After his highly plagiarised Pazhani, one could approach music composer Srikanth Deva's output in the Tamil film, Thotta only with trepidation. Though there is a heard-before feel in Thotta, they are not as glaring as in Pazhani.
And while Deva has come out with a better fare in Thotta, there is nothing exceptional about the album.
Thotta has Nan Avan Illai fame Jeevan paired with Priyamani, the girl who wowed the audience in Paruthiveeran, in lead roles. Selva whose forte is action films has wielded the megaphone while Pa Vijay and Pazhanibharathi share the honours for the lyrical content.
The album kicks off with the hot number Anbe vaa by Tanvi and Gopalsarma. The track starts with the English lines "love is life & life is love'. It is a racy piece in Rock & Roll style with the singers at their fiery best. Pazhanibharathi's lyrics comparing women to ice cream with the option to choose the preferred flavour is mediocre, to say the least. The track has the remixed couplet Kumari pennin ullathile from the MGR film Enga veettu pillai and the dejavu-creating "Hallo hallo". It creates an unstructured and superficial feel.
Mugam poo by Naresh Iyer and Chinmayi is a melodious love ditty with a pensive touch. The play with alliterative words and the floral imagery throughout make the lyrics of Pa Vijay fascinating. Instrumentation with flute and nagaswaram forays negotiated facilely with the accompanying mridangam beats and the violin interlude are the other highlights of this enjoyable track
The gana piece Sami Aduda is loud and noisy with cacophonic thumping of the drums and chorus as in old Hindi films style. With frenzied rendition by Ashith, Senthildas and Suchithra Raman in typical colloquial Tamil accent, Pazhanibharathi's lyrics, which have a tongue-in-cheek irreverence and erotic tinge in places, the song may find favour with the front benchers and on dance floors. Though pedestrian, this number is repeated later in the album.
Jaidev and Sangeetha have handled Vendum vendum with ease. Pa Vijay's lyrics are meaningful and full of sentiment and passion. Appealing vocals and impressive orchestra, captivating rhythm especially in the interludes and good imagery are the other high points. The number with rhythm and tune complimenting each other ends in a catchy chorus.
Adding a theme piece has become a fetish with the Tamil film music composers. Srikanth Deva also follows the trodden path. The theme here is in a racy and fiery style with vigorous drumbeats. Perhaps it is meant to be synonymous with the volatile nature of the story and the film's title Thotta (Bullet).
The composer himself joins Janani and Ashith to render the concluding piece, Va va mappilai. Pazhanibharathi's lyrics are suggestive. The instrumental interlude again creates a vague sense of deja vu. Rapid drum beats, good rhythm and accelerated rendition towards the end make up this racy piece.
Srikanth Deva's music in Thotta just breezes past you with no lingering quality.
Rediff Verdict: