Opera, jazz, and African a cappella enliven this key soundtrack

When the soundtrack for Tamil heist movie Thiruda Thiruda was released in 1993, young composer A. R. Rahman’s was intent on musical innovation. He spins Shivaranjani raga on its head in "Kannum Kannum", adding cheeky vocals from Mano, rousing synths and electric guitar. "Rasathi" features gospel-inspired a cappella harmonies led by the spellbinding playback singer Shahul Hameed, while "Veerapandi Kotayyile" juxtaposes military drums with gorgeous Western orchestral arrangements, further underlining Rahman’s increasingly prominent cosmopolitanism.