"Verithanam" (transl. Frenzy) is an Indian Tamil-language song from the 2019 sports action film Bigil directed by Atlee. Composed by A. R. Rahman, the song featured lyrics written by Vivek and sung by actor Vijay, who also played the protagonist in the film. It is the first song Vijay has recorded for Rahman. The song was released by Sony Music India on 1 September 2019,[1] and its video version was unveiled on 1 November.[2]

"Verithanam"
Single by A. R. Rahman and Vijay
from the album Bigil (soundtrack)
LanguageTamil
Released1 September 2019
Recorded2019
StudioPanchathan Record Inn and AM Studios, Chennai
KM Music Conservatory, Chennai
GenreFilmi, Indian folk, Indian pop, dance music
Length4:05
LabelSony Music India
Composer(s)A. R. Rahman
Lyricist(s)Vivek
Producer(s)A. R. Rahman
Bigil track listing
7 tracks
  1. "Singappenney"
  2. "Verithanam"
  3. "Unakkaga"
  4. "Maathare"
  5. "Bigil Bigil Bigiluma"
Bonus tracks
  1. "Kaalame"
  2. "Idharkuthan"
Music video
"Verithanam" on YouTube

Background

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In early 2019, media reports surfaced that Vijay may record one song for A. R. Rahman for Thalapathy 63 (Bigil), which will be his first collaboration as a singer with Rahman, although the composer worked with the actor's films in Udhaya (2004), Azhagiya Tamil Magan (2007), Mersal (2017) and Sarkar (2018).[3][4] Although, after his return to playback singing with "Google Google" from Thuppakki,[5] and continuously sang for his upcoming projects until Bairavaa,[6] he did not record a song for Mersal,[7] and eventually he was reported to sing for Sarkar, which was also composed by A. R. Rahman, which also failed to happen.[8]

On 8 July 2019, Archana Kalpathi, the creative producer of AGS Entertainment, which produced the film had shared a picture with Vijay, Rahman, Vivek and Atlee being present at Rahman's recording studio Panchathan Record Inn, Chennai for the song which was titled "Verithanam".[9][10] With this, the producers confirmed Vijay singing for Rahman's composition for the very first time,[11][12] although he sang for many leading composers.[13] Super Singer fame Poovaiyar was reported to act and provide additional vocals for one of the songs.[14][15]

Release

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The song was initially reported to be released as the first single from the film.[16] However, as another track "Singappenney" leaked onto the internet in mid-July 2019,[17][18] the makers released that song as the first single,[19] and planned to release "Verithanam" later.[20] In mid-August 2019, reports being surfaced that this song has been leaked into the internet,[21] and became a trending topic in Twitter, urging fans to release the original track sooner as possible.[22] However, few media handles claimed that the leak was not true.[23][24]

The official promo video for the song was released on 31 August 2019,[25] and a day later, the full song was released by Sony Music India through their streaming platforms and a lyrical video through YouTube.[26][27] At the film's audio launch held at Sri Sai Ram Engineering College, Chennai on 27 September 2019, Vijay who participated at the event, sang a couple lines from the song while addressing his speech.[28][29]

The video version of this song was exclusively premiered at the television channel Sun Music on 30 October 2019.[30] Later the song was released through YouTube on 1 November 2019.[31][32]

Reception

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Critical response

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Antara Chakraborty of The Indian Express wrote in its review, saying "The song is a fast-paced dance number, the kind of song that has become a staple in Vijay’s films. It is definitely fun, with a rustic feel."[26] India Today called the song as "proper mass number"[33] while The News Minute called that the song "has been delivered in Vijay's signature style".[34] A critic from Behindwoods wrote "A completely dynamic song with the expressive voice of Vijay is the main highlight, as the lyrics, slang, and voice of the singer will overshadow the tune, but the orchestra doesn't let go easily."[35] International Business Times-based critic Prakash Upadhyaya called the song as a "fast-paced number with a local flavour" further saying "With Vijay himself lending voice for the number, it strikes the chord with the fans, instantly. The fans could not have expected a better mass number than this as Thalapathy's voice blends well with the tune and the lyrics."[36] Moviecrow called the number as "the most commercially accessible track of the album".[37]

Records

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The song crossed 1 million likes within the first five days of its release.[38] A year after its release, the video song crossed 100 million views in September 2020,[39] eventually becoming one of the most viewed songs of Vijay on the video-sharing platform YouTube.[40] A January–September 2019 survey report from the music platform JioSaavn, stated "Verithanam" along with "Rowdy Baby" (a song from Dhanush's Maari 2), as one of the most streamed songs in this intermediate period.[41]

Chart performance

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Criticism

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In September 2019, a video came up with connection to the number to strengthen the claims that the song has achieved records as a result of a paid campaign. Some of the fans started trending the hashtag #PaidVerithanamLikesExposed and trashed the film's producers allegedly opting for a paid campaign to create a new record.[38][52]

Personnel

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Credits adapted from A. R. Rahman's official website[53] and Sony Music South[1]

