Chithha is the soundtrack to the 2023 Tamil-language drama film of the same name directed by S. U. Arun Kumar starring Siddharth, Nimisha Sajayan and Anjali Nair. The film's soundtrack featured three songs composed by Dhibu Ninan Thomas and one song composed by Santhosh Narayanan. Preceded by three singles, the soundtrack was released through Think Music on 27 September 2023. At the 69th Filmfare Awards South, both composers won the Filmfare Award for Best Music Director – Tamil.
| Chithha | |||||
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 Soundtrack album cover | |||||
| Soundtrack album by | |||||
| Released | 27 September 2023 | ||||
| Recorded | 2023 | ||||
| Genre | Feature film soundtrack | ||||
| Length | 12:38 | ||||
| Language | Tamil | ||||
| Label | Think Music | ||||
| Producer | Dhibu Ninan Thomas, Santhosh Narayanan | ||||
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| Dhibu Ninan Thomas chronology | |||||
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| Santhosh Narayanan chronology | |||||
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| Singles from Chithha | |||||
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Album information
editChithha's soundtrack featured four songs—three of them, "Kangal Edho", "Theera Swasame" and "Show Me The Way" were composed by Dhibu Ninan Thomas; one song "Unakku Thaan" was composed by Santhosh Narayanan as a guest composer. "Unakku Thaan" served as the title song for the film.
The first single "Kangal Edho" was released on 7 September 2023.[1][2] The song was written by Yugabharathi and performed by Pradeep Kumar and Karthika Vaidyanathan.[1] The second single "Show Me The Way" which accompanied the film's teaser in the background was released as a single on 11 September 2023.[3] The third single "Unakku Thaan" was accompanied with a music video directed by Deeraj Vaidy featuring Siddharth and Sahasra Shree, released on 22 September 2023.[4] The song was written by Vivek and performed by Narayanan and Dhvani Kailas.[4]
The soundtrack was released on 27 September 2023 in digital music platforms.[5]
Reception
editDivya Venugopal of Radio Mirchi called "Kangal Edho" as an "endearing track that will grow on you".[6] Krishna Selvaseelan of Tamil Guardian wrote "Although the score and songs often slip into the melodramatic, it does not detract too much from the intensity of the film."[7] Rajasekar S. of The Federal called the songs as "soul-touching".[8] Atchayaa Rajkumar of The News Minute found the film's music as "the perfect accompaniment to complement the highs and lows of the movie."[9] Janani K. of India Today added that the music "aided well in creating the thrill".[10]
Reviewing the trends of Tamil film music in 2023, Navein Darshan of The New Indian Express mentioned "Unakku Thaan" and called it as "the anthem of the year for every parental figure, celebrating the song with all their hearts."[11] Karthik Srinivasan of Milliblog and Vipin Nair of Music Aloud ranked the song at 5th on their best of Indian film music in 2023.[12][13] In their 2023 year-ender, analyzing best of music in Indian films and webseries, Devarsi Ghosh of Scroll.in mentioned "Unakku Thaan" as a soul-stirring number.[14]
Impact
editThe song "Unakku Thaan" became popular after the film's release, with numerous covers being surfaced.[15] A cover of the song with vocals by S. P. Balasubrahmanyam generated via AI went viral.[11] According to Darshan, "The thought that an AI can almost bring to life the voice of the legend we lost three years ago startled music lovers, especially the ones who belonged to the cassette era. The software-generated cover versions of recent famous songs and classics featuring voices of AR Rahman, Dhanush, Vijay, Sid Sriram and an amusing list of political leaders were widely consumed and shared by a significant portion of the crowd; to the point where AI covers have almost become a sub-genre of music now."[11]
