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Tuesday, December 20

Top 10 Songs of 2011 - Malayalam




Its that time of the year when movie bloggers make their year end lists with their favourite movies, songs and performances. I'm no different either. I'm starting my series of lists with this one on what according to me were the 10 best songs of 2011 in Malayalam.  


10. Nin Viral Thumbil / Moovanthiyaay - Beautiful
Singers - Gayathri (Nin Viral), Vijay Yesudas (Moovanthiyay)
Music - Ratheesh Vega
Lyrics - Anoop Menon
Featuring - Jayasurya, Anoop Menon, Meghna
Director - VK Prakash

2 Beautiful tracks from the film Beautiful which came at the end of the year. The amazing Gayathri, singing after long made Nin Viral Thumbil worth remembering for a long time. Sadly, the song doesnt have a video in the movie and features during the titles. Moovanthiyaay, the song which shows the friendship and bonding between Jayasurya and Anoop Menon is spirited and positive. Superbly sung by Vijay Yesudas, this song has fantastic visuals shot by Jomon T John. Ratheesh Vega is growing to be a music director to look forward to. And Anoop Menon makes a really impressive debut as a lyricist. 






9. Paattil Ee Paattil - Pranayam
Singers - Shreya Ghoshal, P Jayachandran
Music - M Jayachandran
Lyrics - ONV Kurup
Featuring - Mohanlal, Jayaprada
Director - Blessy

Shreya Ghoshal in her mesmerizing voice sings the soulful words by ONV Kurup, set to tune by M Jayachandran in one wonderful song. The song showed the romance that is still alive between a paralyzed Mohanlal and his loving wife Jaya Prada in Blessy's Pranayam with excellent frames shot by Satheesh Kurup. The song also has a male version which is equally good, sung by P Jayachandran. But it is the female version that made it to the film. One of the best moments in the film, this song is probably M Jayachandran's best work in a long time. And we're always ecstatic to hear ONV's poetry in film songs. 



8. Chimmi Chimmi - Urumi
Singer - Manjari
Music - Deepak Dev
Lyrics - Rafeeq Ahmed
Featuring - Nithya Menen, Prabhu Deva
Director - Santosh Sivan

This was the first genuine blockbuster song of the year. Deepak Dev's playful music, Manjari's sweet and flirtatious vocals and Rafeeq Ahmed's fab lyrics were one major reason. And the other was Nithya Menen's performance in the song as the sensuous Chirakkal Bala and Prabhu Deva's equally brilliant reactions to her advances. Shot by India's best cinematographer Santosh Sivan, this was one cracker of a song where everything came together perfectly. 



7. Anthimana Chembadiyil - Indian Rupee
Singers - MG Sreekumar, Sujatha
Music - Shahabas Aman
Lyrics - VR Santosh
Featuring - Prithviraj, Rima Kallingal
Director - Ranjith

Remember all those wonderful songs we used to hear in MG Sreekumar and Sujatha's voices in old Priyadarshan movies in the 80s and early 90s?? This song from Indian Rupee takes us back to those memories and gives such a nostalgic feel. (So did the movie) The song was shot by S Kumar (who used to shoot all such songs back then) and directed by Ranjith. If one listens to this song without knowing which movie it is from,  he/she would imagine the old Mohanlal & Shobhana performing the song. But Prithviraj & Rima Kallingal live up to their standards and look great together, dressed in simple costumes, effortlessly performing the song. Shahabas Aman kept the music simple and effective, perfectly complimenting the pleasant lyrics by VR Santosh. The song leaves you with a smile. :) 



6. Thelu Thele - Urumi
Singer - KR Renji
Music - Deepak Dev
Lyrics - Engadiyoor Chandrashekharan
Featuring - Prabhudeva
Director - Santosh Sivan

The best song from Urumi. An inspirational song which Prabhu Deva performs just before the final battle in the movie. The rustic vocals of KR Renji and inspiring lyrics by Engadiyoor Chandrashekharan were put to brilliant use by Deepak Dev in this great song. And as always, Santosh Sivan made sure that its visualized perfectly. 



5. Theeye Theeye / Oru Naalum Kaanaathe - Chaappa Kurishu
Singers - Saju Sreenivas, Sayanora Philip (Theeye), Reshmi Satheesh, Rex Vijayan (Title Song)
Music - Rex Vijayan
Lyrics - Engadiyoor Chandrashekharan
Featuring - Fahadh Faasil, Vineeth Sreenivasan, Remya Nambeeshan, Niveditha, Roma
Director - Sameer Thahir

Chappa Kurishu was a completely different experience, both as a movie and as a music album. Popular rock band Avial's guitarist Rex Vijayan made his debut as a composer through this movie and composed two killer songs which had separately shot music videos to promote the movie. Theeye Theeye had a haunting feel to it with Saju Sreenivas & Sayanora Philip behind the mic. And the title song gives a great adrenalin high with the music accompanied with a superbly layered chenda track. Reshmi Satheesh's unconventional voice backed ably by Rex was another major plus point. The videos were slickly shot by Jomon T John and directed by Sameer Thahir. Full marks for experimentation. The title song of the film even featured on MTV Roots, a show that recognizes non-Bollywood talent from around the country and more. 






