A winning pairing of retro love songs and timeless filmi anthems

On this soundtrack for a biopic of actor and politician J. Jayalalithaa, G. V. Prakash Kumar draws from familiar templates. Tracks like “Teri Aankhon Mein” successfully recreate the sweetness of songs from the 1960s while anthems such as “Hai Kamaal”—where the composer employs strings to grand effect—are more contemporary. The zeal of Kumar and his singers’ performances prevent these tunes from sounding clichéd. The composer also finds inspiration close to home—the Indian classical elements and modern production on “Nain Bandhe Naino Se” are reminiscent of his uncle, A. R. Rahman.