The irony about some veteran film editors.

Isn't it shocking to see poorly edited sequences in some Indian films cut by veteran editors? Looking at the experience of these editors, some of them have been in the industry since the 1980s, apprenticing under some top men in the business then. But why the irony?

What I feel: During their days as 'assistants', they were possibly assigned clerical stuff, rather manual jobs such as negative cutting and splicing. While the main editor (In most cases, someone with sufficient knowledge on the grammar of cutting) was working with the director deciding the cuts (in a very grammatical way), the assistants were busy doing their bit of negative cutting and splicing; too busy to analyze  the grammar and aesthetics that influence cutting decisions. By the time they started out as independent editors, they had become experts with the LABOUR (negative cutting and splicing) and thus were working at lightning speeds; but the grammar and art weren't quite there. Despite this, these expert 'labourers' were very much in demand  during the days of  linear editing, mainly because of their speed. But with the advent of non-linear editing systems, the importance of 'labourers' reduced. NLE systems enabled aspiring young editors to focus more on the film grammar instead of 'negative cutting'  and 'splicing'. But the 'labourers' are still in business being hailed and respected as 'veterans', thanks to the reputation they had built in the 'pre-NLE' era.  Since many in the industry believe that these editors have several decades of 'experience', they remain the 'go-to' editors for many senior filmmakers even today, and get all the respect a veteran ought to.


NOTE: I am just talking about a couple of veteran editors here, NOT ALL! I don't want to name them here. Just wanted to write my feelings on WHY there are poorly cut sequences in films edited by them, despite being 'experienced veterans'. They aren't much to blame. It is probably because of what they were exposed to, during their stint as assistants.  I do respect their experience and expertise acquired in 'negative cutting' and 'splicing', manual jobs that had to be done very cautiously and punctiliously, since they were performed on original negatives. 

Rahman's 'Kannathil Muthamittaal'..

After a long time, last week, I happened to revisit A. R. Rahman's Oru Deivam Thantha Poove (Chinmayi's version) from Kannathil Muthamittaal.

Was completely overwhelmed by Rahman's juxtaposition of eastern and western classical music in the most extra-ordinary way!

The melody is matchless! The backing strings in the 'charanam' / 'antara' are like how the currents of an ocean would be in heavy rain. Then there is this sudden Cello counterpoint at the Chellamazhayum Nee Chinna Idiyum nee portion.

I have no clue how much of my dopamine was released when the first charanam / antara ends descending down from the peak notes with the line Maranam Meenda Jananam to saunter into the 'Pallavi' / Mukhda 'Oru Deivam Thantha Poove' without any pause. The genius is even more inexplicable, when Rahman descends the string section (which is a harmonic accompaniment to the piriyum uriyum nee portion) to the lower notes before the vocal portion of the charanam / antara descends.
And oh God.. What's happening in that last Pallavi / Mukhda! Divine improvisation! Yes! Divine!
I don't know the conversation between different raagas happening in this song as I am no musician. But I am sure there are transitions happening between two or more raagas.(esp towards the last Pallavi / Mukhda).. A beautiful conversation rather..happening between them!

 

A.R. Rahman's 'Veerapandi Kottaiyile' 

'Veerapandi Kottaiyile' from Thiruda Thiruda (1993) is one of the most under-rated tracks in A.R. Rahman's career! I would not say that it has not been appreciated. It has continuously raked in compliments like 'great', 'magnificent' etc; but those adjectives alone would not suffice to describe the greatness of this track!

At the age of 26, Rahman accomplished something his contemporary classical aspirants would have dreamed of achieving at a much later stage in their career!

Veerapandi is abundant with neoclassical elements pioneered by the legendary Russian classical composer, Sergei Prokofiev, soon after World War 1. Not just the arrangements, but the tune of Veerapandi too has a rich neoclassical  base (barring the iconic 'March'-like 'Mukhda'/'Pallavi'] which exceptionally syncs with the orchestration creating an intricate 'Call-And-Response' pattern throughout the track.

For example, let's take the melody in the following line as a 'CALL':
'Rettai Chooriyan Varuguthamma, Ottrai Thaamarai Karuguthamma..'

.. It's a very neoclassical combination of notes.

The beautiful, but restrained harmony of strings and woodwinds that immediately follows the line creates an amazing melody, that is probably the most complimenting 'RESPONSE' to the above 'CALL' (Rettai Chooriyan..).
What a divine combination of melodies that converse with each other in an impeccable Call-And-Response pattern, that too with neoclassical opulence!

The second main interlude starts with a short tremolo on strings, and then the double bass announces something heavy, but Rahman takes us through beautiful woodwind counters with the double bass providing some wonderful rhythm support.

One of the best songs ever produced in the history of Indian film music!

I request everyone to listen to portions from Sergei Prokofiev's 1st Symphony, which arguably started the neoclassical movement in music. LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5jL6Ma9tvk

Hassan Learns French Cooking - A. R. Rahman.

