Full soundtrack at the end of the post.
Presumably an ode to the drama company that has been the backdrop for most of Mannar Mathai & Co’s adventures, Urvashi Urvashi has Teenu Telence and Vijay Yesudas (and a second male voice too, from the sound of it) on the vocals while composer Rahul Raj whips up an arrangement that sees some trippy employment of synth and guitars (lovely bassline throughout), with a smattering of yesteryear sounds, including a brief Oraayiram Kinaakkalaal reference. But for Maqbool’s chanting of the title refrain, the short Sufi Reprise version of the song belongs to Josy who plays some lovely shehnai-like improvs on his soprano sax. The classical nuances of Mizhikaloro (abheri raga?) bring with them a familiar feel, but Haricharan’s singing and the interesting techno-based mix in the arrangement makes the song worth the while. Rahul’s arrangement is the star of Gathakalaporin, the composer bringing together all his orchestral resources in fabulous fashion with the ever-so-subtle references to Kalikkalam from Ramji Rao. The interludes are particularly brilliant. Afzal, Vipin Xavier and Tom Sebastian handle the vocals in this one. High point of the thematic Thirayane Thirayane is without doubt that winning reference to one of the best dialogue sequences from Mannar Mathai Speaking! That and some interesting elements in the arrangement (super use of strings again, this time some oud/saz as well) aside, the tune as such is pretty ordinary and the lyrics don’t help much either. Sprightly rendition by Arun Alat, Nithin Raj and Lonely Doggy nevertheless.
The Ramji Rao Speaking series has featured some entertaining music in the past, Rahul Raj continues the tradition in Mannar Mathai Speaking 2.
Music Aloud Rating: 7.5/10
Top Recos: Gathakalaporin, Urvashi Urvashi, Mizhikaloro
