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KAVIYARASU KANNADASAN

Topic started by On behalf of Sankar (@ 210.186.51.129) on Mon Dec 30 07:11:34 EST 2002.
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

Kaaviyathayin Illaya magan
Kadhal Pengalin Perun thalaivan
Paamara jaadiyil thani manidan – naan
Padaippadhanal yen per Iraivan

Naan Manida jaadiyai aati vaipen – avar
Maandu vital adhai paadi vaipen
NAAN NIRANDARAM AANAVAN AZHIVADILAI
ENDA NILAYILUM ENAKKU MARANAM ILLAI

These are the great lines of Kaviyarasu Kannadasan in the movie Ratha Thilakam where he acts in the movie singing these lines. ( Song.. Oru Koopayilae yen kudiyiruppu)

What a visionary he was ? Indeed, he is NIRANDARAMAANAVAN.

I share some of my observations about Kavingyar. I want all the fans of HIM to join this discussion and add more quality material in praise of his great works.
This is the only way we pay tributes to this GENIUS.
WILL WE EVER GET BACK A KAVINGYAR LIKE KANNADASAN ??

Read the complete opening post here.

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Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: Chandrasekaran (@ 168.168.67.112) on: Thu Apr 10 11:03:16 EDT 2003
  
  Mahendra Raj:
  Wonderful work. Please continue to show the greatness and life of this poet.
  
  In the early 90s I saw a TV program in S'pore featuring KVM and Pugazhendhi's interview.
  They mentioned about their experience composing the grandeur Mannavan Vandhanadi Song.
  The song reflects all the details of the magnificent Kalyani raga. The words were
  superbly interwoven with the swara structure. Pugazhendi mentioned that both he and KVM
  were awe struck when Kannadasan, composed the line Ri... ri ga ma pa da ni sa.., while giving
  suitable words for the ending notes (ni, dha, pa, ma, ga) and begining
  notes (sa, ri, ga, ma, pa, da, ni). Pugazhendi, when reminiscing this incident, was in tears
  and mentioned that Kannadasan had a fairly good knowledge of ragas and notes.
  
  MahendraRaj, there could be some more incidents like that. If you know any, please shed some
  light.
  
  
• From: R. Mahendra Raj (@ 203.106.49.17) on: Thu Apr 10 11:36:30 EDT 2003
  
  Subbu, sorry I was too busy that I forgot to read my e-mail which had accumalated over the brim! You can try sending it now as I have cleared all the old messages.
  
  Regards,
  
  R. Mahendra Raj
  
  
• From: R. Mahendra Raj (@ 203.106.49.17) on: Thu Apr 10 11:43:22 EDT 2003
  
  Puvanes, great going with the comparisons. Keep it up. Please see my earlier posting on the song "Undaakki vittavargal rendu peyru".
  
  By the way, it sometimes perplexes me to note that our forefathers refer to the final journey underground as 'six feet' but there are also others who say it is 'eight feet' like the above song. What about the the song "Aadi adangum vazhakaiyadaa aaradi nilame sonthamaada" ('Neerkumuzhi' 1966)?
  
  
• From: Udhaya (@ 64.136.26.31) on: Thu Apr 10 18:36:42 EDT 2003
  
  I think 6 feet is the depth below the ground (in English they say six feet under to mean a dead person)and 8 feet is the length of the burial pit.
  
  Anyway, Mahendra Raj,
  Do you know anything about the origination of the pallavi, "Naan Kavingyanum illai nalla rasiganum illai"? I know the rest of the song fits the situation perfectly but the pallavi seems to be an inside reference.
  
  
• From: R. Mahendra Raj (@ 210.186.1.176) on: Thu Apr 10 23:43:05 EDT 2003
  
  Thanks for the clarification, Udhaya.
  
  During the period of this film "Padithaal Mattum Pothuma?" (1962) kaviarasar was in dizzy heights and ruling the fort. This was the time he came out of DMK and penned the song also in this film "Annan kaatiya vazhiyamma" - a blunt reference to Annadurai.
  
