'Thulli Thulli' is a great number from the Kollywood box office smash hit starring Kamal Hassan and Radhika. Sung by the illustrious S.P. Balasubramaniam and S. Janaki, it is a loving lullaby intended for the heroine of the film.
Notably, this song was composed by Ilaiyaraaja purely in Madhyamavathi raagam, a raaga which he has very commonly used for his hypnotic lullabies in other films.
The song starts with a humming and a short aalapanai session between S.P.B. and S. Janaki.
That vocal introduction, roughly a minute and a half, is perhaps the best crash course for this particular raaga as it provides you with all you need in order to understand the flavour of it. Once you listen to it ten to fifteen times, you will most probably be able to recognize Madhyamavathi easily in the future.
Listening to this song does spur the listener on to get their hands on this film in order to find out more, which is every film director's dream - Kamal Hassan's superb acting certainly makes it worth the while!
Who needs heaven when it is right here, right now, in your own space, where you can tune into Raaja's music.
Watch the song below:
