Sundaram master, his father, set the tone of feather-light steps with a blend of the Western even for a fast-paced song.Ī fine example would be Vaanam yenna keezhirukku from Vetri Vizha featuring Kamal Haasan and Prabhu, who’s also a stylish dancer. There’s always an angle shift, a shot change or a step change to bring in the next line, the next beat. Watch any song of his and you’ll know what I’m talking about. He brought in the concept of changing the shot for each line of a song thus giving a dynamic rhythm to even the most melodious number with cuts, transitions and the choreography that was not just about 1, 2, 3 and 3, 2, 1. More than being an amazing dancer himself, it’s his role as a choreographer with a keen eye on the camera which I value more. Prabhudheva is another name which is hard to miss. And then, it was Kaasumela Kaasuvandhu ad so on till an entire range of dancing styles and songs were exhausted in Kamal Haasan’s repertoire. The scene that has her telling an eager Kamal Haasan that he will be performing along with the dancing greats of the country is my all-time favourite. “Balusubramaniam is also a big dancer”, says Jayaprada. Even today, this film works at multiple levels, especially for its leading man’s dignified portrayal of a role which is not that of a winner. The wonderfully staged Bharatanatyam number, Balakanakamaya from Saagara Sangamam. We went on to see the making video as well. We decided to play a favourite each and watch the video as well and we chose to begin with the kathak number: Unnai Kaanaadhu from Vishwaroopam. An evening in a friend’s house a few months ago saw us musing on the different dance songs of Kamal Haasan. The 80s belonged to Kamal Haasan, whose dancing prowess transcends both classical and Western ends of the spectrum. Brinda is another favorite choreographer whose style defined Simran’s signature moves in the songs of the 90s. And then enter Prabhudheva and the rest is (dancing) history.
As the songs play from my favourite black and white to colour films, I realised dance styles in Tamil films have had a massive change from the erstwhile Bharatnatyam numbers to disco and then to duets that were steeped in ‘steps’, and then to the one movie which altered the way songs were shot (Nayagan) and onto another film which brought in the montage treatment to duets (Valaiyosai from Sathya). My playlist consists of robust dance numbers which are needed to push my rather slow feet into action. Music and dance are huge tools to mankind to express emotions and to bring a certain rhythm to our movement and words. To create that personal playlist of songs that will come in handy for a brisk walk.
To watch that one series or recommended movie which has been on the watchlist for the longest time. The time we are fighting Corona has given us the window to go back to that one book we have always been wanting to read but postponed, due to lack of time. Group workout sessions and online dance classes also fill up our days. Another said, “Why don’t we have a story competition for our group?” Yet another friend went further and took an online film production class. “Let’s sing a song a day and send each other voice notes music is therapy,” said a friend on WhatsApp. Art comes into that pastime list obviously, but in this phase, it has reached a level of daily mainstream.
In times of enforced free time, we turn to things we otherwise treated as a pastime. And 2020 might just be the year we do.In times of isolation, imagination takes wings. Clearly, the fans are eager to see her more frequently on the big screen. The last we saw her was in Petta in 2019. It’s such a learning to watch you act! Announcement soon!” And that’s not all! He went on to say that “to work with you is sheer bliss because you make it look so easy. Director Gautham Vasudev Menon is a fan and loves this music video so much that he tweeted it. With the numbers going up, Simran cannot ignore their call.Īnd it looks like we might not have to wait long. There’s an outpouring in the comments section with fans pleading with her to return to the silver screen or release a Tamil album. Many have confessed that they do not understand the words but still love this video that’s up on her YouTube channel Simran & Sons. Lyrics be damned when they’ve got their heartthrob singing her heart out. It’s her Tamil fans who love that she’s the singular focus of the camera. But look at the comments below and you’ll know the real reason for the song’s rise to the top - Simran and Simran alone. Sung by Prateeksha Srivastava, the lovely tune is composed by Yug Bhusal with Swapnil Tiwari’s lyrics that is a tribute to individuality and ones desires.