Gemini (soundtrack)

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Gemini
Soundtrack album by
Bharadwaj
Released1 March 2002
Recorded2001–2002
GenreFeature film soundtrack
Length30:54
LanguageTamil
LabelFive Star Audio
Ayngaran Music
An Ak Audio
Star Music
Bharadwaj chronology
Roja Kootam
(2002) 		Gemini
(2002) 		Raajjiyam
(2002)

Gemini is the soundtrack album for the 2002 Tamil film of the same name directed by Saran and features music composed by Bharadwaj with lyrics by Vairamuthu. Since making his entry into Tamil films with Saran's directorial debut Kaadhal Mannan,[1] he has scored the music for most films directed by Saran.[2][3] The album features seven tracks; five songs and two alternate versions of the song. An eighth track; the alternate version of the song "O Podu" released, post the film's release.[4] The songs were well received by the audience and the track "O Podu", in particular, was a hit.[5][6] The soundtrack fetched two Filmfare Awards and two Cinema Express Awards.[7] Bharadwaj earned his first Filmfare Award for Best Music Director, along with Anuradha Sriram who received Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer – Tamil.[8] At the inaugural ceremony of International Tamil Film Awards held in Malaysia, Anuradha Sriram received ITFA Award for Best Female Playback Singer.[9]

Development[edit]

"O Podu" was a popular expression among college students in Tamil Nadu.[10] When the director wanted a catchphrase for a song, Vairamuthu suggested using the term and building on it. On the director's insistence, the term was then incorporated into and mixed with the title song, resulting in the item number "O Podu".[11][12] The song was conceived by AVM as a way of reaching out to the masses.[13] The track, picturised on Rani and Vikram and choreographed by Ashok Raja, was sung by Anuradha Sriram.[14][15][16][17] For the song, Vikram performed "savu koothu", a type of funeral dance common in Tamil Nadu.[18] The lyrics of "Deewana", sung by Sadhana Sargam, had some Hindi words as it was picturised on the heroine, a typical Marwari woman from Sowcarpet for whom Hindi comes naturally.[11] In an interview with The Hindu, Vairamuthu revealed that the track "Naattu Katta" was based on a folk song.[a] The song "Penoruthi" is inspired from "Why Me Lord" by Shaggy.[20]

Vikram, having already worked as a voice artist and singer, offered to sing his version of the song "O Podu" following the song's success, for which the producers agreed. According to Vikram, the song was recorded and filmed the same morning, and was added to the soundtrack album a month after its initial release. The film had been completed by then and the additional track was featured during the closing credits.[4] Initially, a small footage featuring Vikram and Kiran was sent to the cinemas for screening during the end credits. However, the audience were dissatisfied with the shortened version of the song and forced theatre owners to rewind the song and play it again. After receiving calls from distributors and theatre owners, the makers eventually sent the entire song.[4]

Track listing[edit]

No.TitleSinger(s)Length
1."Thala Keezha"Manikka Vinayagam4:10
2."Kaadhal Enbatha"Timothy2:56
3."Penn Oruthi"S. P. Balasubrahmanyam5:11
4."Deewana"Sadhana Sargam4:26
5."Kaadhal Enbatha – Sad"Bharadwaj1:16
6."O Podu"S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, Anuradha Sriram4:03
7."Naattu Katta"Shankar Mahadevan, Swarnalatha4:52

Reception[edit]

Critical response[edit]

The music received positive reviews from critics. Sify wrote that Bharadwaj's music was the film's only saving grace.[21] Writing for Rediff, Pearl stated that the music director was "impressive".[22] Malathi Rangarajan of The Hindu said that the song by Anuradha Sriram has given the term "O! Podu!", which has been part of the "local lingo" for years, a "new, crazy dimension".[23] The song enjoyed anthem-like popularity[24][25] and according to V. Paramesh, a dealer of film music for 23 years, sold like "hot cakes".[26] It earned Rani—on whom the song was picturised—the moniker "O Podu Rani".[27]

Sales and records[edit]

"We sold out a lakh [100,000] copies in one month. Only Rahman's music has got this kind of an opening before. Now, with the new song, it will sell another lakh before the release of the film."

