NETRU INDRU NALAI

Billed by the organisers as the 'Show of a Lifetime', the Fair & Lovely-Netru Indru Nalai musical nite, at the Indian Airlines Stadium, Meenambakkam, was definitely a star-studded event. The show produced by GSlot.com in aid of The Banyan, an NGO, was described by the comperes for the evening Revathi and Madhavan as a musical journey through more than 40 years, 4,000 movies and 40,000 songs of Tamil cinema.

The show started off with a dance performance by Aishwarya Rajnikanth, daughter of Tamil superstar Rajnikanth and also ended with her doing an encore to A R Rahman's Vandemataram who made a guest appearance. Another surprise treat for the audience was the coming of Hindi film actor Aaamir Khan, who along with Revathi, sang the Aati Kya Khandala song from his movie Ghulam.

Earlier in the evening, the music of the 70's was relived with some excellent performances by Sujatha and Unni Menon singing Vizhiye Kathai Ezuthu followed by Aval Oru Navarasa by SPB Charan. The audience was then enthralled by a voice, that has had them spell-bound for more than three decades - S Janaki. She sang some of her popular numbers of the 60's and 70's like Macchane Paarthingala and Senthura Poove. Then the trio of Abbas, Ramya Krishnan and Swarnamalya along with students of choreographers Kala and Brinda's dance school Kalalaya, performed a medley of dance numbers from the 60's and 70's like Lovebirds...Lovebirds, Maadi Mele Maadi, Yaaradi Nee Mohini among others.

The audience enjoyed some comic relief when Parthiban came on stage before the 80's was ushered in with Sippi Irukkuthu sung by Janaki and Charan. Almost all the 80's numbers like Idaya Nila by Charan, Kanne Kalaimane by Unni Menon, Edhedho by Chitra, Andhi Mazhai by Janaki and Charan, Ninnukori by Chitra, had music composed by Ilayaraja. Abbas and Ramya were back on stage for dance numbers from the 80's, but there was disappontment for the crowd as Kushboo could not perform due to a torn ligament in her leg.

While the 80's numbers were all Ilayaraja hits , the 90's had the modern musical heartthrob Rahman's numbers like Puthu Vellai Mazhai sung by Unni Menon and Sujatha, Margazhithingal by Srinivas and Janaki and Shankar Mahadevan singing Mudhalvane. Jyothika along with Abbas, had the audience swaying to a medley of fast paced 90's numbers like Macarena and Jumbalaka.

All in all, it was indeed a musical journey back in time.

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