4. Premikkumbol - Salt n Pepper
Singers - P Jayachandran, Neha Nair
Music - Bijibal
Lyrics - Rafeeq Ahmed
Featuring - Lal, Shwetha Menon
Director - Aashiq Abu

Another extremely popular track of the year. This beautiful melody had the soothing vocals of the legendary P Jayachandran and the super-talented upcoming singer Neha Nair. Bijibal's melodious composition with Rafeeq Ahmed's lovely lyrics was perfectly picturized by Aashiq Abu. The tune gives a complete nostalgic feel and takes us back to the era of the late composer Baburaj and his melodies. A middle aged couple who're slowly falling in love without having seen each other even once was superbly captured through this wonderful song. Lal and Shwetha Menon were excellent . One cannot help but fall in love with this song. 



3. Ee Puzhayum - Indian Rupee
Singer - Vijay Yesudas
Music - Shahabas Aman
Lyrics - Mullanezhi
Featuring - Prithviraj, Rima Kallingal
Director - Ranjith

This song was forced into the movie and had a terrible picturisation. But what the hell, it is such a soothing and melodious song, one of the best songs we've heard in years. Vijay Yesudas has finally started proving that he is the worthy successor to his father and this song adds much more brownie points towards that. The late Mullanezhi Maash's lyrics reinstate everything that was good about Malayalam Film Music and what we thought we had lost. Shahabas Aman has done an excellent job with the composition and has used the unplugged version in the movie concentrating on Vijay's voice and the soothing guitar chords. I have nothing to say about the terribly picturised video of this song other than it was a royal wastage of such an amazing song. Especially when the other song in the movie got quite a nice video. 



2. Mazhaneer Thullikal - Beautiful
Singer - Unnimenon
Music - Ratheesh Vega
Lyrics - Anoop Menon
Featuring - Anoop Menon, Jayasurya, Meghna
Director - VK Prakash

UNNIMENON!!! One of the best singers Kerala has produced returns to form with this gem of a song. Ratheesh Vega's brilliant composition and Anoop Menon's beautiful lyrics form a perfect backdrop for Unnimenon to blow our minds once again, that too after ages. VK Prakash has made a video which captures all the beauty of the song and builds the relationship of the 3 main leads in the film. The song is received with applause in movie halls and is a high point in the movie. Listening to this song on a rainy evening is pure bliss.



1. Chembavu Punnellin Choro - Salt n Pepper
Singer - Pushpavathy
Music - Bijibal
Lyrics - Rafeeq Ahmed
Featuring - Kerala's delicious food joints
Director - Aashiq Abu

The song of the year!! Kerala makes the best food in the country. And none of our movies or songs had ever captured that aspect about our state so far. So when Aashiq Abu and team started their delicious movie with this sumptuous song, it was purely mindblowing. Rafeeq Ahmed wrote his heart out about our food and dishes and Bijibal composed the perfect tune for it. Pushpavathy's rustic voice is the find of the year. And the video of this song features Malayali's favourite eating places across the state ranging from Kayee's Biriyani to Mullappanthal Shaappu to Paragon and Sagar and so on and so forth. The video would make you want to rush to grab something to eat the second you finish watching it. Such a mouth-watering song was a first in our cinema and it certainly deserves the top spot of the year. 



These were my favourite songs of the year. Apart from them, there were many other great songs which couldnt make it to the final list, including Kalamozhikalaya (Pranayam), Nee Akaleyano (City of God), Aanakkallan (Salt N Pepper), Amruthamay Abhayamay, Aavanithumbi (Snehaveedu), Aaarane Aarane (Urumi), Chembakappoo (Rathinirvedam) and Aaru Tharum (Make Up Man). Post your favourite songs as comments as well. :) :) 

11 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. kashttam thanne.. Kurachenkilum sense undenkil ee song first varumo???

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  3. i have no objection to bijibal... but Chembave should not be the 1st in list..

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  4. ennaal sense olla chettan oru blog thodangi athil chettante list ezhuthikko!! ithu enikkishtappetta paattukalude listaa.. athu bijibal ondakkiyathum alla.. and ur not the one to give an ultimatum and say it should not be the 1st in the list. its the opinion of the one who is writing the post and nobody can question. if u hav an opinion, u shud post that separately and not force it upon others.

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    1. good work vivek chetta, but pls note tat opinions and suggestions can help you a lot, to grow a bit more and it can change your views and aspects , move onnn

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  5. nice list Vivek ...

    Mazhaneerthullikal is too good , but whenever i lsiten to that , i feel that i have heard that tune somewhere ... does it have any resemblance with Allikali song from Praja ... or its just..
    :)

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  6. a gud list , a gud year for malayalam cinema, you could have include the song from arabi and ottakam also.................. and also kanamulal unlal from salt n pepper was also a gud choice, sherya ghosal best malayalam song this year...

    overall a gud list

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  7. Mr.Vivek.. A blog is to express opinions.. its not there to get the opinions you like only.. for a post there will be negative and positive opinions.. Its not good to accept opinions you like only.. i am not forcing anyone.. i just said my opinion..

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  8. i do not object to accepting opinions i dont like. only then there would be a healthy debate. but when u say things like i dont have sense, kashtam thanne, and chembavu should not be 1st, what does that mean?? thats called forcing ur opinion on others if u didnt know. how do u know about how much sense i have? do you know me? dont pass judgemental comments.. if u want to post your opinion, please do that in a proper manner..

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  9. For me paatil ee paatil from pranayam is the best of the year, followed by kaanamullal from salt n pepper...moolipaatum paadi frm makeup man, amrithamay from snehaveedu and aarane aarane from urumi will also find a place in my list

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