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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.

a) Raga Gyanam of Kavingyar

In the file ‘ Thiruvarutchelvar’, no one can forget the great song ‘ Mannan Vandhanadi’. This song was penned by Kannadasan and music by legendary KVM and sung by P.Suseela. I do not think we can ever get a better song in the Raga Kalyani in our tamil movies when compared to this song . This song has all the nuances of Kalyani in a capsule form.

In the Charanam, look at these lines,

Viraivinil Nee… Ni
Mana malar Tha .. tha
Thiru Marbaa… Pa
Thamadhama… Ma
Mayil ennai Ka… Ga

Ni.. tha.. Pa.. Ma.. Ga….
The words end in the avorahanam of Kalyani ( descending order of the musical notes)

Similarly, there is one stanza which will have the first letters in the arohanam ( ascending order).. I do not recollect the exact lines..

Sa…
Ri.. ri ga ma pa da ni sa..
Ka.. karunaiyin Thalaiva
Ma.. Madhi migu Mudhalva..

Do we have any such poet today ?

b) Kannadasan’s command over Language

Also, can any one forget the ‘Then’ song in Veera Abhimanu.. This duet is again a KVM song in Raga Sahana by PBS and PS.

Paarthen Rasithen pakkam vara thudithen
Unai then ena naan ninethen – andha
Malai then idhu ena malaithen

What about the ‘voor’ song in the file Oorkkaval.. PBS is the singer

Endha voor endravanae
Irundha voorai chollava
Andha voor neeyum kooda
Arindha voor allava

The great ‘ Kai’ Song ‘ Athhikkai Kaai kaai’ in Balae Paandiya.—About this song, I will dwell in detail subsequently.

c) Kannadasan’s knowledge of Litreature:

(i) There is one tamil poem in ‘Pura Nanooru’, the old tamil literature.

To know the meaning of this poem, you also need to know about the philanthrophist tamil King Paari. He was so noble and kind hearted that on one occasion, when he found a jasmine creeper without a support, he let his chariot as the support for the creeper so that it could grow. His fame and wealth was an eyesore to cheera , choola and Paandya kings and they waged a war against him and killed him. They also want to marry his daughters who were too young and the marriage proposal was stopped by Tamil Sage Avvaiyar.

The poem is written to a situation where, the daughters of Paari, on a full moon day, recalls that their father was with them on the last full moon day and he is now more now and they were grieving for his death.

The poem in chaste tamil starts as

Attrai thingal Auv Vennilavil…

Kannadasan has taken this incidence to write his song

‘Androru Naal Idhe Nilavil
Avar irundar en arugil’ in the film ‘Nadodi ‘ ( wagabond)

(ii) In Kamba Ramayanam, the poem which describes Kaiykeye seeking two boons from Dasaratha starts as

‘Aazhi sooz ulagelam Bharathanae Aaala’ and ends as ‘ Theeyavai yaavinum Sirandha Teeyal’
whereby kambar describes Kaiykeye as the worst of the worst for her act .

I think Kannadesan must have been inspired by these lines and in the movie ‘ Karnan’, there is a song by SG, Tirchy Lokanathan, PBS, TMS which is penned to the situation of Karnan performing pooja to his father Suryan ( the Sun God). There the stanza

Mannavar porulgalai Kai kondu…. Ends with ‘ VARUMAIKKU VARUMAIYAI VAITHTHOR MAAMANNAN VAZHGAVE…VAZGHA VAZGHA.

Here, he used two negatives ‘ Varumaikku Varumai’ to elate Karnan’s noble charity that there was no poverty because of his abundant charity.

Also, I feel vairamuthu must have been inspired by Kannadasan’s lines that he had sai ‘ maanatthin Maanathai vaangi vittan’ in the song ‘Poo Malai Vaangi Vanthan’ in Sindhu Bhairavi.

(iii) In one of the Sirappu Then Kinnam ( remember the yester years in Radio… Chennai Vaanoli Nilayam !!), Kannadasan himself had said that he wrote the song

Thookkamum Kankalai Thazuvattume
Amaithiyum Nenjinil Nilavattume

Since he was inspired by the lines of shakesphere in ‘Macbeth’

(iii) The famous song in ‘Vaazhkai Padagu’

‘ Neetru varai nee yaroo naan yaroo
Indru mudhal nee vaero naan vaero’

Is based on the ‘Pura Naanooru’ padal

‘ Yanum neeyum yaaraa giyaro
yendaiym numadiyum evan kollo
Sembulap peyar neer pola
Anbudai Nenjangal Tham Kalandaduvae’

(iv).. One Sanga kaala illakkiya padal was the inspiration for Kavingyar to write the famous song in “Balae Paandiya’ – ‘ Atthikkai Kai Kai’

One newly wed bride is separated from her husband since he need to be in the battle field shortly after the wedding. On the full moon day, the lady, is thinking about her husband and feeling lonely without him on a romantic night. She requests moon ‘ I am always remembering him but not sure about how he feels.. Already I am sore without him… you also do not add to my suffering with your full radiance.. instead of glowing here, you shower your moon light on the direction where my husband is so that he also gets romantic mood and gets back to me’

This is what the song

‘Athikkaai kaai kaai
Aalangai Vennilavae’

Athikkai is fig. Also it means glow in that direction ( thikku in tamil means direction / side).

