Kilimanjaro (song)

"Kilimanjaro" is a Tamil song from the 2010 film Enthiran, directed by S. Shankar. The song was composed by A. R. Rahman, lyrics penned by Pa.Vijay and sung by Javed Ali and Chinmayi. The Hindi and Telugu version of the song have lyrics respectively written by Swanand Kirkire and Bhuvana Chandra. The song, based on the raga Karaharapriya, is reputed for its use of tribal beats with a catchy chorus and with various musical experiments.[1] Song shooting took place in Machu Picchu in Peru.

This article is about Tamil-language song composed by A. R. Rahman and used in Indian Enthiran. For French-language song by Pascal Danel, see Kilimandjaro (song).

For other uses, see Kilimanjaro (disambiguation).

"Kilimanjaro"
Cover
Song by A. R. Rahman (composer) and Javed Ali, Chinmayi (singers)
from the album Enthiran (soundtrack)
Released	31 July 2010
Recorded	2010 Panchathan Record Inn, Chennai
Genre	Feature film soundtrack
Length	5:32
Label	Think Music
Songwriter(s)	A. R. Rahman (music), Pa.Vijay (lyrics)
Producer(s)	A. R. Rahman

Music structure and lyrics

The song has been composed on raga Karaharapriya. The song features African tribal percussions created by multiple Octapads and vocals, which well suits the song situation. It is sung by noted duo Javed Ali and Chinmayi in all the three versions. Singer Chinmayi, who worked with the trio (Rahman, Sankar and Rajinikanth) in the song "Sahana", said it was "a Dream Come True" to sing again for Rajinikanth.[2] The additional vocal arrangements of the song is done by Clinton Cerejo.

The original title of the song is retained in all the three versions. The words "Kilimanjaro", "Mohenjo-daro" etc., originally included by Pa. Vijay, appears in all the versions.

Release and reception

The song was released as part of the soundtrack album of the film on 31 July 2010. The song topped the country charts, holding the #1 position for many continuous weeks.[3][4] It topped Tamil film music charts for over five months.[5]

The audio along with the entire soundtrack, broke several records in the Indian music industry, testified by its chart positions and digital downloads. It is often praised to be having the "usual Rahman touch".[6]

Music video

The song is picturised on Rajinikanth and Aishwarya Rai singing a duet with a host of tribal dancers in the background and prompts laughter and humor due to funny costumes and cinematography of the song. The song sequence was filmed at Machu Picchu in Peru, making it the first Indian video to be picturised from the protected heritage site.[7] According to official sources, there were interventions from the Indian government to grant permission for the shooting, which was denied even for many international projects like Quantum of Solace.[7][8] It was choreographed by Raju Sundaram, brother of Prabhudeva, who choreographed many other songs in the film.

It was the most expensive Indian music video up until then, costing ₹4 crore[9] ($875,000),[10] equivalent to $1,026,000 (₹7.02 crore) adjusted for inflation.

Other versions

The film is parodied in the film Oru Kal Oru Kannadi (2012) in the song "Kaadhal Oru" with Udhayanidhi Stalin and Hansika Motwani. In the Telugu film Nuvva Nena, the song is parodied with Brahmanandam and Kovai Sarala.

Awards and nominations

Won

• 2010: Mirchi Music Award for Best Female Playback Singer - Tamil - Chinmayi
• 2010: CSK Academy Of Motion Picture Arts & Science Award for Best Female Playback Singer - Chinmayi [11]
• 2010: MGR Sivaji Academy Award for Best Female Playback Singer - Chinmayi [12]
• 2010: Vijay Music Award for Popular Female Playback Singer - Chinmayi [13]
• 2010: Vijay Music Award for Popular Song of the year[14]
• 2010: Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Female Playback

Nominations

• 2010: Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer – Tamil - Chinmayi
• 2010: Vijay Award for Best Female Playback Singer - Chinmayi

References

1. Behindwoods Review
2. http://www.planetbollywood.com/displayArticle.php?id=n100810012220
3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 19 November 2010. Retrieved 7 November 2010.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2 November 2010. Retrieved 7 November 2010.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
5. "Who is topping the charts in K'wood?". Sify. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
6. "A phenomenon called Rajini!". The Times Of India. 1 October 2010.
7. "Endhiran The Robot : First Indian movie to shoot at Machu Pichu". One India. Retrieved 11 October 2010.
8. "Enthiran beats James Bond". Behindwoods. Retrieved 24 August 2010.
9. "Here Are The 12 Most Expensive Songs Ever Made In Bollywood". UC News. 19 May 2018.
10. "Official exchange rate (LCU per US$, period average)". World Bank. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
11. "தமிழ் திரைப்பட விருதுகள் : 2010". WriterCSK. 25 December 2010. Retrieved 20 August 2011.
12. seeucom (3 January 2011). "Enthiran was awarded the best commercial film of the year in MGR-Sivaji Awards". Tamilmoviestar.com. Archived from the original on 30 August 2011. Retrieved 20 August 2011.
13. "Arts / Cinema : Rhythmic ripples of 'Mellisai' mark function". Chennai, India: The Hindu. 12 May 2011. Retrieved 20 August 2011.
14. http://www.hindu.com/2011/05/12/stories/2011051260290200.htm

External links