Nadigaiyar Thilagam strikes a balance between nostalgia and contemporary production. The movie tells the story of South Indian actress Savitri in her mid-century heyday, and composer Mickey J Meyer deftly captures the era with “Kutti Rani”—a time capsule of retro sounds featuring infectious, upbeat harmonium and tablas. “Thandhaay” and “Mauna Mazhayilae” look back on a bygone period—the latter through dreamy vocals, a sampled intro and brass fanfare—while “Mahanadi” bridges the gap between classical tropes and modern beats.