 – S. Kalyan of Five Star Audio about the album sales.[4]

The album sold more than 100,000 cassettes even before the film released despite rampant piracy.[11][28][29] It was one of the biggest hits in Bharadwaj's career and earned him his first Filmfare Award.[10][30][31] In 2009, Mid-Day wrote, "O podu is still considered the cornerstone of the rambunctious koothu dance".[32] In 2011, The Times of India labelled the song an "evergreen hit number".[33] Following the internet phenomenon of "Why This Kolaveri Di" in 2011, "O Podu" was featured alongside "Appadi Podu", "Naaka Mukka" and "Ringa Ringa" in a small collection of South Indian songs that are considered a "national rage" in India.[34][35]

Criticisms[edit]

The music also attracted some unexpected reactions. The high-energy track "O Podu" drove youngsters insane; some resorted to violence, enraging villagers in Tamil Nadu and damaging public property in Malaysia for fun.[36][37] The lyrics by Vairamuthu, which are typically in pure Tamil, contained slang and words from other languages like "Deewana" (Hindi).[11][19] This departure was criticised by film journalist Sreedhar Pillai, who derided the lyrics of "O Podu" as "pure gibberish".[19] It was also blamed for starting a trend for vulgar and poor-quality lyrics,[38] and the song's picturisation attracted criticism. In an article that scrutinised and decried the high level of vulgarity depicted in south Indian films, Sudha G. Tilak of Tehelka wrote that hit tracks like "O Podu" were "obvious in their debauched suggestiveness".[39]

Accolades[edit]

Filmfare Awards South[40]

International Tamil Film Awards[41][9]

Cinema Express Awards[42][7]

  • Best Music Director – Bharadwaj
  • Best Playback Singer (Female) – Anuradha Sriram

Legacy[edit]

Following the song's success, Vikram was greeted everywhere with screams of "O Podu".[43][44] The success of the film prompted other film producers to capitalise on the growing popularity of the phrase "O Podu" and Vikram,[45] with the Telugu film Bava Nachadu (2001) was dubbed and released in Tamil as O Podu.[45] A game-based reality show for children, which was aired between 2003–2004, was titled "O Podu". AVM was involved in the show, which was produced by Vikatan Televistas and directed by Gerald. The show was broadcast for 26 weeks on Sun TV on Sundays with Raaghav as its anchor.[46][47] In September 2003, physical trainer Santosh Kumar played "O Podu" among a range of popular music as part of a dance aerobics session in a fitness camp held for the India national cricket team at Bangalore.[48]

