Jailer (soundtrack)

Jailer is the soundtrack album to the 2023 film of the same name directed by Nelson Dilipkumar, starring Rajinikanth. The film's original score is composed by Anirudh Ravichander, whose soundtrack consists of eight tracks: four songs written by Arunraja Kamaraj, Vignesh Shivan and Super Subu and four instrumental tracks. Three of them—"Kaavaalaa", "Hukum – Thalaivar Alappara" and "Jujubee"—were released as singles prior to the album's release on 28 July 2023, at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai.

Jailer
Soundtrack album cover
Soundtrack album by Anirudh Ravichander
Released	28 July 2023 (2023-07-28)
Recorded	2022–2023
Studio	Albuquerque Records, Chennai
Genre	Feature film soundtrack
Length	18:24
Language	Tamil
Label	Sun Pictures
Producer	Anirudh Ravichander
Anirudh Ravichander chronology
Thiruchitrambalam (2022) Jailer (2023) Jawan (2023)
External audio Jailer (Official Audio Jukebox) on YouTube
Singles from Jailer
"Kaavaalaa" Released: 6 July 2023 "Hukum – Thalaivar Alappara" Released: 17 July 2023 "Jujubee" Released: 26 July 2023

Background

Anirudh has been associated with Nelson since his directorial debut Kolamaavu Kokila (2018). The film also marked his third collaboration with Rajinikanth following Petta (2019) and Darbar (2020).^[1] He described the film's soundtrack as a "blend of mass appeal and emotional depth" with most of the themes and songs were composed with the fans mind, whereas the song "Kaavaalaa" was curated for younger audiences and female listeners, and "Rathamaarey" was composed in order to connect with families across all demographics.^[2]

Anirudh revealed that he did meet Shilpa Rao for recording one of the tracks in Jawan, as per Shah Rukh Khan's suggestion as she had earlier performed "Besharam Rang" in Pathaan. Simultaneously, he started recording the track "Kaavaalaa" and he had felt Rao's vocals were apt for the song. This was Rao's first Tamil song after a decade, after performing "Oru Maalai Neram" from Naan Mahaan Alla (2010).^[3] She rehearsed performing the lyrics for two days and sang the track within two hours. Nelson further suggested Arunraja Kamaraj to write the lyrics as he did not know Telugu and experimented on how a person who was unfamiliar on Telugu language, would write a Telugu song.^[4][5]

Anirudh's classmate Super Subu, who had been a fan of Rajinikanth, contributed two of the tracks in the album. Since Nelson and the studio executives suggested Subu's contribution to the soundtrack, Anirudh roped him to write the song "Hukum" which he finished within two hours.^[6]

Release

Jailer's soundtrack, consisting of eight songs released on 28 July 2023 through digital platforms.^[7] Its physical release, coincided with an event held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai,^[8][9] with the presence of the cast and crew, and also featured a live performance of Anirudh and his musical team.^[10] The event was later broadcast on Sun TV at 6 August.^[11][12]

Singles

"Kaavaalaa" the first song from the album was teased with a promotional video released on 3 July 2023.^[13] The single was released in digital platforms on 6 July 2023,^[14] and a lyrical video accompanying the song released through YouTube.^[15][16] Although the song garnered mixed reception,^[17] it became viral upon its release, crossing over 100 million views within a month.^[18][19] The hook step performed by Tamannaah Bhatia went viral on social media.^[20][21][22]

"Hukum", the second single from the album, released on 17 July 2023.^[23][24] Performed by Anirudh himself, the song was described as "an ode to Superstar's swag" according to The Indian Express.^[24] "Jujubee", the third single from the album, performed by Dhee, with backing vocals by Anirudh and Anantha Krishnan, released on 26 July 2023.^[25]

Track Listing

Jailer (Tamil) [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]

No.	Title	Lyrics	Singer(s)	Length
1.	"Kaavaalaa"	Arunraja Kamaraj	Shilpa Rao	3:10
2.	"Rathamaarey"	Vignesh Shivan	Vishal Mishra	4:12
3.	"Hukum – Thalaivar Alappara"	Super Subu	Anirudh Ravichander, Rajinikanth[lower-alpha 1]	3:27
4.	"Jujubee"	Super Subu	Dhee, Anantha Krishnan, Anirudh Ravichander	2:47
5.	"Muthuvel Pandian Theme" (Instrumental)	—	—	1:42
6.	"Jailer Theme" (Instrumental)	—	—	1:02
7.	"Jailer Drill Theme" (Instrumental)	—	—	0:43
8.	"Alappara Theme" (Instrumental)	—	—	1:17
Total length:				18:20

Jailer (Telugu) [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]

No.	Title	Lyrics	Singer(s)	Length
1.	"Kaavaali"	Sri Sai Kiran	Sindhuja Srinivasan	3:10
2.	"Hukum"	Bhaskarabhatla	Anirudh Ravichander, Dinker Kalvala	3:27
3.	"Bandhamele"	Krishna Kanth	PVNS Rohit	4:12
4.	"Jujubee"	Srinivasa Mouli	Anirudh Ravichander, Sahithi Chaganti, Anantha Krishnan	2:47
5.	"Muthuvel Pandian Theme" (Instrumental)	—	—	1:42
6.	"Jailer Theme" (Instrumental)	—	—	1:02
7.	"Jailer Drill Theme" (Instrumental)	—	—	0:43
Total length:				17:06

