Billa (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | ||||
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Soundtrack album by | ||||
Released | 21 November 2007 | |||
Recorded | 2007 | |||
Genre | Feature film soundtrack | |||
Length | 24:30 | |||
Language | Tamil | |||
Label |
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Producer | Yuvan Shankar Raja | |||
Yuvan Shankar Raja chronology | ||||
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Billa (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack album to the 2007 film of the same name directed by Vishnuvardhan starring Ajith Kumar, Nayanthara and Namitha. It is a remake of the eponymous 1980 Tamil film which itself is based on the Hindi film Don (1978). Yuvan Shankar Raja composed the musical score and soundtrack with the lyrics written by Pa. Vijay. The soundtrack consisted of two songs from the original counterpart remixed for the film, three original songs and a theme music. It was released on 21 November 2007 to critical and commercial success.
"Billa has become the most expected movie after Sivaji. I could see that from the day the film was announced. When Vishnu [Vardhan] came and told me that he was directing Billa, and that Ajith would be Billa, I could sense something very big was coming. But I didn't expect this film turning out to be this big."
Vishnuvardhan renewed his association with Yuvan Shankar Raja—who worked together in Kurumbu (2003), Arinthum Ariyamalum (2005) and Pattiyal (2006)—for the music of Billa, which was the second time Yuvan had scored an Ajith-starrer since Dheena (2001). [2] [3] The original counterpart was a huge success upon its release in 1980, so as M. S. Viswanathan's compositions for the film which offered him a huge responsibility to the composer. As the film had humongous expectations, he found it "exciting" to work on the album. [1]
Yuvan wanted the music to sound "very modern, very metallica" and refrained using live sounds. [1] Keeping the tone of the film in his mind, Yuvan developed the use of modernistic and funky sounds while working on the film as he felt that "I should enjoy while working on a track and I should feel like listening to it again. This is what I kept in my mind." [1] Yuvan tuned the songs in Malaysia where the film was shot, and used the sounds from that location in order to match the film's tonality. [1]
Yuvan remixed two songs from the 1980 film: "My Name is Billa" and "Vethalaiya Potendi". [3] He described it difficult to remix a popular song as he felt that he should not spoil the essence of the original version. Despite that, he produced a modernistic sound for the remix which was being "more trendy and plastic". [1] The original lyrics of the songs written by poet Kannadasan kept intact as well as new lyrics written by Pa. Vijay. [3]
The song "Sei Yedhavathu Sei" had an Arabic style which was mixed with Indian classical music. [1] "Naan Meendum" had a gospel choir and was sung by newcomer Deepika. For the album, Yuvan retained the same set of singers who were used in the previous Vishnuvardhan films which includes Shankar Mahadevan, Vijay Yesudas, KK, Neha Bhasin, Preethi Balla. [1]
Yuvan reused some bits of the background music from his previous ventures— Kedi and Vallavan (both 2006)—for the film. The instrumental piece used in the background of "Vallava Ennai Vellava" which utilized drumbeats and metallic percussions, were incorporated in the theme music. [3]
The soundtrack was highly anticipated amongst trade circles. The album had a soft launch on 21 November 2007 with Rajinikanth (who starred in the original film) released the audio CD at his residence in Poes Garden, Chennai. [4] A formal launch event was held at the Residency Towers Hotel in Chennai on 25 November, with Ajith, Yuvan, Vishnuvardhan, Rahman and Prabhu in attendance. [4]
The album received positive reviews from critics. Pavithra Srinivasan from Rediff gave it four out of five and wrote: "Yuvan Shankar Raja has etched an intricate musical feast to complement the tale – and quite a feast it's turned out to be, a la the original". [5] A reviewer from Indiaglitz.com wrote that the track was a "masterly work from young Yuvan... [which]... takes us to a different world". [6] Venkat from Behindwoods wrote that it was the "soul of the film" which "stands out as the highlight of the album, giving that eerie feel required of a film about a don" and an "interesting composition with arrangements that spell international quality". [7] Revathi of Kalki also praised Yuvan's music in her review. [8]