  • A. R. Rahman – Composer, arranger, producer
  • Vijay – Playback singer
  • Vivek – Lyricist
  • SangeetaAdditional vocals
  • Poovaiyar – Additional vocals
  • Ka Ka Balachander – Additional vocals
  • KR Arjun – Additional vocals
  • Rakthaksh – Additional vocals
  • Veena Murali – Backing vocals
  • Deepthi Suresh – Backing vocals
  • Abinaya – Backing vocals
  • Ala B Bala – Backing vocals
  • Sowmya – Backing vocals
  • Soundarya – Backing vocals
  • Lavita Lobo – Backing vocals
  • Riya K S – Kids vocals
  • Nikhil P S – Kids vocals
  • K R Arjun – Kids vocals
  • Vidhya Rupini – Kids vocals
  • K U Kokilapriya – Kids vocals
  • Keba Jeremiah – Guitar
  • Balesh – Shehnai
  • T. R. Krishna Chetan – Sound Engineer (Panchathan Record Inn, Chennai), additional arrangements and programming, audio mixing
  • Kumaran Sivamani – Additional arrangements and programming
  • Santosh Dhayanidhi – Additional arrangements and programming
  • Suresh Permal – Sound engineer (Panchathan Record Inn, Chennai), mastering (Studio mastering)
  • Karthik Sekaran – Sound engineer (Panchathan Record Inn, Chennai)
  • Suryansh – Sound engineer (Panchathan Record Inn, Chennai)
  • Barath Dhanashekhar – Sound engineer (Panchathan Record Inn, Chennai)
  • Riyasdeen Riyan – Sound engineer (Panchathan Record Inn, Chennai)
  • S. Sivakumar – Sound engineer (AM Studios, Chennai), mastering (Apple Digital Master)
  • Kannan Ganpat – Sound engineer (AM Studios, Chennai)
  • Pradeep Menon – Sound engineer (AM Studios, Chennai)
  • Krishnan Subramaniyan – Sound engineer (AM Studios, Chennai)
  • Manoj Raman – Sound engineer (AM Studios, Chennai)
  • Aravind MS – Sound engineer (AM Studios, Chennai)
  • P. A. Deepak – Audio mixing
  • R. Samidurai – Musician's fixer
  • T. M. Faizuddin – Music co-ordinators
  • Abdul Haiyum Siddique – Music co-ordinators