Rajini The Jailer (Malayalam) [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]

No.	Title	Lyrics	Singer(s)	Length
1.	"Kaavaalaa"	Deepak Ram	Sindhuja Srinivasan	3:10
2.	"Hukum"	Deepak Ram	Arjun Vijay	3:27
3.	"Vennilavin"	Deepak Ram	PVNS Rohit	4:12
4.	"Jujubee"	Deepak Ram	Anirudh Ravichander, Sahithi Chaganti, Anantha Krishnan	2:47
5.	"Muthuvel Pandian Theme" (Instrumental)	—	—	1:42
6.	"Jailer Theme" (Instrumental)	—	—	1:02
7.	"Jailer Drill Theme" (Instrumental)	—	—	0:43
Total length:				17:06

Jailer (Kannada) [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]

No.	Title	Lyrics	Singer(s)	Length
1.	"Kaavaalaayya"	Varadaraj Chikkaballapura	Sindhuja Srinivasan	3:10
2.	"Hukum"	Varadaraj Chikkaballapura	Lokeshwar Edara	3:27
3.	"Bandhamele"	Varadaraj Chikkaballapura	PVNS Rohit	4:12
4.	"Jujubee"	Varadaraj Chikkaballapura	Anirudh Ravichander, Sahithi Chaganti, Anantha Krishnan	2:47
5.	"Muthuvel Pandian Theme" (Instrumental)	—	—	1:42
6.	"Jailer Theme" (Instrumental)	—	—	1:02
7.	"Jailer Drill Theme" (Instrumental)	—	—	0:43
Total length:				17:06

Rajini the Jailer (Hindi) [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]

No.	Title	Lyrics	Singer(s)	Length
1.	"Tu Aa Dilbara"	Raqueeb Alam	Sindhuja Srinivasan	3:10
2.	"Hukum"	Raqueeb Alam	Ritesh G. Rao	3:27
3.	"Tu Mera Hai"	Raqueeb Alam	PVNS Rohit	4:12
4.	"Jujubee"	Raqueeb Alam	Anirudh Ravichander, Sahithi Chaganti, Anantha Krishnan	2:47
5.	"Muthuvel Pandian Theme" (Instrumental)	—	—	1:42
6.	"Jailer Theme" (Instrumental)	—	—	1:02
7.	"Jailer Drill Theme" (Instrumental)	—	—	0:43
Total length:				17:06

Extended Soundtrack

After the film's release, an additional 5 tracks were revealed.

No.	Title	Singer(s)	Length
1.	"Tiger Transformation" (Instrumental)	Anirudh Ravichander	4:25
2.	"Feel of Jailer" (Instrumental)	Vishal Mishra	3:10
3.	"Mathew Theme" (Instrumental)	—	2:10
4.	"Narasimha Theme" (Instrumental)	—	0:58
5.	"Varman Theme" (Instrumental)	—	1:20
Total length:			12:33

Reception

Siddharth Srinivas of Only Kollywood gave 3.25 stars out of five and wrote "Jailer is a soundtrack that is not upto the best of Anirudh, but still works well thanks to the high-voltage elevation themes that he brings in."^[26] Meera Venugopal of Radio Mirchi called the album as a "tribute to the superstar".^[27] M Suganth, in his review for The Times of India complimented the background score "elevating the film", but criticized the songs as "average".^[28] Gopinath Rajendran of The Hindu praised the music as a "banger".^[29] Kirubakar Purushothaman of The Indian Express said that Anirudh's music provides "thrust to an already speeding train".^[30] Janani K of India Today felt that Anirudh "acts as a solid pillar of support for the film. His thumping background score will make you enjoy Rajinikanth’s swag."^[31] Bharathy Singaravel of The News Minute wrote "Anirudh is clearly the music composer to go to for a lavish dose of theatrics in a film that’s already bursting at the seams with what millennials will describe as being 'extra'. While such an approach can easily misfire, in Jailer, it comes together fluidly."^[32] Pratikshya Mishra of The Quint felt that the song "Hukum" works as a "powerful leit motif that scores some of the film’s most effective scenes".^[33]

