There can be no doubt that the music of Rahman is mutually complemented by many filmmakers, who have become symbiotic with his name. Be it Mani Ratnam, the man who started it all, or Shankar, the man who brought it all together, or many more in Hindi (Subhash Ghai, Ram Gopal Varma, Ashutosh Gowariker, Imtiaz Ali, and Aanand L Rai), and Tamil (Gautham Vasudev Menon, Rajiv Menon, Bharathiraja and K Balachander), many filmmakers have managed to bring the best out of AR Rahman. Now, these are collaborations that are heralded often. So… on the occasion of his birthday, let’s look at a few of his combinations in Tamil cinema that lasted just for one film but provided songs that would stand the test of time.

AR Rahman and P Vasu

Love Birds was the only collaboration between Rahman and P Vasu

P Vasu, a veteran of Tamil cinema, made just one film with Prabhu Deva (Love Birds). In fact, it was a film that was a Kannada remake, which Vasu had written in the 80s. It was a film that would go on to be the inspiration for the debut of a superstar who would become one of the top dancers of Indian cinema (Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai). The Tamil film was Love Birds, and Vasu chose the right composer to elevate the music of this rather song-and-dance heavy film. 90s Rahman was a different beast altogether, and the entire album builds up to a crescendo, and continues to be a gift that keeps on giving. Did someone say Malargale?

AR Rahman and Vasanth

Rhythm marks the only collaboration between Vasanth and Rahman

How did this combination work just once so far? If a composer gets a director like Vasanth who wanted the songs to represent the five elements, and if a director gets a composer who listens to the brief and delivers songs like the ones in Rhythm… how could they not keep on working? Imagine the kind of stories that could have been told in Rahman’s music. Imagine the kind of films Rahman would have worked if Vasanth continued collaborating with him. But that’s life, I suppose? Nevertheless, we would always have, Kattre En Vaasal at our doorsteps.

AR Rahman and Vikram Kumar

24 marks the only collaboration between Rahman and Vikram Kumar

Another dream combo that would have done more wonders together seemed to have, for some reason, restricted to just one film. For all intents and purposes, 24 was quite the experimental film, and Rahman gave an album that was equal amounts bombastic, and equal amounts nuanced. Of course, the songs were good, but how good was the background score? You remember Athreya’s rage even better because Rahman amped up the proceedings. Sethuraman’s sacrifice gets even more profound because Rahman does what he does best. And Manikandan’s chirpiness gets elevated because Rahman never forgets to have fun with his music. Time is indeed love.

AR Rahman and Vasanthabalan

Kaaviya Thalaivan is the only collaboration between Vasanthabalan and Rahman

Vasanthabalan, an erstwhile assistant of Shankar, must have known Rahman for a really long time. And yet, it took him twelve years since his debut film to collaborate with Rahman. It was called for a film Kaaviya Thalaivana project that made Rahman research about the music of the 1920s. The album received blockbuster responses. It was celebrated. It was praised. It was criticized. It was even lambasted. Besides all that, Kaaviya Thalaivan provided Rahman with a challenge in Tamil cinema. He was tested for the first time by a film, and by a filmmaker who was not a frequent collaborator. It was interesting to see Rahman conjure up something that would stand the test of time in a story set in the times of yore. We know street theater of that era didn’t sound like what it did in Kaaviya Thalaivan, but what is cinema if not the willing suspension of disbelief in the promise that we’d be entertained. That’s a trick Rahman knew. He understood the assignment, always… but knew his audience too.

AR Rahman and Azhagam Perumal

Udhaya marks the first and last collaboration of Rahman and Azhagam Perumal

Azhagam Perumal, the long-time associate of Mani Ratnam, a long-time Rahman collaborator, roped in the Oscar winner for his sophomore film, Udhaya. This film marked the maiden project of Rahman and Vijay. However, the film, due to various reasons, including production delays, hit the screens much later. The lowkey release, and the rather non-masala premise of the film meant that the album didn’t get the love it deserved. It is actually impressive how Rahman reserves some of his more eclectic numbers, set within the mainstream parameters, for a Vijay film, which is as mainstream as it can get. Of course, the world knows all about Udhaya Udhaya, but what about being witness to the morning dew in a just pookum malar, or a conversational song added with riddles in Enna Enna, and the most unlikely intro number, Thiruvalikkeni Rani.

AR Rahman and R Parthiban

Iravin Nizhal marked the first collaboration between Parthiban and Rahman

In cinema, it is always beautiful to see things fall in place. Did Parthiban think of Rahman when he decided to make a film that would be a single-shot cinema that would run for almost a couple of hours? Did Rahman even think that Parthiban, who has been in the industry for over three decades, would ask him to compose the music for his most outlandish attempt yet? Nevertheless, this collaboration happened, and it is Rahman at his experimental best. The outlandishness of the film allowed him to push the envelopes and do something so out-of-the-box, and completely novel. It gave him the opportunity to compose music for some unique situations, and bring out hitherto unexplored feelings. Guilt? Check. Remorse? Check. Pure villainy. Check. Unadulterated desire? Yes. Parthiban’s writing allowed Rahman to do a lot of things, and amidst all the chaos, he had the space to compose Maayava Thooyava that gave Shreya Ghoshal her fifth National award.

AR Rahman and Bharat Bala

Maryaan was Bharat Bala’s debut movie, with music by Rahman

Honestly, words wouldn’t be enough to describe this collaboration that gave us Vande Mataram and Maryaan. One album that has become a testament to a citizen’s love for the country. One album that has become the bedrock of romance in Tamil cinema. I repeat… words wouldn’t suffice to describe this collaboration… Just close your eyes, and listen to Vijay Prakash sing, “Netru Aval Irundhaal”

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Notable additions: AR Rahman and Manoj Kumar, Vikraman, K Subhash, and Suresh Menon

Interestingly, right after Roja, Rahman worked with a bunch of filmmakers who only worked in one film with him. But such was his meteoric rise in Indian cinema that, more often than not, he gravitated towards newer collaborations with more scope for experimentation, in terms of content and commerce. It is not like all of these filmmakers stopped making films after their projects with Rahman. It is just that, on retrospect, we understand that the music palette of their filmography were completely different from the work of Rahman, but in that one film, Rahman gave some of the best songs in their careers. You want a mother sentiment song for the ages? Give K Subhash’s Pavithra a listen. You want a sensual song that pre-dates the likes of songs heard in Daud and Rangeela? Give Manoj Kumar’s Vandisolai Chinraasu a chance. You want one of the best-ever intro songs for a heroine? There is Venus Balu’s May Maadham. And a dreamy folk number for the ages? Well, Nee Kattum Selai from Vikraman’s Pudhiya Mannargal will do the trick. And what new do we say about Suresh Menon’s Puthiya Mugam, except… Netru Illaadha Maatram ennadhu?