We all have our versions of earworms, the ones that have you tapping your feet in the middle of the day because you remembered a certain lyric, or the ones that have you up and ready to dance, even at the nth listen. It has already been a pretty successful year for South Indian music, new songs have been gaining worldwide recognition, topping charts everywhere.
If there is one song that has been constantly charting since its release, it has to be Aavesham‘s Illuminati. The movie that follows Aju, Bibi and Shanthan and thieir tryst with gangster Ranga, is currently the fourth highest grossing Malayalam film of all time, third highest-grossing Malayalam film of 2024, fifth highest-grossing South Indian film of 2024 as well as one of the highest grossing Indian films of 2024. In spite of countless accolades, the cherry on top for the film is the instant sensation Illuminati.
Quite unlikely for a film typically invested with the gangster life, the comical takes in Illuminati were also particularly new for seasoned composer Sushin Shyam. Known for his work on films such as Varathan (2018), Kumbalangi Nights (2019), Minnal Murali (2021), Bheeshma Parvam (2022), Romancham (2023), Kannur Squad (2023) and Manjummel Boys (2024); the superhit composer took ques from Tamil dance numbers to capture the groove essential in the making of Illuminati.
For songwriter Vinayak Sasikumar, it was his poetic vision that helped complete the simple yet easily comprehensible lyric structure for the song. In an interview with the Times of India, Sasikumar admits to borrowing from general trends and lingo to add to the relativity of the song. In his own words,” I felt that no one would expect a word like this in a dappankuthu song and the novelty of it worked. While I knew Illuminati would click with listeners, I hadn’t expected to get this sort of response. I am getting messages from out the state too. I am thrilled at the attention that it is getting.”
As a matter of fact, Sasikumar was inspired to etch out a figurative ‘Mallu-minati’ from his real life experience with a gangster. For the electrifying vocals that provided the final push for the song, Dabzee, proved the perfect candidate. His voice added all the required colour for the circus scenario that represented the otherwise terrifying bunch of gangsters.
Considered a hit for all the right reasons, no moment is dull when you have Illuminati playing in the background! Check out the latest trending dance move for the song on Youtube shorts.
