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Duet (film)
Encyclopedia
Duet is a 1994 Tamil
musical film
directed by K. Balachander
, starring Prabhu
, Meenakshi Seshadri
, Ramesh Aravind
and Prakashraj. The film's score
and soundtrack
is composed by A. R. Rahman
. Duets score is centred around the saxophone
.
" by Edmond Rostand
.
The plot is triangular love story about a new generation of musicians who are also brothers (Prabhu Ganesan
, Ramesh Aravind
). One is an eminent saxophonist and the other is an accomplished singer. Incidentally, both of them fall for a single female (Meenakshi Sheshadri) who's an avid music lover and a choreographer by profession. While she struggles the lust of her director (Prakash Raj
), she also get strangled in the siblings affairs and find it very hard to choose her beau. How the story unfolds and who will win over her forms the rest of the plot in the story.
She loves the person who plays the saxophone and mistakes Ramesh to be the one. However, Ramesh comes to know of Meenakshi's love for Prabhu and gets them united in the end.
. It got excellent reviews and is regarded as a master work in its class.
and lyrics written by Vairamuthu
. The soundtrack proved popular upon release. All songs were based on classical music
from Western culture
. Rahman got several accolades for his work. "Anjali Anjali" proved to be one of the most popular songs in the nineties. The soundtrack features 7 songs, 2 recitals and 3 instrumental pieces. Duet songs are considered some of Rahman's greatest hits in the 90's. The saxophonic
instrumentation was done by Kadri Gopalnath
and Raju. Gopalnath who is now an icon in Indian instrumental music got to public fame only after this album. He once told about this album, "I played some 30 ragas for Rahman. He wasn't satisfied. Finally I played Kalyana Vasantam, and he said, "Thats it!"".
The film and soundtrack were adapted to Hindi (as Tu Hi Mera Dil) and Telugu (with the same title).
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
musical film
Musical film
The musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, though in some cases they serve merely as breaks in the storyline, often as elaborate...
directed by K. Balachander
K. Balachander
K. Balachander is an Indian film director, screenwriter and producer. Balachander is known for his distinct film-making style. His films analyse unusual or complicated interpersonal relationships and social themes. He has directed nearly 80 films and has worked in 100 films either as director or...
, starring Prabhu
Prabhu Ganesan
Prabhu Ganesan is a Tamil film actor and producer. He is the son of veteran actor Sivaji Ganesan.-Personal life:A native of Tamil Nadu, Prabhu was born to Sivaji and Kamala Ganesan. He has an elder brother Ramkumar Ganesan who is a film producer, and two sisters, Shanthi and Thenmozhi. He did his...
, Meenakshi Seshadri
Meenakshi Seshadri
Meenakshi Seshadri is an Indian film actress. She won the Miss India contest in 1981 at age 17. She is the youngest woman to be crowned Miss India-Career:...
, Ramesh Aravind
Ramesh Aravind
Ramesh Aravind or Ramesh is a popular Kannada, Tamil and Telugu movie actor. He is considered one of the most versatile actors in Indian cinema.-Early days:...
and Prakashraj. The film's score
Sheet music
Sheet music is a hand-written or printed form of music notation that uses modern musical symbols; like its analogs—books, pamphlets, etc.—the medium of sheet music typically is paper , although the access to musical notation in recent years includes also presentation on computer screens...
and soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
is composed by A. R. Rahman
A. R. Rahman
Allah Rakha Rahman is an Indian composer, singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and philanthropist. Described as the world's most prominent and prolific film composer by Time, his works are notable for integrating eastern classical music with electronic music sounds, world music genres and...
. Duets score is centred around the saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
.
Plot
The movie is based on the French play "Cyrano de BergeracCyrano de Bergerac
Hercule-Savinien de Cyrano de Bergerac was a French dramatist and duelist. He is now best remembered for the works of fiction which have been woven, often very loosely, around his life story, most notably the 1897 play by Edmond Rostand...
" by Edmond Rostand
Edmond Rostand
Edmond Eugène Alexis Rostand was a French poet and dramatist. He is associated with neo-romanticism, and is best known for his play Cyrano de Bergerac. Rostand's romantic plays provided an alternative to the naturalistic theatre popular during the late nineteenth century...
