. By Attahasam , he was a star and we did ‘Thala Pola Varuma’ to cash in on his image.” In Aayirathil Iruvar , the songs are composed for Vinay, and represent his move away from a soft, romantic image.

In many ways, the film is a defining project for the duo, one that will tell them if they can still replicate their previous glory. But Bharathwaj protests: “No, no. I won’t agree that we are making a comeback. That would mean we are presently lost.”