In this episode we dive into the atomic elements of composition that we can observe in Raaja's music. How does he use sentence structures and motifs in his compositions? Can we really tell apart where Carnatic ends and Western touches begin in his music. Briefly we also cover one stark difference between MSV and Raaja.

Topics Covered:

What are sentences and how have they been used by Beethoven and Mozart?

How do sentence structures show up in Raaja's music?

What is a motif and why does it often form the kernel of the full composition?

How has Raaja used various motifs in his film songs?

Participants:

Mahesh

Deepauk

Bala Chidambaram

Musical References:

Subramanyena (Notes)

Kaatumalli

Sakkarakattikku

We couldn't ignore Malayalam cinema's great run in the first couple of months of 2024 so decided to talk about Lijo Jose Pellissery's Malaikottai Vaaliban which received a lukewarm to polarizing reception after huge expectations.

Right after the universally feted Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam, Malaikottai Vaaliban couldn't have been more different, a fantastical tale that eschews the diktats of narrative cinema and leaps from one genre to another with every scene. Starring Mohanlal, Katha Nandi, Sonalee Kulkarni, Hareesh Peradi, Danish Sait, Manoj Moses and others, there is a lot in the film to like and talk about.

Aditya is joined by his namesake writer Aditya Mani Jha and Mint Lounge's film critic Uday Bhatia, three people who immensely enjoyed the film to talk about what worked, the influences and whether a sequel can be expected or not. Listen on.

Participants:

Aditya

Uday Bhatia

Aditya Mani Jha

Edited by Anantha

Sapta Saagaradaache Ello - Side B team is back and this time we have director Hemanth M. Rao and actor/singer Chaithra J. Achar joining us. She plays Surabhi in this follow up to SSE Side A. Side B looks at the life of Manu (Rakshit Shetty) and Priya (Rukmini Vasanth) a decade after their tragic love story seemingly ended. We travel with these star crossed characters as Manu grapples with life without Priya after getting out of prison, his tryst with Surabhi and the inability to move on from the strongest love of his life.

We talk everything in this podcast - Chaithra's audition for Surabhi, the staging, colours and lenses used, the progression and inner selves of the three characters, some anecdotes and happy accidents from the filming and also broach the subject of stalking. Listen on.

Participants:

Aditya

Hemanth M. Rao

Chaithra J. Achar

Edited by Anantha

Listen to our episode on Side A with Hemanth and Subha Rao here.