Manadhil Mayam Seidhai

Film: Manadhil Mayam Seidhai
Music: Manikanth Kadri; Shreyas Music
Tune-making is the essential quality of any music composer. Unfortunately, that has taken a backseat of late, with many composers concentrating on how a song sounds rather than focusing on constructing a tune. Manikanth Kadri certainly knows how to construct a tune — listen to any of the numbers in his latest Manadhil Mayam Seidhai and you’ll know.
Karthik starts off proceedings with Vinmeenelae, a hummable tune that should appeal after a couple of listens. For a singer who has handled difficult songs with ease, this one is like a stroll in the park, and he comes out with success. Haricharan, fast rising in Kollywood, and Hamsika Iyer gets a nice tune with Aaha Mazhaiyum Illai, a song that classically-inclined are bound to love.
The reprise version, by Nikhil Mathew, works better and is a treat to listen to. It also features some delightful saxophone work by Kadri Gopalnath. Parts of this song sound a lot like the musical work in Sangamam’s Sowkiyamaa, perhaps because it’s based on the same raga. Pesamal Pesum by Vijay Yesudas and Swetha Mohan is a throwback to some of the melodies of the 90s. In this song, Manikanth shows glimpses of the form that Vidyasagar displayed at his melodious peak.