.
The plot is triangular love story about a new generation of musicians who are also brothers (Prabhu Ganesan
Prabhu Ganesan
Prabhu Ganesan is a Tamil film actor and producer. He is the son of veteran actor Sivaji Ganesan.-Personal life:A native of Tamil Nadu, Prabhu was born to Sivaji and Kamala Ganesan. He has an elder brother Ramkumar Ganesan who is a film producer, and two sisters, Shanthi and Thenmozhi. He did his...
, Ramesh Aravind
Ramesh Aravind
Ramesh Aravind or Ramesh is a popular Kannada, Tamil and Telugu movie actor. He is considered one of the most versatile actors in Indian cinema.-Early days:...
). One is an eminent saxophonist and the other is an accomplished singer. Incidentally, both of them fall for a single female (Meenakshi Sheshadri) who's an avid music lover and a choreographer by profession. While she struggles the lust of her director (Prakash Raj
Prakash Raj
Prakash Raj , better known by his stage name Prakash Raj, is a National Award winning actor, director and producer who has worked in Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi and Malayalam films. Though he was born in a Tulu family he achieved fame through Kannada, Tamil and Telugu films. He got introduced to...
), she also get strangled in the siblings affairs and find it very hard to choose her beau. How the story unfolds and who will win over her forms the rest of the plot in the story.
She loves the person who plays the saxophone and mistakes Ramesh to be the one. However, Ramesh comes to know of Meenakshi's love for Prabhu and gets them united in the end.
Cast
- PrabhuPrabhu GanesanPrabhu Ganesan is a Tamil film actor and producer. He is the son of veteran actor Sivaji Ganesan.-Personal life:A native of Tamil Nadu, Prabhu was born to Sivaji and Kamala Ganesan. He has an elder brother Ramkumar Ganesan who is a film producer, and two sisters, Shanthi and Thenmozhi. He did his...
as Guna - Meenakshi Sheshadri as Anjali
- Ramesh AravindRamesh AravindRamesh Aravind or Ramesh is a popular Kannada, Tamil and Telugu movie actor. He is considered one of the most versatile actors in Indian cinema.-Early days:...
as Siva - Prakash RajPrakash RajPrakash Raj , better known by his stage name Prakash Raj, is a National Award winning actor, director and producer who has worked in Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi and Malayalam films. Though he was born in a Tulu family he achieved fame through Kannada, Tamil and Telugu films. He got introduced to...
- CharlieCharlieCharlie is a common nickname for Charles and less commonly for Charlotte or Charlene.Charlie may also refer to:- Music :* Charlie , a British rock band in the 1970s and 1980s...
- Senthil
- Sarath BabuSarath BabuSarath Babu is an Indian film actor, who has acted in almost all the major south Indian languages - Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam. He has been in the industry for nearly 37 years and has acted in more than 200 movies, most of them in a supporting role. He has acted in 80 films each in...
Score
The lyrical voyage of the film has been enhanced by the fine background score in the film, composed by A. R. RahmanA. R. Rahman
Allah Rakha Rahman is an Indian composer, singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and philanthropist. Described as the world's most prominent and prolific film composer by Time, his works are notable for integrating eastern classical music with electronic music sounds, world music genres and...
. It got excellent reviews and is regarded as a master work in its class.
Soundtrack
The soundtrack was composed by A. R. RahmanA. R. Rahman
Allah Rakha Rahman is an Indian composer, singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and philanthropist. Described as the world's most prominent and prolific film composer by Time, his works are notable for integrating eastern classical music with electronic music sounds, world music genres and...
and lyrics written by Vairamuthu
Vairamuthu
Vairamuthu Ramaswamy Thevar is an award-winning Tamil poet and lyricist.Debuting in the film Nizhalgal with the lyrics for the song "Ponmalai Pozhudhu", he has now about 5800 songs to his credit as of January 2009. His partnership with the composers Ilaiyaraaja, and later A. R...
. The soundtrack proved popular upon release. All songs were based on classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
from Western culture
Western culture
Western culture, sometimes equated with Western civilization or European civilization, refers to cultures of European origin and is used very broadly to refer to a heritage of social norms, ethical values, traditional customs, religious beliefs, political systems, and specific artifacts and...
