Yaaro Ivan (Thiruda Thiruda)

"Yaaro Ivan," from Mani Ratnam's 1993 caper *Thiruda Thiruda*, is early A.R. Rahman at his most exuberantly experimental, a song that helped redefine what Tamil film music could sound like. Layered hand percussion, folk-flavored chants, and a restless rhythmic drive collide with Rahman's signature synth textures, producing something that feels simultaneously rooted in village tradition and electrified for a new era. The vocals are full-throated and call-and-response, a chorus of voices chasing the central question — "who is this man?" — with playful, almost conspiratorial energy that suits the film's tale of thieves and intrigue. The arrangement refuses to sit still: tempos surge, instruments cut in and out, and the whole thing pulses with the kinetic mischief of a chase scene. Lyrically it's all teasing curiosity and roguish charm, the communal wonder around a mysterious figure. Culturally, it's a landmark — proof that Rahman could fuse folk authenticity with bold studio modernism without losing either. Decades on it still sounds startlingly fresh. Put it on when you want momentum: a long drive, a workout, or any moment that calls for the irrepressible, sun-baked energy of vintage Tamil cinema at its most inventive and alive.