Track listing
editTamil
edit| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Kangal Edho" | Yugabharathi | Dhibu Ninan Thomas | Pradeep Kumar, Karthika Vaidyanathan | 4:02 |
| 2. | "Theera Swasame" | S. U. Arun Kumar | Dhibu Ninan Thomas | Kapil Kapilan | 3:46 |
| 3. | "Show Me The Way" | Dhibu Ninan Thomas | Dhibu Ninan Thomas | Poorvi | 1:14 |
| 4. | "Unakku Thaan" | Vivek | Santhosh Narayanan | Santhosh Narayanan, Dhvani Kailas | 3:36 |
| Total length: | 12:38 | ||||
Telugu
edit| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Kaalamedho" | Krishna Kanth | Dhibu Ninan Thomas | Chinmayi Sripaada, Nakul Abhyankar | 4:03 |
| 2. | "Neeve Swasave" | Krishna Kanth | Dhibu Ninan Thomas | Sreekanth Hariharan | 3:49 |
| 3. | "Show Me The Way" | Dhibu Ninan Thomas | Dhibu Ninan Thomas | Poorvi | 1:14 |
| 4. | "Needhele" | Krishna Kanth | Santhosh Narayanan | Anurag Kulkarni, Dhvani Kailas | 3:34 |
| Total length: | 12:41 | ||||
Malayalam
edit| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Kannil Njano" | Joe Paul | Dhibu Ninan Thomas | Haricharan, Chinmayi Sripaada | 4:03 |
| 2. | "Maayaa Vaasame" | Joe Paul | Dhibu Ninan Thomas | Benny Dayal | 3:47 |
| 3. | "Show Me The Way" | Dhibu Ninan Thomas | Dhibu Ninan Thomas | Poorvi | 1:14 |
| 4. | "Aalolam" | Joe Paul | Santhosh Narayanan | Aditya Ravindran, Dhvani Kailas | 3:34 |
| Total length: | 12:39 | ||||
Kannada
edit| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Kanna Baana" | Pramod Maravanthe | Dhibu Ninan Thomas | Haricharan, Chinmayi Sripaada | 4:03 |
| 2. | "Enu Kaanade" | Pramod Maravanthe | Dhibu Ninan Thomas | Sreekanth Hariharan | 3:49 |
| 3. | "Show Me The Way" | Dhibu Ninan Thomas | Dhibu Ninan Thomas | Poorvi | 1:14 |
| 4. | "Ninageye" | Pramod Maravanthe | Santhosh Narayanan | Anurag Kulkarni, Dhvani Kailas | 3:34 |
| Total length: | 12:41 | ||||
Background score
edit| Chithha | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Film score by | |||||
| Released | 15 March 2024 | ||||
| Recorded | 2023 | ||||
| Genre | Film score | ||||
| Length | 12:38 | ||||
| Label | Think Music | ||||
| Producer | Vishal Chandrashekhar | ||||
| Vishal Chandrashekhar chronology | |||||
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An album which consists of the film's musical score composed by Vishal Chandrashekhar was released on 15 March 2024 by Think Music, featuring 18 tracks.[20]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "First Sight" | 1:10 |
| 2. | "Settai" | 1:01 |
| 3. | "Bike Ride" | 1:03 |
| 4. | "Eesu & Shakthi" | 1:06 |
| 5. | "Settai's Mischief" | 1:15 |
| 6. | "Hasty Decision" | 1:09 |
| 7. | "A Distraught from Ponni" | 1:04 |
| 8. | "Broken Point" | 2:01 |
| 9. | "Heart Broken" | 1:01 |
| 10. | "The Predator" | 1:51 |
| 11. | "Evil Act" | 2:08 |
| 12. | "Search Is Over" | 1:01 |
| 13. | "Trauma" | 1:07 |
| 14. | "Rage for Vengeance" | 1:13 |
| 15. | "Realization" | 1:04 |
| 16. | "Fly High" | 1:02 |
| 17. | "Spark of Love" | 1:10 |
| 18. | "Kangal Edho Reprise" | 1:01 |
| Total length: | 22:37 | |
Personnel
editCredits adapted from Think Music:[21]
- Dhibu Ninan Thomas – composer (tracks: 1, 2, 3), piano (track: 1), synths (track: 1)
- Santhosh Narayanan – composer (track: 4), recording engineer (Future Tense Studios, Chennai) [track: 4]
- Aravind Srinivas – additional vocals (track: 2)
- Saisharan – additional vocals (track: 2)
- Jithin Raj – additional vocals (track: 2)
- Santhosh Hariharan – additional vocals (track: 2)
- Kalyani Nair – backing vocals (track: 3), strings arrangement (tracks: 1, 2)
- Kapil Kapilan – backing vocals (track: 3)
- Naveen Napier – bass (track: 1)
- Shruthiraj – percussion (track: 1)
- Kamalakar – flute (track: 1)
- Nikhil Ram – flute (track: 2)
- Nadhan – clarinet (track: 1)
- Santhosh Chandran – guitar (track: 3)