               

 Link to the Soundtrack: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPRf96ETE6U

I got to listen to A. R. Rahman's latest Hollywood soundtrack Hundred Foot Journey, only after a month of its release. I listened to the first track, and needless to say, I was bowled over! I was so addicted that I postponed listening to the remaining tracks.

Hassan Learns French Cooking is an absolute delight with the perfect blend of Western Classical and Indian music. Who else in the west (among those 'wannabe exotic' ones and the significantly better Mychael Danna) can think of a near-perfect Carnatic Violin bit amidst a western string section? Wait!! You have a bigger surprise here. That's NOT a Carnatic Violin, but a Sarangi, that deceptively appears like a Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan cameo in one of Bruce Broughton's less complex pieces. The humble, soft-spoken Rahman has a 'screw the rules, screw the conventions!' attitude here, being daringly, audaciously out-of-the-box! By the way, would Broughton have imagined a disguised Santoor in one such piece?

Here, Rahman is not being exotic just for the sake of being so. Just see how brilliantly the Santoor compliments the oboe from 2:20 to 2:23. Oh yes, Rahman is being his avant-garde self here, for the first time in his Hollywood stint. (By the way, Mr. Hans Zimmer, why don't you consider sampling that short Santoor piece and adding it to your trademark ostinato template? :D !)

Though, the strong Mozart influence from 3:58 to 4:17 sounds extremely pleasing, the phrasing sounds very familiar. Shortly after that, the subtle French horn and its Oboe-counter from 4:18 make us feel that we are back in the Broughton territory, just when Rahman punctiliously shifts gears to exotic Indianness.

What a theme! Saying that this is a promising start to the soundtrack, would be an understatement, because the piece has already delivered to the promise!

'Rana's Dream', one of AR Rahman's finest and most complex compositions.

I have been a big Rahmaniac since childhood. In fact, I had my first overwhelming experience with music at the age of six, when my father gifted me a cassette of Rangeela (The song  'Rangeela Re' was aired on a television channel and my dad noticed me enjoying it. He got me the audio cassette the very next day! The first audio cassette I owned!)

Though proud that, Rahman proved his proficiency in numerous genres and revolutionized Indian film music, I always felt that his orchestral/symphonic attempts after 1994, were shallow. Even in Hollywood, his orchestral pieces like 'Jason and Cynthia Suite' (from 'Couples Retreat') lacked depth.

But his most recent orchestral piece 'Rana's Dream' proves to be a different experience. It turns out to be one of the most complex compositions of Rahman till date.

Though it starts off with ostensible nods to Ilaiyaraaja's score of 'Pazhassiraja', it goes on to carve its own unique identity. What's brilliant is that Rahman uses the same melody to employ counterpoint in a fashion which Gustav Mahler employed in the second movement of his 5th symphony. Here, Rahman's main melody, (which uses the tune of 'Enge Pogudhu Vaanam..Ange Pogirom Naamum') counters itself. So how does Rahman go about constructing this complex contrapuntal texture?

Well, I don't know notations as I am no musician. So kindly allow me to split 'Enge Pogudhu Vaanam..Ange Pogirom Naamum' into notes:

'en', 'ge', 'po', 'gu', 'dho', 'vaa', 'nam'

AND

'AN', 'GE' (In uppercase to denote that it is different from the above 'ge'), 'PO', 'GI', 'ROM', 'NAA', 'MUM'

So for instance, the main melody is on the Cellos and reaches the note 'dho', the Horns join in and start playing from the note 'en'.  Again when the melody on the horns reaches the note 'NAA',  the cello simultaneously starts playing from 'en' and so on. This is just an example, but the complexity of counterpoint is much more as the track progresses, with the horns, strings and woodwinds continuously countering each other, and sometimes (rather many times) counters happening within the horn section itself.

Sheer brilliance!

Sad to see Alexandre Desplat doing pastiches of Hans Zimmer's action scores, particularly those ostinatos accentuated with bombastic brass. Desplat could have taken the score of 'War of the Worlds' by John Williams as an influence (rather reference) while scoring Godzilla.

There are occasions in the movie where subtle notes in piano and harp punctuate silence, and one would expect Desplat to sustain this with adequate support of restrained, but serene strings, but instead he chooses to go for environmental synth mumbo jumbo. 

Though, Desplat made his Hollywood entry sometime in the early 2000's, I became a huge admirer of him, after watching 'The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button'. I fell deeply in love with the score, and the very thought that another French maestro has announced his arrival in Hollywood excited me. I thought the scene would change, as the ideal successor to Maurice Jarre has arrived! But he too has resorted to aping Zimmer!

Poovaname Punnarame...

                          

Poovaname Punnarame, a simple but spellbinding composition by Sharreth from 'Thalsamayam Oru Penkutty'. The melody in the Pallavi, the pattern of chords and the backing strings in the 'kannippoovani thennale' portion are signature Ilaiyaraaja stuff.

After the first BGM filled with heart-warming strings, Sharreth returns to his 'Manjuneeril' (Thirakadha) style in the charanam. Rendered to perfection by Alka Ajith!