During the run-up to the 2006 assembly election, Chennai-based journalist Gnani Sankaran began a social awareness movement to prevent electoral fraud and named it "O Podu" as a short form of "Oatu Podu" meaning "cast your vote".[49][50] The movement urged the electorate to exercise the right to reject candidates under Section 49-O of The Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, wherein a voter, who has decided not to vote for anyone, can record the fact.[51] For this purpose, the people behind "O Podu" also urged the election commission to facilitate a separate button on the electronic voting machine.[51] During the 2010 Asia Cup, a Sri Lankan band performed "O Podu" at the India vs. Pakistan cricket match held in Dambulla.[52] In July 2011, Vikram inaugurated "Liver 4 Life", an initiative launched by MIOT Hospitals to create awareness of the Hepatitis B virus. As the campaign was targeted at school and college students, the organisers tweaked the term "O Podu" into "B Podu" and made it the event's tagline to capitalise on the song's immense appeal.[24][53]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ The claim by Vairamuthu does not mention the name of the song on which "Naattu Katta" is based.[19]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Nikhil Raghavan (11 January 2010). "In tune with the times". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 6 June 2014.
  2. ^ Nikhil Raghavan (25 February 2013). "Bharadwaj is back". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 6 June 2014.
  3. ^ "Saran teams up with Vinay again". The Times of India. TNN. 14 December 2012. Archived from the original on 6 June 2014.
  4. ^ a b c d Sudhish Kamath (31 March 2002). "'Gemini' already a hit!". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 6 June 2014.
  5. ^ AR. Meyyammai (26 June 2002). "June Dhamaka". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 6 June 2014.
  6. ^ Vijay Kumar S (2 July 2002). "A fair musical treat". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 6 June 2014.
  7. ^ a b "'Kannathil Muthamittal' bags 6 Cinema Express awards". The Hindu. 22 December 2002. Archived from the original on 7 June 2014.
  8. ^ "Ajith Simran bag Filmfare awards". The Times of India. 17 May 2003. Archived from the original on 3 December 2017. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
  9. ^ a b S.R. Ashok Kumar (31 October 2003). "ITFA ceremony in Malaysia". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 7 June 2014.
  10. ^ a b Shobha Warrier (16 January 2003). "People started calling me 'O Podu' Bharadwaj". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 6 June 2014.
  11. ^ a b c d Sreedhar Pillai (16 April 2002). "Tuned to success". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 6 June 2014.
  12. ^ Sreedhar Pillai (10 January 2003). "It is the package that ultimately matters". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 6 June 2014.
  13. ^ S.R. Ashok Kumar (30 April 2004). "Plastic Peralagan". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 20 October 2014.
  14. ^ S.R. Ashok Kumar (12 April 2002). "Ushering in the new year". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 6 June 2014.
  15. ^ S.R. Ashok Kumar (22 October 2011). "Best foot forward". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 20 October 2014.
  16. ^ S. R. Ashok Kumar (10 October 2008). "Grill mill". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 6 June 2014.
  17. ^ Malathi Rangarajan (25 November 2005). "Overseas stint". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 6 June 2014.
  18. ^ Sreedhar Pillai (30 April 2002). "Hat-trick hero". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 6 June 2014.
  19. ^ a b c Sreedhar Pillai (18 June 2002). "In love with lyrics". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 7 June 2014.
  20. ^ S, Karthik. "Tamil [Other Composers]". ItwoFS. Archived from the original on 22 May 2019. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  21. ^ "Movie Review : Gemini". Sify. Archived from the original on 7 June 2014.
  22. ^ Pearl (26 April 2002). "Vikram chews paan, excels". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 7 June 2014.
  23. ^ Malathi Rangarajan (19 April 2002). "Gemini". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 7 June 2014.
  24. ^ a b "Campaign to create awareness of Hepatitis B virus launched". The Hindu. 31 July 2011. Archived from the original on 1 July 2014.
  25. ^ Malathi Rangarajan; S. R. Ashok Kumar (31 May 2002). "Quite a challenge". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 6 June 2014.
  26. ^ K Jeshi (10 September 2005). "So, what's your kind of music?". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 6 June 2014.
  27. ^ S. R. Ashok Kumar (1 November 2002). "Adding glamour to Deepavali: Karthik's Game". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 30 June 2014.
  28. ^ Shobha Warrier (22 April 2002). "Gemini strikes gold at the Tamil marquee". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 6 June 2014.
  29. ^ Malathi Rangarajan; S. R. Ashok Kumar (3 May 2002). "In a new arena: Piracy". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 6 June 2014.
  30. ^ "Time for awards". The Hindu. 21 May 2003. Archived from the original on 7 June 2014.
  31. ^ "Manikchand Filmfare Awards in Hyderabad". The Times of India. 19 May 2003. Archived from the original on 6 June 2014.
  32. ^ "Vikram turns crooner for Kandhasamy". Mid-Day. 9 February 2009. Archived from the original on 7 July 2014.
  33. ^ "Get that southern sizzle". The Times of India. TNN. 24 March 2011. Archived from the original on 20 October 2014.
  34. ^ M Suganth (24 November 2011). "Why south songs are a national rage..." The Times of India. TNN. Archived from the original on 28 June 2014.
  35. ^ M Suganth (25 November 2011). "Very, Very Kolaveri!". The Times of India. p. 23. Archived from the original on 28 June 2014.
  36. ^ Sreedhar Pillai (23 January 2003). "New number one". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 20 October 2014.
  37. ^ "'O Podu' ripples". The Hindu. 24 May 2002. Archived from the original on 7 June 2014.
  38. ^ "Offensive lyrics sell music". Indiaglitz. 1 September 2004. Archived from the original on 7 June 2014.
  39. ^ Sudha G. Tilak. "The shape of love in the south". Tehelka. Archived from the original on 20 October 2014.
  40. ^ "Manikchand Filmfare Awards: Sizzling at 50". The Economic Times. 25 May 2003. Archived from the original on 3 September 2013.
  41. ^ "International Tamil Film Awards 2003 (Malaysia)". The Hindu. 31 October 2003. Archived from the original on 7 June 2014.
  42. ^ Sudhish Kamath (23 December 2002). "A sombre starry night". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 7 June 2014.
  43. ^ Malathi Rangarajan; S. R. Ashok Kumar (17 May 2002). "A shot in the arm". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 7 June 2014.
  44. ^ Chitra Mahesh (31 May 2002). "I want to strike a balance". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 7 June 2014.
  45. ^ a b "An O-Podu season for Vikram and Kiran". The Hindu. 8 June 2002. Archived from the original on 26 November 2002.
  46. ^ "O... Podu". The Hindu. 1 August 2003. Archived from the original on 7 June 2014.
  47. ^ Malathi Rangarajan (31 January 2004). "Here, there, everywhere". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 7 June 2014.
  48. ^ M. D. Riti (9 September 2003). "Probables shape up with fun and dance". Rediff. Archived from the original on 20 October 2014.
  49. ^ K Raghu (18 April 2006). "Serious! You can really reject a candidate". Daily News and Analysis. Archived from the original on 7 June 2014.
  50. ^ "'O Podu' is a social awareness movement". Gnani Sankaran. 1 October 2010.
  51. ^ a b G. C. Shekhar (8 May 2006). "Wanna reject all candidates? Press O button". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 9 November 2013.
  52. ^ Siddarth Ravindran (19 June 2010). "A face-off but no slip-ups". ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 21 April 2014.
  53. ^ "ஓ போட்ட விக்ரம் பி போட சொல்கிறார்!! (O Podu Vikram calls for B Podu!!)". Dinamalar (in Tamil). 1 August 2011. Archived from the original on 7 June 2014.
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