. Rahman got several accolades for his work. "Anjali Anjali" proved to be one of the most popular songs in the nineties. The soundtrack features 7 songs, 2 recitals and 3 instrumental pieces. Duet songs are considered some of Rahman's greatest hits in the 90's. The saxophonic
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
instrumentation was done by Kadri Gopalnath
Kadri Gopalnath
Dr. Kadri Gopalnath is an Indian saxophonist and one of the pioneers of Carnatic music on the saxophone.-Early life:...
and Raju. Gopalnath who is now an icon in Indian instrumental music got to public fame only after this album. He once told about this album, "I played some 30 ragas for Rahman. He wasn't satisfied. Finally I played Kalyana Vasantam, and he said, "Thats it!"".
The film and soundtrack were adapted to Hindi (as Tu Hi Mera Dil) and Telugu (with the same title).
| # | Song | Artist(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Anjali Anjali" | S. P. Balasubrahmanyam S. P. Balasubrahmanyam Sripathi Panditaradhyula Balasubrahmanyam is a multilingual Indian playback singer, actor, music director, voice actor and a film producer. He is referred to as S. P. B. or Balu by the media. He has won the National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer six times closely following K. J. Yesudas... , K. S. Chithra K. S. Chithra K. S. Chithra often credited as Chithra , is an Indian playback singer who has made her mark in the Indian music playback industry. Popularly known as Chinna Kuyil of South India, she has lent her voice to Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Oriya, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Badaga and Punjabi films... |
| 2 | "Vennilavin Theril Yeri" | K. J. Yesudas K. J. Yesudas Kattassery Joseph Yesudas is an Indian classical musician and playback singer.Yesudas sings Indian classical, devotional, and popular music. He has recorded more than 50,000 songs in many languages including Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi, Kannada, Telugu, Bengali, Gujarati, Oriya, Marathi, Punjabi,... |
| 3 | "Mettuppodu Mettuppodu" | S. P. Balasubrahmanyam S. P. Balasubrahmanyam Sripathi Panditaradhyula Balasubrahmanyam is a multilingual Indian playback singer, actor, music director, voice actor and a film producer. He is referred to as S. P. B. or Balu by the media. He has won the National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer six times closely following K. J. Yesudas... , P. Susheela P. Susheela Pulapaka Susheela is an Indian playback singer. In a career spanning more than four decades, she has recorded songs in many Indian languages including Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Hindi, Bengali, Oriya, Sanskrit, Tulu, Badaga and Sinhalese.-Personal life:She is the daughter of Pulapaka... |
| 4 | "Kathirikka Kathirikka" | Sujatha Sujatha Mohan Sujatha Mohan , usually credited as Sujatha, is an award-winning Indian playback singer who is popular for singing in Malayalam and Tamil movies. She has also sung for Telugu, Kannada and Hindi movies. She is widely popular for her evergreen melodies and her sweet voice is considered to be her... , Prasanna |
| 5 | "En Kadhalae" | S. P. Balasubrahmanyam S. P. Balasubrahmanyam Sripathi Panditaradhyula Balasubrahmanyam is a multilingual Indian playback singer, actor, music director, voice actor and a film producer. He is referred to as S. P. B. or Balu by the media. He has won the National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer six times closely following K. J. Yesudas... |
| 6 | "Kulicha Kuthaalam" | S. P. Balasubrahmanyam S. P. Balasubrahmanyam Sripathi Panditaradhyula Balasubrahmanyam is a multilingual Indian playback singer, actor, music director, voice actor and a film producer. He is referred to as S. P. B. or Balu by the media. He has won the National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer six times closely following K. J. Yesudas... , T. K. Kala |
| 7 | "En Kadhalae" | K. S. Chithra K. S. Chithra K. S. Chithra often credited as Chithra , is an Indian playback singer who has made her mark in the Indian music playback industry. Popularly known as Chinna Kuyil of South India, she has lent her voice to Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Oriya, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Badaga and Punjabi films... |