However, Karthik Srinivasan of Milliblog stated that "Given Vishnuvardhan's past success with Yuvan’s music, it’s surprising that a large part of Billa’s music is rather mediocre." [9] A critic from Sify complimented the title track and theme music, as one of the film's highlights but felt that the songs "fall flat". The review added "My Name is Billa" as "no patch on the original and lacks its fervor" while praised "Vethalaiya Pottendi" and "Seval Kodi" for its beats, vocals and picturization. [10]
The album achieved record audio sales with Sify reporting that it took the "best ever audio opening" for an Ajith film and the second highest opening day sales recorded for the year after Sivaji: The Boss (2007). [11] Nearly 22,000 CDs and cassettes were said to be sold out by the first day evening all over Tamil Nadu. [11] A spokesperson from Ayngaran Music stated: "We never expected such a fantastic audio opening at a time when generally audio sales are down." [11]
After the audio release, the songs "My Name is Billa" and "Seval Kodi" and the theme music emerged popularity amongst listeners and audience. [12] The music was instrumental in the film's success. [13] "Seval Kodi" was mentioned by The Times of India , as one among five Tamil songs that celebrated Tamil culture, as its lyrics "described the superior power of Tamil's god Murugan". [14] The theme music was altered in the prequel Billa II (2012) by Yuvan. [15]
All lyrics are written by Pa. Vijay
No. | Title | Artist(s) | Length |
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1. | "My Name Is Billa" | Naveen, KK | 3:54 |
2. | "Naan Meendum" | Deepika | 4:46 |
3. | "Sei Yedhavathu Sei" | Neha Bhasin, Preethi Balla | 4:50 |
4. | "Seval Kodi" | Vijay Yesudas | 4:53 |
5. | "Vethalaiya Potendi" | Shankar Mahadevan | 4:23 |
6. | "Theme Music" | Instrumental | 1:44 |
Total length: | 24:30 |
Abdul Haliq is an Indian composer and playback singer, who continues to use his birth name professionally. He mainly scores music for Tamil films along with few Telugu, Kannada, and Hindi films. Considered a versatile composer, he is particularly known for his use of Western music elements and often credited with having introduced hip hop to the Tamil film and music industry and started the "era of remixes" in Tamil Nadu which included mixed EDM and jazz. He is frequently referred to as the "BGM King" and the "Young Maestro" of Tamil Film Music. Yuvan has won two Filmfare Awards South, five Mirchi Music Awards South, three Vijay Awards and two Tamil Nadu State Film Awards.
Arinthum Ariyamalum is a 2005 Indian Tamil-language crime action film written and directed by Vishnuvardhan. It stars Navdeep, Prakash Raj, and newcomers Arya and Sameksha, while Adithya, Sangili Murugan, Krishna, and Yog Japee play pivotal roles. The film's music was composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja. "Punnagai Poo" Gheetha, a RJ at a Malaysian radio station THR Raaga, produced the film.
Billa is a 2007 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film directed by Vishnuvardhan. It is a remake of the 1980 film of the same name starring Rajnikanth, which itself is a remake of 1978 Hindi film Don, starring Amitabh Bachchan. The film stars Ajith Kumar who plays a double role as an underworld don and his friendly look-alike alongside Nayanthara and Namitha, while Prabhu, Rahman, Adithya Menon, and Santhanam playing supporting roles. It is produced by L. Suresh and Abdurrahman M while featuring a score and soundtrack by Yuvan Shankar Raja, cinematography by Nirav Shah and editing by A. Sreekar Prasad.
Paruthiveeran is a 2007 Indian Tamil-language romantic action drama film written and directed by Ameer. The film stars Karthi in his feature film debut as the title character, with Priyamani as the female lead and Ponvannan, Saravanan, Ganja Karuppu, Sampath Raj, and Sujatha Sivakumar playing supporting roles. Produced by Ameer, it features a soundtrack and score composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja, cinematograhy by Ramji and editing by Raja Mohammad.
