[LottiFurmann]

"While at the "depths" point, i'd urge you not to overlook "Kaana Karunguyile" and the election song "Annan Sethuvukku" and the 'emotions'. Small time landhu doesn't get captured better than this. And then there's "elangaathu veesudhe"... Its not just about kadal aazha sogam or negativity.
"
Ofcourse, CR. Enna, joy is not difficult to capture for ARRngaradhu ennoda personal opinion. ARR is also very good at invoking "divine", in the sufi way. I still bow to Khwaja mere Khwaja, that one stands up there with Janani Janani. But when it comes to negative emotions, I feel that Rahman's tendency to sugar-coat, probably a cosnequence of working with Mani, and his tendency to look down upon these emotions, I feel that comes in his way of being authentic about these.

Capturing small time landhu - again I will not go into whether Rahman can do this - but agree with you that there is more to Kaana karunguiyile than just being a mere item song. There is the specific rootedness, which you dont even get with the Gaana specialist Deva. This can only be a tamil semi-urban college, this can only be Sethu as defined by his demographic in the movie. I have described this in RS's blog before - that the soundtrack for Sethu is just Sethu's. It cant even sit in Pithamagan - this is where Raja is unsurpassable and this is probably the context of Bala's statement.
About small time landhu, note how Raja captures the same emotion again in Virumandi but in a ultra-rural, specifically maduria suthu vattaram context in Kombula Poova suthi. Indha subtle differences panna vera endha kombanalum mudiyadhu.