Re-recording of Soorakkottai Singakutty - Part-2

It was a pleasant shock to me !

For any first timer it will look like a magic!

They call it rehearsals, but you can see that as more than prefect for a final take !

You see, none of them talked with each other. Yet the communication was full and perfection to the core!

Whom shall I praise ?

The hands that waved magic or the brain that created ?

Or the artists who understand the brain-wave of IR even without talking?

Or the skills of the artists who gave that complicated output to the utmost perfection in single go?

Entharo Mahaanu Baavulu ! Antharikku Vandhanamu!

It's pity, they call it rehearsals! And further go on trying to improvise that ! It was an amazing attempt to attain perfection!

Within few minutes I understood that, what is going on is a section-wise checking.

First violin, then the brass, then the rhythm etc individually tried for the composed piece! Though it looks nice individually, you can not understand what is there in store as a whole.

While doing that, IR individually pointed out to the concerned, wherever he wanted, some changes, corrections, improvements etc. Again these are some few words/terminology which I cannot understand, sometime even some hand signs, that’s all, the communication is over! Keyboard, guitar, flute section etc, were not even checked initially !

Then the screening started ! Now, came the shock of my life !

When IR waved his hands to the orchestral team, at appropriate time, each of the individual/group of instruments came in, joined the others and went silence whenever required as per the communication of the Master Conductor, IR!

Synchronous to the Core!

And thus formed the re-recording which fit into the screened film,
with their due emotions,

• matching the dialogues,
• matching each movement of the fighting scenes,
• the sudden silence [as IR cleverly anticipates that any of his music in this section of film will be a waste (like rolling of heavy vessels, sounds of heavy vehicles chasing etc. as usually happens in typical film sets of typical fighting scenes!)],
• extend the flute alaapanai, or extend the violin notes at same level etc, when the change of scenes and shots taking place !

Everything fit to the perfection and the recording is over and the screen goes blank !

This is what the so called rehearsal!

Again there is a controlled break and artists disappear from the hall for some time. And IR got into the Console room and sat in front of it with the Sound Engineer!

When the team re-assembles, this time the Conductor is somebody different!

Initially, all the sound levels of individual instruments track by track checked.

Then the same screening starts and everything flows as usual.

But when you are seeing everything going perfectly, suddenly, the whole thing is coming to screeching halt!

I realised later that, since I was inside the hall, some the instructions which are flowing from console room I was not able to listen but it was reaching the Conductor through his headphone and so, as per the instructions of IR, he cuts short the conducting and halt is made.

Again it started, and this time the progress was a little bit more and again it was halted forcibly!

Later I realized, these were the processes of what they call as “Takes”, and each time some improvisation is made as per the requirement of the recording engineer as well as the music director and the perfection is built step-by-step!

Many of us are in professional career and we also follow a lot of quality assurance plan! But I will tell you, the things that are going in any field of film technologies, in no way inferior in the efforts of assuring that quality one can dream of! We the film viewers are not aware/ conscious of such efforts and whatever we see as the final product make our harsh comments on that!

IR in that way has disciplined the music field a lot and introduced utmost professionalism to the core!

Once upon a time, one has to demand and get that, and now it’s a part of the package and what you do is further improvising !

In that regard, the whole lot of TFM and for that matter, the whole Indian film industry including Hindi, who are professionally engaging all our technical facilities, are indebted for ever to IR!

Some of you, who might have seen the climax of “Soorakkottai Singakkutty” may not agree with my above views and these may look like I am hyping or glorifying IR.

But the fact is, the efforts went on are real and absolutely truthful, and what is to be seen is, irrespective of the film, IR gives his best!

During that forenoon session, two more portions of films also completed with re-recording, which are again the fighting sequence.

You wont believe me, IR amazingly fit the re-recordings of two different portions of the Climax fighting scenes to these two portions and they were excellently fitting!

Many of us watching the movie may not be realising that the pieces are same unless, you record the audio separately and listen to that ! This trend I saw later in many of the other BGMs !

Then the whole group dispersed for lunch break.

And I stuck to the same hall ! Till the crew returned by 3PM or so!

When IR took his usual central hall position, he surveyed around the hall with his eyes. When his sight fall on me, it stopped with some kind of surprise!

He asked in a controlled tone and with sign language “Sappitaacha??” With utter emotions bursting inside me, without distrurbing the silence of that hall, with sign language, I told my first lie to IR, “Yes!”

In that few seconds exchange of unspoken words, all my disappointments of that day early morning vanished away in moments!

IR the Man, never changes!