Silambattam is a 2008 Indian Tamil-language masala film written and directed by cinematographer-turned-director S. Saravanan, making his directorial debut. The film stars Silambarasan in a dual roles as a father and son while Sana Khan, Sneha and Prabhu play lead roles with Kishore as the antagonist. Santhanam, Nedumudi Venu and Ponvannan play supporting roles with Premji Amaren in a special appearance. Yuvan Shankar Raja composed the film's background score and soundtrack. In the film, Vichu, a young priest, is raised by his grandfather. When an unruly incident occurs in the temple premises, he is forced to reveal his true identity and a secret from his past.
Aegan is a 2008 Indian Tamil-language masala film directed by Raju Sundaram and produced by Ayngaran International. The film, which is loosely based on Main Hoon Na, stars Ajith Kumar and Nayanthara, alongside Jayaram, Suman, Nassar, Navdeep and Piaa Bajpai. The music was composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja, while cinematography and editing were handled by Arjun Jena and V. T. Vijayan. In the film, Shiva, a CB-CID officer, embarks on a covert mission to protect the daughter of a fugitive by posing as a college student.
Sarvam (transl. Everything) is a 2009 Indian Tamil romantic psychological thriller film co-written and directed by Vishnuvardhan. It stars Arya and Indrajith in the lead roles, while J. D. Chakravarthy, Prathap Pothan, and Trisha play prominent supporting roles. The film, which had been under production since late 2006, was produced and distributed by K. Karunamoorthy and C. Arunpandian under the banner of Ayngaran International Films. It was filmed by Nirav Shah and edited by Sreekar Prasad. The film's soundtrack, composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja, was released on 14 February 2009, coinciding with Valentine's Day.
Kadhal 2 Kalyanam is an unreleased Tamil-language romantic comedy film directed by newcomer Milind Rau that stars debutante Sathya, brother of Tamil actor Arya, and Ramya, whilst, Jayashree, Nagendra Prasad, Kasthuri and Anuja Iyer play pivotal roles. Noted film critic Baradwaj Rangan had written the dialogues, while Yuvan Shankar Raja composed the film's score and soundtrack. The cinematography and editing were handled by P. S. Vinod and Leo John Paul, respectively. Pre-production works began by mid-2008, while the filming continued for over one year, being completed by July 2010. The film was jointly produced by Mirchi Movies and East Coast Entertainment, who are now not in the film-making business. Hence the movie remains unreleased.
Aasal is a 2010 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film directed by Saran. The film stars Ajith Kumar in a dual lead role, who also co-wrote the film's script, while Sameera Reddy and Bhavana play the lead female roles. The film has an ensemble cast, with Prabhu, Pradeep Rawat, Sampath Raj and Rajiv Krishna playing prominent roles, among others. The film, produced by Prabhu of Sivaji Productions, features music primarily composed by Bharadwaj, cinematography by Prashanth D. Misale and editing by Anthony Gonsalves.
Yuvan – Live in Concert is a concert by Indian musician Yuvan Shankar Raja. The concert, Yuvan's second in his career, took place on Pongal, 16 January 2011 at the YMCA Grounds, Nandanam, Chennai. Following the announcement, popular Tamil television STAR Vijay agreed to collaborate, sponsoring, organising and marketing the concert, while airing a special television series about Yuvan Shankar Raja, with family members and prominent celebrities closely associated to him participating, besides producing a promotional music video, titled "I'll be there for you". The five-hour show, which was attended by 20,000 people, including several noted film personalities, was received very positively and considered a highly successful event. The concert was aired on 11 and 12 February, Friday and Saturday at 2000 hrs on Vijay TV.