References

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  1. ^ a b Bigil – Verithanam Lyric Video (Tamil) | Thalapathy Vijay, Nayanthara | A.R Rahman | Atlee | AGS, retrieved 20 July 2021
  2. ^ Bigil – Verithanam Video | Thalapathy Vijay | A.R Rahman | Atlee, retrieved 20 July 2021
  3. ^ "Intro song of 'Thalapathy63' to be shot with hundreds of kids". Sify. Archived from the original on 15 February 2019. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  4. ^ "'Thalapathy 63' opening song to feature 100 kids". The News Minute. 15 February 2019. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  5. ^ "'Thamizhan' was hit because of Vijay: Imman". CNN IBN. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
  6. ^ "Vijay has sung incredibly well, says Bairavaa composer Santhosh Narayanan". The Indian Express. 26 November 2016. Archived from the original on 16 September 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  7. ^ "Vijay is not singing in Atlee directorial Mersal, which has music by A.R.Rahman". Behindwoods. 1 August 2017. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  8. ^ "Vijay to croon for AR Rahman?". The News Minute. 28 March 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  9. ^ "Bigil: Vijay turns singer for AR Rahman song Verithanam". The Indian Express. 8 July 2019. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  10. ^ "First song of Vijay's Bigil Thalapathy 63 is titled Verithanam". Behindwoods. 8 July 2019. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  11. ^ "'Bigil' update: Thalapathy Vijay turns singer for AR Rahman's composition 'Verithanam'". DNA India. 8 July 2019. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  12. ^ Ramanujam, Srinivasa (2 August 2019). "Vijay's voice made a lot of difference to 'Verithanam', says A.R Rahman". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  13. ^ "Bigil update: Vijay to sing Verithanam, his first AR Rahman number". India Today. 8 July 2019. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  14. ^ "Super Singer sensation to act in Thalapathy 63". Sify. Archived from the original on 21 February 2019. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  15. ^ "Super Singer fame Poovaiyaar joins Thalapathy 63 as actor and singer". India Today. 18 February 2019. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  16. ^ "Vijay's BIGIL: Songs detail inside – Tamil News". IndiaGlitz.com. 19 July 2019. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  17. ^ The Hindu Net Desk (16 July 2019). "Song from Vijay's 'Bigil' leaked online". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  18. ^ "'Singa Penne' song from Vijay's 'Bigil' leaked". The News Minute. 18 July 2019. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  19. ^ "Watch: 'Singappenney' from Vijay's 'Bigil' out, dedicated to women". The News Minute. 24 July 2019. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  20. ^ "Bigil song Singappenney: AR Rahman delivers a punchy female anthem". The Indian Express. 24 July 2019. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  21. ^ "Verithanam song from Vijay's 'Bigil' leaked online? Twitter abuzz with reports". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  22. ^ "Bigil: 'Verithanam' song from the Vijay starrer leaked online; fans urge makers to release original track". PINKVILLA. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  23. ^ Subramanian, Anupama (25 August 2019). "Verithanam song leak is fake trend". Deccan Chronicle. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  24. ^ The Hindu Net Desk (23 August 2019). "Fake versions of Vijay's 'Verithanam' from 'Bigil' do rounds online". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  25. ^ Sony Music South [@SonyMusicSouth] (31 August 2019). "THE WAIT ENDS HERE! The much- awaited #Verithanam sung by our very own #ThalapathyVijay releases on 1st Sept at 6PM!! #BigilPodalamaa" (Tweet). Retrieved 19 July 2021 – via Twitter.
  26. ^ a b "Bigil song Verithanam: A fast-paced dance number by Vijay". The Indian Express. 1 September 2019. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  27. ^ "The Telugu version of Verithanam from Vijay and Atlee's Bigil is here ft. AR Rahman". Behindwoods. 8 October 2019. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  28. ^ "Bigil Audio Launch: Atlee eyes October first week to launch trailer, Vijay croons his song Verithanam". Firstpost. 28 September 2019. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  29. ^ The Hindu Net Desk (27 September 2019). "'Bigil' audio launch: Vijay makes veiled references to political climate in T.N." The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  30. ^ Sun Music [@SunMusic] (30 October 2019). "Namma aattam #Verithanam ah irrukum! 🥳 Watch the video song exclusively from today on #sunmusic" (Tweet). Retrieved 19 July 2021 – via Twitter.
  31. ^ "Verithanam Video song out: Time to see Vijay sing and dance his way into our hearts". Cinema Express. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  32. ^ Johnson, David (1 November 2019). "Vijay's Verithanam video song from Bigil is ready to set YouTube on fire". www.ibtimes.co.in. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  33. ^ "Verithanam song out: Vijay and AR Rahman go local for Bigil". India Today. 2 September 2019. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  34. ^ "Watch: Vijay turns singer for 'Verithanam', second single drops from 'Bigil'". The News Minute. 1 September 2019. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  35. ^ "Bigil (aka) Vijay 63 songs review". Behindwoods. 28 September 2019. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  36. ^ Upadhyaya, Prakash (27 September 2019). "Bigil songs review: AR Rahman and Thalapathy Vijay have a winner in hand". www.ibtimes.co.in. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  37. ^ "Bigil Songs – Music Review". www.moviecrow.com. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  38. ^ a b Staff (6 September 2019). "Vijay's Verithanam Song Clocks 1 Million Likes; Gets Trolled With #PaidVerithanamLikesExposed". Filmibeat. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  39. ^ "AR Rahman & Vijay's Verithanam video reaches 100 million views milestone on YouTube – Times of India". The Times of India. 12 September 2020. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  40. ^ "'Aalaporan Tamizhan' to 'Vaathi Coming': Five most viewed video songs of Vijay on YouTube". The Times of India. 17 February 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  41. ^ Kumar, Pradeep (19 October 2019). "'Verithanam' and 'Rowdy Baby' most streamed songs by Tamil music fans". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  42. ^ "Latest Tamil songs on Tamil Mirchi Top20 countdown". www.radiomirchi.com. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
  43. ^ South, Sony Music (14 September 2019). "#Bigil yet again on the @RadioMirchi charts!". @SonyMusicSouth. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
  44. ^ "Listen & Download Latest Hindi, English, Bollywood Songs Online | Wynk". wynk.in. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
  45. ^ South, Sony Music (27 July 2019). "TRENDING MILLION VIEWS K LIKES Our mighty #Singappenney shines! #BigilWomenAnthem". @SonyMusicSouth. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
  46. ^ "Top Hits – Tamil, a playlist by Spotify". Spotify. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  47. ^ "Top Tamil Songs – Weekly Playlist – Listen on JioSaavn". www.jiosaavn.com. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  48. ^ Tamil, 92 7 BIG FM (30 December 2019). "#Singappenney from #Bigil ruled the radio charts in 2019 #Number1 song of the year as voted by all of you magic of @arrahman as always #bigfm watteee combo @actorvijay @Atlee_dir @SonyMusicSouth #Top100pic.twitter.com/IxyvC9X3aR". @BIGFMTamil. Retrieved 31 December 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  49. ^ "Top 15 Tamil songs of 2019". The Times of India. 30 December 2019. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  50. ^ "Top 20 Tamil Songs | Tamil Songs Ranking | Recent Tamil Songs Ranking". www.moviecrow.com. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  51. ^ "CE Year in Review: Our top 20 Tamil songs of 2019". Cinema Express. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  52. ^ "BIGIL: காசு கொடுத்து கிடைத்ததா வெறித்தனம் லைக்ஸ்? – ட்விட்டரில் டிரெண்டாகும் #PaidVerithanamLikesExposed". Samayam Tamil (in Tamil). Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  53. ^ "A. R. Rahman – The Official Site". www.arrahman.com. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
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