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How important are songs to TF?

Topic started by Ravi (@ greed.cs.umass.edu) on Sun Mar 8 14:44:16 EST 1998.
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

This discussion is going on as a digression in another thread. I thought it deserved a threadd of its own. itha vEra vEra shades-la eRkanavE discuss panni irukkOm. What role do songs play in TF? Mostly they are just hinderances to the development of the story line. But there have been sufficient examples of directors having used songs effectively to add to various situations in movies that I have to disagreed with Raja.M that songs are the bane of TF. Musicals in the western sense are rare in TF nowadays. Songs serve a different purpose in TF.. more of accenuators of feelings than as devices to push the story along.

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Responses:

• From: NOV (@ 202.184.134.10) on: Tue Mar 10 03:33:48 EST 1998
  
  Ravi - I am surprised that no one has responded to this yet.
  
  Past & Present Scenario
  
  1. Songs in TF are an important component of movies. "Who is the MD" and "what are the songs", are the questions we ask before we see a movie. Unless the movie is very exceptional, songs play an integral part in TF.
  
  2. Movies and songs are inseparable. TM has survived solely, because of movies. How many of us listen to pop albums, (leave alone prefer) compared to FS? I have thousands of TFM cassettes as compared to maybe, 10, pop albums.
  
  3. Songs are long remembered after the movie is forgotten. This applies to 95% of the movies/songs. We all know Paalum Pazhamum has excellent songs, but how many of us care for the movie. Songs give that immortality.
  
  4. On the other hand, many a time songs have been a distraction to the story. Song sequences are used by many to go to the washroom. (Poor folks - can you imagine sitting through a 3-hour movie without a break?) Even this can be broken down by directors such as KB, who exploit songs to their fullest capacities. Generally one to two songs in a movie serve its purpose.
  
  5. Songs in TF are an excuse for the wildest of imaginations. Long before MTV, our guys have done it and in a million ways too. :-)))
  In some other forum, someone commented that an actress breaks into a song, while being violated and said this was illogical. But isn't singing in movies, itself illogical? :-))
  
  6. Songs sometimes are a break of monotony. I remember in old Sivaji movie and even is some horror movies, songs are used to break the tension that would be building up in the viewer. (Anyone else have experienced this?)
  
  I could go on and on, but will hold, for others' comments.
  
  The Future
  Who knows? But I can safely say that songs in TF will not disappear in the near future. :-))
  (Thank God for small mercies!)
  
  
• From: raja m (@ draco.eisi.com) on: Tue Mar 10 08:52:38 EST 1998
  
  I'll write soon. A good topic ..
  
  
• From: chandru (@ sdwwwgw01.sd.nmp.nokia.com) on: Wed Mar 11 13:28:58 EST 1998
  
  I think it really depends on the story line of the movie. There are justifiable situations where one could have done well without the other. well let me think of atleast one example..hmm...
  how about Nayagan? I think the movie would have obtained the same ratings without the songs, vice versa movies like Kaadal desam would not have done so well if not for the songs. These are just my thoughts, I will wait and watch...
  
  
• From: S.Krishnan (@ m32.pppmad.vsnl.net.in) on: Thu Mar 12 23:19:36 EST 1998
  
  Ravi- Songs are part and parcel of Tamil films.U can say nagamum sathayum pola :-) Difficult to imagine a movie without a song. Films like Kuruthi poonal are exceptions.
  Songs add the much needed relief and color to a movie and good songs are hummed by most of us long aftet the movie is consigned to the archives .
  
  
• From: raja m (@ draco.eisi.com) on: Fri Mar 13 16:52:33 EST 1998
  
  Ravi:
  
  Movies are made to provide entertainment, I fully agree. The format of indian movies is what is questioned. Can we imagine any one breaking into a song, unless fully sozzled in real life :)
  Movies are too powerful a medium in shaping how people think. This is the bad part of songs in films. Pesum Padam, did not have any songs, neither did Kurudhi punal. These movies did make quite an impact. I mention these movies, because other than these movies and andha naal ( an old movie by VB) as far as I know, we havent had commerical films without songs. I am not sure how many songs are there in most movies currently (4-6?). If we look at the past, we even had over 20 songs during MKT days. Is any one aware if songs have decreased over a period of time?
  
  
  
• From: mannAru (@ ns.arraycomm.com) on: Fri Mar 13 23:16:23 EST 1998
  
  Actually, Songs are life line for TF. The
  question is what if they are not there?
  
  IMHO, it will be monotonous, unless the
  story and dialogue are so good and the acting
  is extremely good to keep the audience allured.
  
  We have seen some movies without songs. Why not
  try all of them. well! we have seen only couple
  of them.
  
  Here are the reasons why songs are necessary:
  
  1) To support the story line(which is no
  longer valid in most of the new movies )
  
  (e.g.) Imagine the song, "uLLathil nalla uLLam"
  in Karnan. Oh! man!. The song tells more
  than the whole movie. Kudos to GR, Sirkazhi,
  Sivaji.
  
  2) The reduce the tension in horror, violent
  movies. To relax the audience.
  (e.g) Bombay, "kuchi kuchi rakkamma". after
  the first phase of violence people would be
  frightened(thanks for mani for good direction,
  and picturisation, ARR for BGM).
  
  "adhe kangal" songs, "prAptham" songs. It may not
  make sense if u see the movie now. When i saw
  it, i made the effect.
  
  3) Songs for conveying the story or support
  story.
  
  (e.g.) "Kelviyin nAyagane" from apoorva ragangal.
  Thanks to MSV, kannadasan and kamal+srividya.
  
  4) To support and give life to character.
  (e.g) "nAnoru sindhu" from Sindhu Bhairavi,
  which protraits her character well.(the
  sogam side of her life is revealed more
  in the song rather than through dialogues.
  
  "nAn pEsa ninaippadellam" from pAlum pazhamum
  "kanmani anbodu" from Guna
  
  (KB, has some obsession to sindhu like character.
  In his movie, at least one character has
  some sad thread in the background which
  is not obviously visible)
  
  5) To add more "thigil" to the movie. Like
  "Thunive Thunai", "yAr nee".
  
  (Now most of the new movies come under this
  category. There is a "thigil" always when
  suddenly a song will come. :) )
  
  6) To add fun tracks, which is not very much
  needed unless the director runs out of his
  imaginations. (e.g) "mAmavukku kuduma"
  from punnagai mannan.
  
  7) To satisfy the "song audience at A/B/C centers"
  and to make money with audio albums. (Even
  Disney is using this trick. This is not
  warrented for the viewers though)
  
  and more ...
  
  I beleive at least first few reasons are genuine onee ..
  
  mannAru
  
  
• From: Amar (@ worf.qntm.com) on: Mon Mar 16 10:33:49 EST 1998
  
  MannAru, due credit should be given to Viswanathan Ramamoorthy for the Music of "Karanan" and not GR - just for your Info.
  
  
• From: mannAru (@ ns.arraycomm.com) on: Tue Mar 17 21:10:22 EST 1998
  
  Amar:
  
  Thanks for the correction.
  
  mannAru
  
  
• From: thiru (@ ) on: Mon Mar 8 08:18:50 EST 2004
  
  it halts the flow of the story.
  better to to hollywood kinda movies.
  
  
• From: thiru (@ 210.214.132.131) on: Mon Mar 8 08:19:35 EST 2004
  
  better to take
  
  
• From: * (@ 161.114.64.75) on: Mon Mar 8 08:26:23 EST 2004
  
  Thiru you are ONE BIG SPOILSPORT! why did u prevent this thread from reaching its 6th yr in hibernation????
  
  

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