- Anupam Roy – violin (track: 4)
- Aditya Ravindran – harmony (track: 4)
- Karthik Vamsi – live rhythm (track: 4)
- Budapest Scoring Orchestra – strings (tracks: 1, 2)
- Peter Illenyi – conductor (tracks: 1, 2)
- Balasubramanian G – orchestra co-ordinator (tracks: 1, 2)
- K. S. Mani Ratnam – recording engineer (The Mystics Room, Chennai) [tracks: 1, 2]
- Avinash Satish – recording engineer (20db Sound Studios, Chennai) [tracks: 1, 2]
- Dennis – recording engineer (Grace Records, Chennai) [tracks: 1, 2, 3]
- Karthik Manickavasakam – recording engineer (Future Tense Studios, Chennai) [track: 4]
- Pranav Muniraj – recording engineer (Future Tense Studios, Chennai) [track: 4]
- Rupendar Venkatesh – recording engineer (Future Tense Studios, Chennai) [track: 4], mixing engineer (track: 4), mastering engineer (track: 4)
- Balu Thankachan – mixing engineer (20db Sound Studios, Chennai) [tracks: 1, 2]
- Kiran Lal – mixing engineer (Grace Records, Chennai) [track: 3]
- Shadab Rayeen – mastering engineer (New Edge Studios, Mumbai) [tracks: 1, 2]
- Jaba Raj – studio assistance (track: 4)
- Meenakshi Santhosh – musicians co-ordinator (track: 4)
Chart performance
edit| Chart | Song | Peak position | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| India (Billboard) | "Unakku Thaan" | 18 | [22] |
| Asian Music Chart (OCC) | 11 | [23] | |
| Radio Mirchi (Tamil) | 1 | [24] | |
| "Kangal Edho" | 4 |
Accolades
edit| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) and nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ananda Vikatan Cinema Awards | 22 June 2024 | Best Music Director – Songs | Santhosh Narayanan[a] | Nominated | [25] |
| Best Music Director – Score | Vishal Chandrashekhar | Nominated | |||
| Best Male Playback Singer | Santhosh Narayanan – ("Unakku Thaan") | Nominated | |||
| Best Female Playback Singer | Karthika Vaidyanathan – ("Kangal Edho") | Nominated | |||
| Best Lyricist | Yugabharathi – ("Kangal Edho")[b] | Won | |||
| Vivek – ("Unakku Thaan") | Nominated | ||||
| Filmfare Awards South | 3 August 2024 | Best Music Director | Santhosh Narayanan and Dhibu Ninan Thomas | Won | [26] [27] [28] [29] |
| Best Female Playback Singer – Tamil | Karthika Vaidyanathan – ("Kangal Edho") | Won | |||
| South Indian International Movie Awards | 14–15 September 2024 | Best Music Director – Tamil | Santhosh Narayanan – ("Unakku Thaan")[a] | Pending | [30] [31] |
| Best Lyricist – Tamil | Vivek – ("Unakku Thaan") | Pending | |||
| Best Female Playback Singer – Tamil | Karthika Vaidyanathan – ("Kangal Edho") | Pending |
Notes
edit- ^ a b only nominated for the song "Unakku Thaan"; also for Jigarthanda DoubleX
- ^ also for "Nenjame Nenjame" from Maamannan.
References
edit- ^ a b Features, C. E. (7 September 2023). "Kangal Edho song from Siddharth's Chithha is out". Cinema Express. Archived from the original on 8 September 2023. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ^ "Kangal Edho song from Siddharths Chithha is out. Watch now!". Mirchi. 8 September 2023. Archived from the original on 23 August 2024. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ^ Thomas, Dhibu Ninan; Poorvi (11 September 2023). "Show Me The Way (from Chithha)". Think Music. Archived from the original on 23 August 2024. Retrieved 23 August 2024 – via Spotify.
- ^ a b Features, C. E. (22 September 2023). "Makers of Chithha release Unakku Thaan ft Santhosh Narayanan". Cinema Express. Archived from the original on 23 August 2024. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ^ "Siddharth's Chithha Jukebox is out". Cinema Express. 27 September 2023. Archived from the original on 28 September 2023. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
- ^ Venugopal, Divya (7 October 2023). "Kangal Edho video song from Chithha is an endearing track that will grow on you". Radio Mirchi. Archived from the original on 24 August 2024. Retrieved 24 August 2024.