References

1. "Thalaivar 169: Rajinikanth joins forces with Beast director Nelson Dilipkumar". The Indian Express. 10 February 2022. Archived from the original on 10 February 2022. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
2. "'Ani, My God': Anirudh Ravichander On How Rajinikanth Reacted To Jailer Background Score". News18. 10 August 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
3. "Originally, Rajini sir was not to be a part of Kaavalaa". Cinema Express. Archived from the original on 22 August 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
4. Behind the Groove: Anirudh about the Making of Kaavaalaa! (Television production) (in Tamil). Sun TV. 16 August 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
5. Federal, The (16 July 2023). "Kaavaalaa: Viral song from Jailer latest to try mish-mash of languages". The Federal. Archived from the original on 22 August 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
6. Anirudh Reveals the Magic Behind 'Hukum' Song (Television production) (in Tamil). Sun TV. 16 August 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
7. Sun Pictures [@sunpictures] (28 July 2023). "The complete package💥 #Jailer audio jukebox is out now!" (Tweet). Retrieved 28 July 2023 – via Twitter.
8. "'Jailer' audio launch - The 'Superstar' tag has always been a problem: Rajinikanth". The Hindu. 29 July 2023. Archived from the original on 22 August 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
9. "Rajinikanth at Jailer audio launch: 'This Padayappa lost his face in front of Neelamabari because of Nelson Dilipkumar'". The Indian Express. 7 August 2023. Archived from the original on 8 August 2023. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
10. "Jailer: Anirudh Ravichander performs Hukum song live in the theatre; audience cheer with whistles". PINKVILLA. 10 August 2023. Archived from the original on 22 August 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
11. "Jailer Audio Launch to be telecast on Sun TV". Moviecrow. 29 July 2023. Archived from the original on 22 August 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
12. "Rajinikanth's 'Jailer' audio launch to be aired on television on THIS date". The Times of India. 1 August 2023. Archived from the original on 22 August 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
13. "'Jailer' first single promo: 'Kaavaalaa' is a fun-filled talk between Anirudh and Nelson". The Times of India. 4 July 2023. Archived from the original on 8 August 2023. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
14. "Jailer's first single Kaavaalaa to be out on this date". Cinema Express. Archived from the original on 22 August 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
15. "Jailer song Kaavaalaa: Tamannaah Bhatia and Rajinikanth shake a leg to Anirudh Ravichander's new catchy song". The Indian Express. 6 July 2023. Archived from the original on 9 July 2023. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
16. "'Kaavaalaa': Rajinikanth, Tamannaah shake a leg in this peppy first single from 'Jailer'". The Hindu. 6 July 2023. Archived from the original on 6 July 2023. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
17. Suraj (6 July 2023). "Anirudh Disappointed Audiences Again With Jailer First Single". TrackTollywood. Archived from the original on 22 August 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
18. "10 கோடி பார்வைகளைக் கடந்து காவாலா பாடல் சாதனை". Dinamani (in Tamil). 5 August 2023. Archived from the original on 7 August 2023. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
19. "Korean men's dance to Tamannaah Bhatia and Rajinikanth's Kaavaalaa goes viral". Filmfare. Archived from the original on 22 August 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
20. "Tamannaah's hook steps in 'Kaavaalaa' takes internet by storm. Fans call her Indian Shakira". Onmanorama. 11 July 2023. Archived from the original on 9 August 2023. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
21. "'Kaavaalaa' becomes a global trend, Japan Ambassador Hiroshi Suzuki & YouTuber Mayo san groove to song from Rajinikanth's 'Jailer'". The Economic Times. 17 August 2023. ISSN 0013-0389. Archived from the original on 22 August 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
22. "Tamannaah Bhatia Grooves To 'Kavaalaa' From Jailer, Fans Call It 'Better Than The Original'; Watch". News18. 8 July 2023. Archived from the original on 22 August 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
23. Cyril, Grace (15 July 2023). "Jailer song Hukum teaser out: Rajinikanth steals the show in Anirudh's composition". India Today. Archived from the original on 17 July 2023. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
24. "Hukum: Second single from Rajinikanth's Jailer is an ode to superstar's swag". The Indian Express. 17 July 2023. Archived from the original on 18 August 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
25. Mukherjee, Anindita (26 July 2023). "Jujubee out now! Rajinikanth's swag is swoon-worthy in third Jailer song". India Today. Archived from the original on 26 July 2023. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
26. Srinivas, Siddarth (29 July 2023). "Jailer Songs Review". Only Kollywood. Archived from the original on 18 August 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
27. "Anirudh Ravichanders album for Rajinikanths Jailer is a tribute to the superstar". mirchi.in. Archived from the original on 18 August 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
28. "Jailer Movie Review : It's director Nelson's show in the first half, superstar Rajini takes the baton in the second half". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 14 August 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
29. "'Jailer' movie review: Rajinikanth and Nelson make a captivating comeback that majorly works". The Hindu. 10 August 2023. Archived from the original on 18 August 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
30. "Jailer review: Rajinikanth and Nelson Dilipkumar rediscover alchemy of a good masala film". The Indian Express. 10 August 2023. Archived from the original on 10 August 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
31. "'Jailer' Review: Rajinikanth returns to supreme form in Nelson Dilipkumar's film". India Today. Archived from the original on 10 August 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
32. "Jailer review: Rajinikanth is the heart of Nelson's quirky, fun film". The News Minute. 10 August 2023. Archived from the original on 18 August 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
33. Mishra, Pratikshya (10 August 2023). "'Jailer' Review: Rajinikanth Is Back in Complete, Majestic Form". TheQuint. Archived from the original on 10 August 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2023.

Notes

1. For dialogues