Satrangi…Only You… now Fanah!
The fact that AR Rahman has sold a cumulative 20 million plus records is common knowledge. The fact that (together with Sachin and Bachchan) Rahman now carries the India brand on his shoulders is something we all have come to be proud of. But the fact the occasional song from his stable is nothing but divinely inspired is not well recognized.
Dilip Kumar became AR Rahman after much family tragedy. And that pain and the metaphysical effects that severe loss and tragedy brings is reflected in his music – and in a way that the audience is able to relate to.
Depending on whether or not one counts Thee Thee from Thiruda Thiruda,
Satrangi (in Dil Se) was one of the first songs that carried a clear Sufi bent, combined with enchantingly metaphysical lyrics (seven layers of being et al). Then came Only You in Vande Mataram, which was dedicated to the Sufi saint who became Rahman’s support during their tough times.
And now, Fanah! Notwithstanding a techno beginning in the first 30 seconds, this song could only have been inspired from sources not easily traceable in our daily lives (birds, sunshine, a face)… the last 30 seconds almost seem taken directly from a pain, from a suffering.
Another common thread in these songs is the separation from lyrics, the separation from rhythm in the last parts and the outpouring of music almost in an unadulterated form.
There is little doubt that ARR swims in worlds out of our own to come up with these occasional pieces. Come May 21, India will swim in an ocean of Fanah!
kirukkal.com 
12 responses to “Guest Blog 2 – Anand Chandrasekharan”
I looked up “fanaa” on the internet and it means “annihilation.”
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You are right ravi, Fanaa or Fanah means total destruction in urdu as told by my muslim friends.
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Can anybody give some more insight on using word Fanah in that song…Fanah,i too got the meaning as Annihilation in my search.What’s the connection with a song that describes greatness of love?.But that one won’t be answered in the movie i think,As it seems now,( in the trailers) Mani has wasted such a song as a Discotheque track.Lol.Sid and Trish gyrating for Fanaa amidst flashy lights…it will be pathetic.
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i’ve been thinking the same since i hear fanaah. It’s true that fanah will go unnoticed in those neon lighted discotheque lights.
even vellai pookal from kannathil muthamittal had the same treatment.
fanah word has been used not for us to dig too deeper into the meaning. it’s just used for the heck. i think because it doesn’t make any sense in a tamil song.
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Yeah,Lazy agreed.But Vellai pookal set the right mood for watching the movie which is filled with pain,yearnings and longings of a girl for peace & her biological mother.I thought it was great that Mani left the track without visuals and made us to imagine the brilliant world created by Rahman’s ballad with VairaMuthu’s haunting lyrics.
Ok,if u got something more on Fanah,jus share it dude.
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Thalaiva… I thought Only You came before Satrangi… anyways, One more inclusion could be Noor Ul Ala Noor. awesome lyrics by MFH. Sadly removed from theaters.
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Thalaiva… I thought Only You came before Satrangi… anyways, One more inclusion could be Noor Ul Ala Noor. awesome lyrics by MFH. Sadly removed from theaters.
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Yeah,’Only you’ came first ,Vande matharam got released in 1997(coinciding with our nation’s 50th year of independence).Dil se (Satrangi re) was released only on 1999.
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Thanks anti and manoj for pointing this out. Being out of India for a few years tends to lead to a time freeze sometimes. Your clarification is appreciated.
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the more i listen this song the more it amazes me, the music more than anything. The transitions, the folk bit at the end..everything about the song is just amazing.
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Sujay – a follow up post on Fanah is up today, would love your comments.
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