  As he was very very active in both the cinema field and politics there were some who started to spread rumours that he was high-headed etc. To disprove this accusation kaviarasar wanted to be seen as humble as possible and just like any other ordinary folk - hence the song "Naan kavinganum illai". Of course, the last line was meant for the story in the film "..naan konduvantha penmanikku pennmaiyillaiae".
  
  Incidentally, in this same film through the title song "Oho oho manithargalae oduvathu engey sollungal" he hit out at the same critics while trying to be philosophical. Kaviarasar is indeed an expert in trying to be humble on one hand and extremely sarcastic on the other!
  
  Each morning when driving to work I observe the fast-paced activity in Kuala Lumpur with people rushing here, there and nowhere. The lines "Oho oho manithargalae oduvathengey sollungal, Unnmaiyai vaangi poiggalai vittru uruppadavaarungal" immediately flashes my mind. How apt even after more than four decades of penning!
  
  Another song in the film "Thannilavo theyniruthi" was by Thooyavan (I stand corrected) but somehow gets passed off as kaviarasar's. This is due to the fact that this was the only song in the film not written by kaviarasar but fans refused to acknowledge this. May be all this praises and accolodes showered on kaviarasar made his fellow opponents jealous.
  
  I will get back soon on the other comments, bye for now folks!.
  
  
• From: Subbu (@ 216.52.49.9) on: Fri Apr 11 00:23:47 EDT 2003
  
  M.Raj,
  
  "ThaNNilavu" was written by Mayavanathan (Thooyavan illai). I heard that Kannadasan encouraged Mayavanathan and even praised his lyrics "ThaNNilavu thenirukka thazhai maram neer kodukka". Your comments?
  
  
• From: R. Mahendra Raj (@ 210.186.1.176) on: Fri Apr 11 00:42:06 EDT 2003
  
  Chandrasekaran, thanks for the info which was also in the opening of this thread by Sankar.
  Kindly refer to the 'Old Postings' re - the background to the songs.
  
  I am trying to recollect to the best of my ability and as and when it surfaces I will surely post it here. Rest assured.
  
  When you were mentioning about "Mannavan vanthanaadi" I just realised that I forgot to add something pertinent about 'Aboorva Raagangal' posted very much earlier in this thread.
  
  Being a trend setter KBalachander requested MSV to dig the archives for an unique raaga to be utilised as the signature song for this film. After much efforts MSV came out with his find - a raaga known as 'balagari' or something like that. Itg seems that this raaga was the fifth in the musical order and unique in the sense that it is seldom used. Basing on this raaga KB asked kaviarasar to come out with an appropriate song. Thus the now-still-popular song 'Athisiya raagam' was created by kaviarasar.
  
  A rare occasion indeed for kaviarasar was known to pen his songs first and then let the MDs concerned give appropriate tunes. He did this for the same of his good pal, KBalachandar.
  
  
• From: Saravanan (@ 213.42.1.171) on: Fri Apr 11 01:42:54 EDT 2003
  
  Mahendra Raj,
  
  Thanks for reminding ‘Aadi adangum vaazhkaiyada, aaradi nilame sondhamada’- a great song by Suradha bringing across the same message that Leo Tolstoy brought in ‘How much land does a man need’. In the 90s, Sembaruthi had a song that goes ‘Nadandhaal irandadi, irundhaal naangadi, paduthaal aaradi podhum’.
  
  ‘Thannilavu theniraikka thaazhaimaram neer thelikka’ was by Mayavanathan. He was among the many lyricists, who though talented, could never make it big.
  
  Reg. ‘Adhisaya Ragam’, I have read that it is based on a rare ragam called Mahathi, though it said that the song changes to Bhairavi ragam in the lines ‘Aval oru Bhairavi’ (which is Srividya’s name in the film!)
  
  
• From: Udhaya (@ 64.136.26.31) on: Fri Apr 11 01:58:05 EDT 2003
  
  an irrelevant but interesting note:
  The confusion about Mayavanathan or Thooyavan discussed right before "Mannavan Vandhanadi" got me thinking about the lines "Maayavanoa, Thooyavanoa...nanariyaen" from the song. Strangely coincidental.
  