Billa II is a 2012 Indian Tamil-language action film directed and co-written by Chakri Toleti. It is a prequel to Billa and the film was set at the ending of late 1990s. The story focuses on how David Billa, an ordinary man from the coastal regions of Sri Lanka, becomes a dreaded underworld don. The film stars Ajith Kumar reprising the role of the titular character, leading an ensemble cast including Vidyut Jammwal, Parvathy Omanakuttan, Bruna Abdullah, Yog Japee, Rohit Khurana, Manoj K. Jayan, Sudhanshu Pandey, Dinesh Lamba, Krishna Kumar, Sricharan, Janaki Sabesh, Madhusudhan Rao and Rahman. The film's soundtrack and background score were composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja, while R. D. Rajasekhar handled the cinematography and Suresh Urs worked as the editor.
Mankatha is the soundtrack album, composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja, to the 2011 film of the same name, directed by Venkat Prabhu starring Ajith Kumar. The album features eight tracks, with lyrics penned by Vaali, Gangai Amaran, and Niranjan Bharathi. Following a number of postponements, it was finally released on 10 August 2011 by Sony Music India.
Billa II is the soundtrack album, composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja, for the 2012 film of the same name, directed by Chakri Toleti that stars Ajith Kumar as the title character. The album consists of six tracks; five songs and a theme music track. Na. Muthukumar penned all lyrics for the songs.
Arrambam is the soundtrack album, composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja, to the 2013 film of the same name, directed by Vishnuvardhan starring Ajith Kumar, Arya, Nayantara and Taapsee Pannu. The album consists of six tracks. Pa. Vijay penned all lyrics for the songs. It was released on 19 September 2013. The album opened at number one on iTunes India within a few minutes after its release at midnight, which, according to Sify, "no Tamil album has done before".
Viswasam is the soundtrack album composed by D. Imman for the Indian Tamil-language action drama film of the same name directed by Siva, starring Ajith Kumar and produced by Sendhil Thyagarajan and Arjun Thyagarajan of Sathya Jyothi Films. The film was initially announced with Yuvan Shankar Raja as the composer, who left the project citing schedule conflicts and several other composers were rumoured to score music before the team approached Imman as the music director. This film marked Imman's first collaboration with Ajith Kumar and Siva.
Sarvam is the soundtrack album for the 2009 Indian Tamil-language romantic thriller film of the same name starring Arya and Trisha directed by Vishnuvardhan. The film score and the soundtrack were composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja, who renewed his previous association with Vishnuvardhan, for whom he had earlier created successful musical albums in Arinthum Ariyamalum (2005), Pattiyal (2006) and Billa (2007). The album featuring five songs had lyrics written by Pa. Vijay, which released on 14 February 2009 to positive response.
Valimai is the soundtrack album composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja for the 2022 Tamil-language action thriller film of the same name, directed by H. Vinoth. Produced by Boney Kapoor under Bayview Projects LLP and Zee Studios, starring Ajith Kumar. The soundtrack album featured five songs written by Vignesh Shivan, Thamarai and Arivu and released by Sony Music India on New Year's Day.
Peranbu (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack album to the 2019 film of the same name directed by Ram and produced by P. L. Thenappan starring Mammootty and Anjali. The film's soundtrack is composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja with lyrics written by Vairamuthu, Sumathy Ram and Karunakaran. The soundtrack was released under the Saregama record label on 15 July 2018 to positive reviews from critics and Yuvan won the Ananda Vikatan Cinema Award for Best Music Director and was nominated for the SIIMA Award for Best Music Director.
Naan Mahaan Alla (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack album to the 2010 film Naan Mahaan Alla directed by Suseenthiran and produced by Studio Green, starring Karthi, Kajal Aggarwal, Jayaprakash and Soori. The soundtrack album featured five songs composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja and lyrics written by Na. Muthukumar and Yugabharathi, and was released through the Think Music label on 24 July 2010.
Chennai 600028 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack album to the 2007 film of the same name directed by Venkat Prabhu in his directorial debut. The album featured nine songs composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja and arranged by Premgi Amaren who also composed the film score; lyrics for the songs were written by Gangai Amaran, Vaali and Yuvan himself. The soundtrack was released twice: first in India on 19 February 2007, followed by a release in Singapore and Malaysia four days later. The album was a critical and commercial success, with the songs achieving popularity amongst listeners.