CHENNAI: If you’re a Rajinikanth fan, you don’t want to miss out on this. As a tribute to the Superstar on his birthday, El Fe, a city-based vocal group has released a music video with, covering songs across the decades. And the mashup of favourites - covering tunes from Thillu Mullu to Sivaji - has seen close to a 1,500 views since it was posted, on the morning of December 12.
Remember, unlike most years where there are mass celebrations around the city with poojas and great pomp - the Superstar himself called off celebrations for his 65th birthday, and asked that all efforts be put into flood relief at this time. And so in light of that, this six-minute wave of nostalgia certainly brought fans a little cheer.
Maria Roe Vincent, who founded the group and whose vocal arrangements have been used in popular films like Kadal and Million Dollar Arm, says the whole project happened very quickly. “It took about a day to shoot and between 15 crazy Rajini fans, it took us all of five minutes to pick our songs,” she recalls.
Directed by Sabarish Nanda, the video features songs like Thillu Mullu (Thillu Mullu), Stylu Stylu Thaan (Baasha), Thilaana and Oruvan Oruvan Muthali (Muthu), Oh Kikku Eruthae (Padayappa) and Athiredi (Sivaji). And unlike the original Kollywood tracks which have elaborate instrument arrangements backing the singers, what sets this group apart is that they are known primarily for their choral arrangements.
“So we put the focus completely on our harmonies,” smiles Maria, and adds, “The only instrument we used to set the tone of each song was a keyboard.”
Another highlight to watch out for in the video is a wall of graffiti artwork portraying the Superstar created by the singers themselves. “We had some animators in the group so we thought why not?” Maria relates. Designed by Sreenivas P V and Sheryl Suraj, the artwork shows Rajini in signature ‘Padayappa’ style, complete with sunglasses and puffing away on a cigarette. “It took 10 people over 12 hours to complete, longer than our entire day of shooting!” Maria shares with a laugh.