Ennai Eduthu Thannai Koduthu..Ponavan Ponandi" from the movie "Padagotti", this is absolutely one of my favorites, from the time I heard the original track pyramiding Smt. Susheela's voice. That intro is something. I would call it her signature piece. She showed us what we expected of her, dramatizing the florid passages in that divine voice of hers or simply gave it her personal touch. The subtle rhythm and sophisticated tonal controls delivered an musical ambience in an unusual way. It is a puritan classic.

Her voice is huge and gigantic but with amazing flexibility supported by exquisite VR's musical patterns. It is a force of nature capable of performing the most mind-boggling like coloratura (should I admit on par with Joan Sutherland's rendition of Vincenzo Bellini's "Norma" or "Son vergin vezzosa" from "I Puritani"). Only Susheela's voice and her very secure technique can sing very demanding piece.

She meets the high note requirements easily and seems extremely aggressive. Here, the diva shakes off all here jealous critics that she is the only real dramatic mezzo soprano out there and set the standard for a masterpiece.

To ask for more expressive power would be missing the point; that is not what this rendition is about. It is perfectly chosen to display the best qualities of Susheela's voice at its peak.

She sang in very high tessituras (an operatic term) and managed to make every word comprehensible (unlike the current crop). It was spectacular in their regularity and precision and had very accurate pitch but at the same time more poignant. Smt. Susheela makes the listener aware that she is aware of every word she sings and every one of them brims with dramatic meaning at strident high notes (seems to me she has Montesarrat Caballe's platinum overtones at some finishing edges).

The orchestra of VR is competent (likened it to Dvorak's arrangement for Largo) against the background of Susheela's serene expressiveness and warm acoustics as she redeems the song. She gave us the real thing