| 8 | "Naan Paadum Sandham" | S. P. Balasubrahmanyam S. P. Balasubrahmanyam Sripathi Panditaradhyula Balasubrahmanyam is a multilingual Indian playback singer, actor, music director, voice actor and a film producer. He is referred to as S. P. B. or Balu by the media. He has won the National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer six times closely following K. J. Yesudas... |
| 9 | "Kavithaikku Porul Thandha" | Prabhu Prabhu Ganesan Prabhu Ganesan is a Tamil film actor and producer. He is the son of veteran actor Sivaji Ganesan.-Personal life:A native of Tamil Nadu, Prabhu was born to Sivaji and Kamala Ganesan. He has an elder brother Ramkumar Ganesan who is a film producer, and two sisters, Shanthi and Thenmozhi. He did his... , Sreeja |
| 10 | "Saththathinaal Vantha" | Prabhu Prabhu Ganesan Prabhu Ganesan is a Tamil film actor and producer. He is the son of veteran actor Sivaji Ganesan.-Personal life:A native of Tamil Nadu, Prabhu was born to Sivaji and Kamala Ganesan. He has an elder brother Ramkumar Ganesan who is a film producer, and two sisters, Shanthi and Thenmozhi. He did his... |
| 11 | "Love is Torture" | Instrumental Instrumental An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments.... |
| 12 | "Sax Lullaby" | Instrumental Instrumental An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments.... |
| 13 | "Title Theme" | Instrumental Instrumental An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments.... |
Trivia
- On director PriyadarshanPriyadarshanPriyadarshan is an Indian film director, producer, and screenwriter. In a career spanning over two decades, Priyadarshan has directed over 80 films in several Indian languages including Malayalam, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu...
's request A. R. RahmanA. R. RahmanAllah Rakha Rahman is an Indian composer, singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and philanthropist. Described as the world's most prominent and prolific film composer by Time, his works are notable for integrating eastern classical music with electronic music sounds, world music genres and...
remade the song "Anjali Anjali" in the bollywood film Kabhi Na KabhiKabhi na KabhiKabhi Na Kabhi is a 1998 Bollywood crime film co-written and directed by Priyadarshan. It stars Jackie Shroff, Anil Kapoor and Pooja Bhatt in pivotal roles. The film was produced by R. Mohan in the banner of a Malayalam film production company, Shogun Films. The movie had a delayed release on 27...
starring Pooja BhattPooja BhattPooja Bhatt is an Indian film actress and model, currently devoting time to film production and direction. She is the daughter of Indian film director Mahesh Bhatt.-Early life:...
and Anil KapoorAnil KapoorAnil Kapoor is an Indian actor and producer who mainly appears in Bollywood films. He won a Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for his role in Yash Chopra's film Mashaal ....
. Original song in Tamil was sung by S. P. Balasubramaniam and the Hindi version by Kumar SanuKumar SanuKumar Sanu Kumar Sanu Kumar Sanu (alias Kedarnath Bhattacharya , born in Kolkata, is a leading Indian Bollywood playback singer. He was awarded the Filmfare Best Male Playback Award over five consecutive years. The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri in 2009....
.
- The film introduced Kadri GopalnathKadri GopalnathDr. Kadri Gopalnath is an Indian saxophonist and one of the pioneers of Carnatic music on the saxophone.-Early life:...
into Commercial movies and the film's theme music was fully composed using saxophone.
- This is the first film of actor Prakashraj. In remembrance, he named his production house Duet Movies.
- This is a film in which Meenakshi SeshadriMeenakshi SeshadriMeenakshi Seshadri is an Indian film actress. She won the Miss India contest in 1981 at age 17. She is the youngest woman to be crowned Miss India-Career:...
, a Tamilian who acted in Bollywood, starred in a Tamil movie after a long gap and the film has a tag line which goes "My fair lady".
- Actress SarithaSarithaSaritha is a South Indian actress. She has acted in at least 141 feature films, and was cast in the television serial Selvi in 2005. Her mainstream career spanned from 1979 to 1989, when she took a break to marry Indian actor and producer Mukesh and raise their two sons...
dubbed for Meenakshi SeshadriMeenakshi SeshadriMeenakshi Seshadri is an Indian film actress. She won the Miss India contest in 1981 at age 17. She is the youngest woman to be crowned Miss India-Career:...
.