Ponniyin Selvan is one of the most expected movies directed by Maniratnam with the stellar casting led by Vikram, Karthik, Jayam Ravi, Trisha, and AishwaryaRai. Rahman composes music for the film. Though the sounds for the epic appear more modernized for its period, Rahman infuses more zest throughout the soundtrack with his nuances.

PonniNadhi:

PonniNadhi features a spectacular and grand percussion rhythm accompanied by a stupendous chorus 'TheeyaariEsamaari' . In a comparison , Kannada and Malayalam tracks featuring Nakhul Abhyankar and Alphons Joseph fared much better than Rahman's Vocals in Tamil. Ilango Krishnan did a nice job on Vandhiyadevan's journey in the Chola kingdom. Rahman fared much better with the interludes especially the second one with Balesh'sShehnai and the atmospheric river sounds.

Chola Chola:

Although CholaChola's melody is average from the composer, Ilango Krishnan's wordplay stands out, especially when the lyrics explain Nandini's character. As expected, Budapest Art Orchestra delivers a grand orchestral score. Satya Prakash, VM Mahalingam, and NakulAbhyankarace the song with their sprightly rendition.

Sol:

The female supremacy in the album starts with the short Sol sung by Rakshita Suresh and Krithika Nelson lyrics look like friendly banter between Kundhavai and Vaanathi characters. Rahman builds up the song with a minimal score and enjoyed the manner water sounds accompanied with the humming are used as a base rhythm throughout the song.

Alaikadal:

Rahman concocts the haunting melody for the Poonguzhali character in Alaikadal. AntaraNandy croons the track and the composer brilliantly develops the soundscape for the melancholy delivered with finesse by the singer backed by a compelling melody. Rahman kept the arrangements minimal except for the brief rousing string solos and allowed Antara to take the center stage throughout the track.

Raatchasa Maamaney:

RaatchasaMaamaney combines saccharine-coated Shreya Goshal vocals with punchy Palakkad Sreeram - Mahesh Vinayakram vocals. The track reaches a crescendo with back-and-forth vocal improvisations from the singers. Rahman filled the track with outlandish percussion sounds and gibberish chorus portions while Shreya aces the tune with her playful nuances. The ending of the track instantly reminds me of Kedakari's celebratory tone from Ravanan.

Deveralan Aattam:

Deveralan Aattam's first half is filled with Rahman's clever adaptation of Ilango Krishnan's lyrics into building up the monumental score backed by progressive percussions and chorus. Yogi Sekar enters the second half with style and the singer aces the tune with the rustic vocals as well as displays a tinge of sadness with his vocals even though the aggressive score is in the background.

Bottomlilne: Rahman's soundtrack for the epic Ponniyin Selvan stays true to the story's situations and matches the grandeur needed while the composer's brilliance is also evident in the melodies.

Rating: 3.5/5

Pick of the Album: Alai Kadal, RaatchasaMaamaney, Sol, PonniNadhi