- ^ Selvaseelam, Krishna (7 October 2023). "'Chithha - a devastating, nauseating watch". Tamil Guardian. Archived from the original on 19 October 2023. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
- ^ S, Rajasekar (25 September 2023). "Chithha review: Emotional roller-coaster that lands a strong punch". The Federal. Archived from the original on 25 September 2023. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
- ^ Rajkumar, Akchayaa (29 September 2023). "Chithha review: Siddharth's film on child sexual abuse is sensitive and compelling". The News Minute. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ^ "'Chithha' Review: Siddharth, Arun Kumar's take on sensitive issue is a lesson to many". India Today. 26 September 2023. Archived from the original on 26 September 2023. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
- ^ a b c Darshan, Navein (28 December 2023). "The 2023 Jukebox, Reminiscing the music of Tamil cinema". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 10 January 2024. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ^ Srinivasan, Karthik (16 December 2023). "Milliblog Annual Music round-up 2023". Milliblog. Archived from the original on 18 December 2023. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ^ Nair, Vipin (28 December 2023). "Music Aloud Playback – Best Indian Songs of 2023!". Music Aloud. Archived from the original on 8 January 2024. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ^ Ghosh, Devarsi (26 December 2023). "2023 year ender: The best music in films and web series". Scroll.in. Archived from the original on 31 December 2023. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ^ "Woman's Beautiful Rendition Of Tamil Song Unakku Thaan Is Winning Hearts". News18. 2 February 2024. Archived from the original on 4 February 2024. Retrieved 24 August 2024.
- ^ Thomas, Dhibu Ninan; Narayanan, Santhosh (27 September 2023). "Chithha (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)". Think Music. Archived from the original on 23 August 2024. Retrieved 23 August 2024 – via Spotify.
- ^ Thomas, Dhibu Ninan; Narayanan, Santhosh (9 October 2023). "Chinna (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)". Think Music. Archived from the original on 23 August 2024. Retrieved 23 August 2024 – via Spotify.
- ^ Thomas, Dhibu Ninan; Narayanan, Santhosh (28 September 2023). "Chitta (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)". Think Music. Archived from the original on 23 August 2024. Retrieved 23 August 2024 – via Spotify.
- ^ Thomas, Dhibu Ninan; Narayanan, Santhosh (28 September 2023). "Chikku (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)". Think Music. Archived from the original on 23 August 2024. Retrieved 23 August 2024 – via Spotify.
- ^ a b Chandrashekhar, Vishal (15 March 2024). "Chithha (Original Background Score)". Think Music. Archived from the original on 23 August 2024. Retrieved 23 August 2024 – via Spotify.
- ^ Chithha (Tamil) - Jukebox | Siddharth | S.U.Arun Kumar | Dhibu Ninan Thomas | Etaki Entertainment (in Tamil). Think Music. 27 September 2023. Archived from the original on 17 October 2023. Retrieved 23 August 2024 – via YouTube.
- ^ "India Songs". Billboard. 22 December 2023. Archived from the original on 24 August 2024. Retrieved 24 August 2024.
- ^ "Official Asian Music Chart – 22 to 28 December". Official Charts Company. 22 December 2023. Archived from the original on 24 August 2024. Retrieved 24 August 2024.
- ^ "Mirchis top 20 Tamil songs of the week is here!". Radio Mirchi. 23 December 2023. Archived from the original on 24 August 2024. Retrieved 24 August 2024.
- ^ "Ananda Vikatan Cinema Awards 2023". Ananda Vikatan Cinema Awards. 21 May 2024. Archived from the original on 21 May 2024. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ^ "Nominations for the 69th Filmfare Awards South 2024 – Tamil". Filmfare. 3 August 2024. Archived from the original on 4 August 2024. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ^ "Winners of the 69th Sobha Filmfare Awards South 2024 – Tamil". Filmfare. 3 August 2024. Archived from the original on 4 August 2024. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ^ "69th Sobha Filmfare Awards South 2024: Check out the winners". The Times of India. 4 August 2024. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 4 August 2024. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ^ "Filmfare Awards South 2024: Mammootty, Vikram, Rakshit Shetty, Chithha, 2018 win big". The Indian Express. 4 August 2024. Archived from the original on 7 August 2024. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ^ "SIIMA Awards 2024: Rajinikanth's Jailer and Nani's Dasara bag 11 nominations each, Mrunal Thakur's Hi Nanna follows". The Indian Express. 18 July 2024. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
- ^ Nyayapati, Neeshita (17 July 2024). "SIIMA Awards 2024 full list of nominees: Dasara, Jailer, Kaatera, 2018 top the list". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 17 July 2024. Retrieved 23 August 2024.