Karnan brings together two different musical worlds

Santhosh Narayanan’s rousing score and songs add to the sense of rebellion in Dhanush-starrer Karnan

The sounds of nagaswaram and an international orchestra rub shoulders in the musical score of the recent Tamil film Karnan. The story of a protagonist defending the rights and dignity of the people in his village is compelling not just due to its myriad characters and powerful performances. Directed by Mari Selvaraj and starring Dhanush, the film breathes fire and fury in many of its sequences, and the songs and score fully complement its tone. Karnan inhabits two different musical worlds. One is rooted in Tamil culture and brings forth the musicality of the land that its creator (director Mari Selvaraj) largely grew up in and drew inspiration from. The other is the score provided by FAME’s Macedonian Symphonic Orchestra, one that alternately nosedives and takes off in a musical sense.