What a great song.. full of name of various vegetables. At the same time, has got a different meaning in chaste tamil.



d) Ability to convey his message through his songs.

(i) Kavingyar came out of Congress but had great admiration for Kamaraj. He wanted to convey his respect and desire for an ever lasting association with Kamaraj. Hence

‘Andha sivagami maganidam sedhi solladi – yennai
serum naal parka solladi’

came in the movie ‘Pattanathil Bhoodam’. In the movie , the song was set as it to praise Lord Muruga..

Kamaraj’s Mother’s name is Sivagami !!

(ii) Similarly

Nalandana … Nalandana…
Udalum Ullamum Nalandana..

Nalam Pera vendum nee Yendru
Naalum Yen Nenjil Ninaivundu
Ilai marai kaai pol porul kondu
Yevarum ariyaamal sol indru….

Was written in ‘Thillana Moganaambal’ for as the meeting song between Sivaji and Padmini after sivaji’s injury.

But, this song is actually written with C.N. Annadurai in mind when he was ailing in the hospital and kavingyar was away from him .

One more great song by KVM in the raag Sivaranjani.


WILL WE EVER GET BACK A KAVINGYAR LIKE KANNADASAN ??

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Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: R. Mahendra Raj (@ 210.186.0.151) on: Mon Mar 10 04:56:32 EST 2003
  
  Some snippets on Kaviarasar -
  
  When kaviarasar married (his third) in the mid seventies he insisted on protocol and marriage formalities such as "maapillai azhaippu" which is usually meant for first-timers. He was stubborn like a child until these formalities were met!
  
  Once, en route his alma mater after returning from a social function with his friends which included publisher of Vaanathi Pagam, he asked his chaueffeur to stop by. He got down from his car and pissed on the wall of his former school and back again into his vehicle. Until they reached Madras he did not comment on this sudden behaviour. His co-passengers were puzzled as to why he chose his former school of all the places to 'download' although he did not have the urge as in an emergency. They concluded that it could be that his former teacher, Appadurai, had once chided him saying that he was only fit to be a cowherd! But that was decades ago. Just to prove him wrong he did that childish thing!
  
  Kaviarasar had many nicknames whilst schooling. Because of his height he was known as "kokku Muthiah", because of his fondness for food "saappatu Muthiah" and for his frequent abscondment from classes "kambi Muthiah" (from the idiom "kambiya neetu").
  
  
  
• From: Manisekaran (@ 61.6.39.139) on: Mon Mar 10 20:09:43 EST 2003
  
  
  Dear Mahendraraj,
  
  As Kannadasan was pissing his song "Malarnthum Malaratha paathi Malar Pola"was played on the radio. So he stopped half way. His intention of course was to curse his teacher.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• From: sankar (@ 203.124.138.34) on: Tue Mar 11 05:30:25 EST 2003
  
  Also, in the movie VELLI VIZHA by KB, there is one very good song, which is so beautifully penned to suit the situation and to explain the whole story in one song. A usual style of Kavingyar.
  
  S.Varalalshmi and Jayanthi will be playing 'chokkattan' on the vaikunta ekadesi night to stay awake. in other room, Gemini and Saradha will be playing chess. Jayanthi is very innocent and is worried about her husband's intimacy with Saradha ( his friend's sister).. The song ' Kai Niraya Soozhi, Kondu Vandhaen Maami, Kaayai vettalaama Kan vizhikkum Naazhi...' If you carefully listen to this song, this is one more Q & A song and each character will justify its role through the song lines.. I hope it is by KD ( or Vaali ?? )
  
  
• From: geeth (@ 195.39.134.84) on: Wed Mar 12 02:58:31 EST 2003
  
  unakendrum enakendrum uravu vaithaan
  iruvarin kaNakilum varavu vaithaan
  oruvarin kuralile mayanga vaithaan
  uNmaiyai athile uranga vaithaan
  
  a story in four lines - is it by kavinjar ?
  
  
• From: Saravanan (@ 213.42.1.173) on: Wed Mar 12 03:55:53 EST 2003
  
  geeth and Sankar: both the above songs are by Vaali, I think.
  
  
• From: R. Mahendra Raj (@ 210.186.2.10) on: Thu Mar 13 05:06:49 EST 2003
  
  Yes, Saravanan both the above songs are by Vaali (bye the bye, it is not Sharada but Vaanishree in "Velli Vizha").
  
  At one point of time confusion did take place as to the rightful author of certain songs even in the industry itself. Even Manorama, the seasoned artiste, wrongly quoted Kannadhasan as the writer of the song by Vaali "Kan Pone Pokile Kaal Pogalaama" (Panam Padaithavan 1965)at a public function. Vaali took all these sportingly as he was being equated with Kannadhasan within a short span of entering the industry!
  
  
  
  
  
• From: Manisekaran (@ 61.6.39.139) on: Thu Mar 13 19:16:39 EST 2003
  
  Avvai Nadarajan too had said ata public function that "Kaatru Vaanga ponene oru Kavithai vangi vanthen (Kalangarai Vilakkam) was penned by kannadasan. This was by Vali.
  
  

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