  Going back to Kannadhaasan's feelings about MGR and Sivaji, the poet explicitly writes about it in one of his books, "Vanavaasam" or "Manavaasam." He said that Sivaji was professional, he never committed himself for or against anyone. When Kannadhaasan had a tough time with one of Sivaji's producers, Sivaji didn't do anything. But MGR would go out of his way to anoint a favorite (or bury an adversary). If memory serves me right, it was during such a rift between the poet and some producer of Sivaji movies that MGR invited Kannadhaasan to his camp.
  
  -About the movie "Magadevi": When I watched it recently I couldn't believe the complexity of Veerappaa's character and his bipolar personality. Though MGR is the hero and gets the songs, the girl and the victory in the end, it's Veerappaa who dominates the story as a tremendously rich character. I remember thinking Veerappa's character was very much like a tragic Shakespearean hero or anti-hero rather with his mad overpowering obsession, immense greed and lust. The song "Kaamugan manadhil" is all character definition. M.N.Rajam also plays a fascinating character. To now learn that Kannadhaasan scripted the movie, elevates him in my esteem even more. I bet that if MGR hadn't been involved in this project, this would've been a landmark art movie with complex, morally ambiguous characters.
  
  
• From: bb (@ 12.234.176.52) on: Fri Apr 11 02:30:58 EDT 2003
  
  Manisegaran has narrated interesting incidents about "Magaadevi", about how Kannadasan was not given a free hand, and how MGR kept interfering. Read his second post in this page: http://www.newtfmpage.com/my/mani/trm.html
  
  
• From: R.Mahendra Raj (@ 210.186.1.176) on: Fri Apr 11 03:54:58 EDT 2003
  
  Subbu, to tell you the truth I typed the name of Mayavanathan but I don't know what made me delete his name and substitute it with 'Thuuyavan'! Anyway thanks for the correction.
  
  Speaking of Mayavanathan ,aha! here is something.
  
  For whatever reasons best known to director Bhimsingh himself kaviarasar was not engaged to write songs for 'Bhanda Paasam' (1963). Bhimsingh traditionally used the prefix 'Pa' for the title of his films for sentimental reasons. All his films except for one or two had the MSV-TKR and Kannadhasan combination and they went on to become box-office hits.
  
  However, it seems, the drafts of the songs were first brought to the attention of kaviarasar before being faired. Kaviarasar amended one word in the line from 'vidhai' to 'surai' for the song "Nitham nitham maarugindrethannayo" to give it a more realistic effect.
  
  Still there are people who assume that all the songs in 'Bhanda Paasam' are by kaviarasar due to the simplicity of the words especially in the song "Kavalaigal kidagattum maranthuvidu". Kaviarasar really was a trend-setter for others to follow!
  
  Even when his assistant, Panju Arunachalam, was given the opportunity to write the song "Manamagalae marumagalae vaa vaa" ('Sharada' 1962) it was kaviarasar who faired the draft after making some cosmetic changes.
  
  It was a well-known fact that MGR felt the loss of kaviarasar's works when he fell out with the latter in 1965 due to political reasons. Although Vaali was taken into his camp nevertheless he yearned kaviarasar's penmanship especially on the theme of love for his films.
  
  He booked Panju Arunachalam to write the song "Ponnathil poothathu puthuvaanil" ('Kalangarai Vilakaam' 1965) knowing only too well that kaviarasar will give a helping hand to his assistant (Panju). True enough, kaviarasar amended the original draft and passed it back to Panju who in turn got the sanction of MGR.
  
  MGR closed an eye over the whole situation and did kaviarasar mind it? Never, he just took it in his stride!
  
  In this week's Kumudham I read an interview with Nasser, the cine actor who was asked to comment on the present position of songs in Tamil films. He commented that the present position is unlike the era where even Kannadhasan had refused to write songs for MGR's films.
  
  It is gratifying to note that kaviarasar's name is still being quoted in the film circle for his greatness by second and third generation artistes.
  
  
  
  
  
• From: RR (@ 203.199.213.4) on: Fri Apr 11 04:21:31 EDT 2003
  
  The unique aspect of Mahati is that it is four-note raga.
  
  

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