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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 (@ 210.186.0.43) on: Sat Mar 22 00:20:33 EST 2003
  
  Hi folks! Last night I happened to catch up with the movie 'Thiyaagam' (1979) in the satellite channel and that prompted me to write something on Iliayaraja & Kannadhasan.
  
  Ilayaraja had been a fan of kaviarasar even from his younger days. His favourite song of kaviarasar is 'maalai pozhutin mayakathille' (Bhagya Lakshmi 1961)and he had said this too often. The first time he met him was when he was playing an accompanying musical instrument with GK Venkatesh who was assisting MSV for the composition of the song 'thean sinduthae vaanam' ('Ponnukku Thanga Manasu 1974). As it was well known kaviarasar was close to MSV and to a lesser extent KVM. Although kaviarasar introduced the Shankar Ganesh pair into the music world (actually it was on recommendation of Panchu Arunasalam)he was still close to MSV. Ilayaraja just did'nt have the chance to fraternise with him even after shooting to fame through 'Annakili'.
  
  It was after the song 'Maathavin Koyilile' (Achaani 1978) that kaviarasar noticed the genuis in Ilayaraja. The tune of this song moved him. Thereafter their relationship grew. Ilayaraja had once quoted that the song "nallavarkellam saatchigal rendu" ('Thiayagam 1979)was written for him as he felt that at that time there were some who were jealous of his sudden popularity and kaviarasar knew about this - hence this song. Ilayaraja remained close to him so much so that it was he who accompanied kaviarasar in his (Ilayaraja's) car to the Madras airport to see him off (the last)to the US.
  
  Ilayaraja ,for all purposes and intent, when commenting on lyrics always gives credit to kaviarasar for his penmanship much to the chagrin of Vairamuthu. When Vairamuthu was sidelined and was down in the dumps during the early nineties, it seems, upon Ilayaraja's insistence the song "Kanmani Anbodu" ('Guna' 1991) was written having Vairamuthu in mind. The 'ponmani' happened to be Vairamuthu's wife who assisted the former in writing poems. Ilayaraja wanted the public to know that Vairamuthu gets assistance from his wife and at the same time sarcastically inquires the then position of Vairamuthu. The song goes to show that even a character who is a manic depressive patient (Kamal's character in this film) can come out with beautiful poetic lines better than professional poets!
  
  It so happened that when AR Rahman became the tops and when Vairamuthu combined with him he took the opportunity to respond to Ilayaraja through the song "mettu podu" ('Duet' 1992). In this song he says that there is no hindrance to his thoughts and flows and challenges Ilayaraja to compose like ARR. Listening to both these songs one can draw some inferences but how far both the situations are true can only be attested through the horses' mouths i.e. Ilayaraja and Vairamuthu!
  
  In a tribute to kaviarasar Vairamuthu said that the first time he had met him as a film song writer was when working for the film "Tik Tik Tik' (1980). He recalled that the moment kaviarasar stepped into the room he commanded that the burning incense sticks which were lighted at that time be extinguished for he has become allergic to everything except jasmine and women! He was not in good health at that time but his mind was as steady as ever. Vairamuthu was astonished with kaviarasar's instant wit and humour.
  
  Vairamuthu was also awed when kaviarasar penned the song "azghagae, azhagae deyvathai" (Raja Paarvai 1980). I could'nt remember whether it was Kamal or Vairamuthu who commented that it was the first time such a song was written for a blind man character describing the beauty of a woman through the mind's eyes! (The latest movie 'Kaasi'(2002) also none).
  
  Sorry for the deviation but as you know when you write on something it inevitably leads on to other things sundry! I will give some inputs on Modern Theatres in a short while.
  
  Bye for now, folks!
  
  
• From: Saravanan (@ 213.42.1.173) on: Sat Mar 22 01:19:14 EST 2003
  
  Mahendraraj, that was very interesting.
  
  Btw, GKV was himself the MD for Ponnukku Thanga Manasu- He wasn't assisting MSV then.
  
  Addendum on PTM- while waiting for Kannadasan to come to write the lyrics for a song, GKV started composing the tune, and Gangai Amaran, who also part of GKV's troup, wrote the dummy words as 'Neram iravu neram, idhu thaane uravu neram'. And when Kanndasan turned up, GKV played the tune, singing these dummy words, Kannadasan is said to have nodded his head with appreciation, and retained the same words, and continued to write the remaining lyrics. Gangai Amaran recalled this incident in an interview.
  
  The song, sung by LRE, is a captivating melody.
  
  
• From: R. Mahendra Raj (@ 203.106.49.79) on: Sat Mar 22 10:12:27 EST 2003
  
  Hi! folks, ever noticed philosophical songs in Modern Theatre films were rare, save for the occasional songs like "Ithu neerodum" (Justice Viswanathan 1971), "Anubavi Joraa Anubavi" (Iru Vallavargal 1966) etc?. Could it be that MTL wanted to produce entertainment movies only without the usual formula of having philosophical songs? Folks your comments are invited for I may be wrong.
  
  Coming to MTL - Kaviarasar started his film career here on a monthly payroll for editing its film journal. ST Sundram, the proprietor, was known to be a disciplinarian at all levels. Every thing was systematically done and he did not condone any form of indiscipline. He ensured that male and female artistes were billeted seperately and at a distance of course.
  
  Mukhta V. Seenivasan was the manager of MTL in charge of administration which includes the overseeing of meals supply and laundry needs of those on its payroll.
  
  There arrived one young female artiste to join MTL and, boys being boys, could'nt resist making friends with her including our kaviarasar. This female artiste did not succumb to the armourous advances of the males. When Sundram came to know about this he decided that it was best she is accomodated in a hotel far away from the studio. That dampened the efforts of all those romeos but not kaviarasar.
  
  He somehow managed to locate the hotel and began to strike a relationship with this artiste. It was more than he bargained for as her response was more than kaviarasar had bargained for. She succumbed to this debonair! Upon his return he bragged to everyone about his achievement like a college student telling everything in detail! The others were surprised since kaviarasar was not that dashing as the others who were better manicured then him! He managed to hoodwink Sundram which was a record of sorts at that time.
  
  Kaviarasar used to feel depressed and out of place whenever he was ridiculed by senior lyricists at MTL. They used to pass snide remarks on his ability in his presence. He carried on patiently and within a short span of time he overshadowed them all. Patience and perserverance paid off and he used to cite this as an example to budding artistes.
  
  This is one gem which I find that even MGR who was known for his generosity could not equal kaviarasar's act.
  
  A distant relative who was a near pauper used to visit kaviarasar occasionally at MTL and each time the latter would give him some cash for his expenses. One morning Mukhtha Seenivasan saw this man entering kaviarasar's room. Later in the afternoon Mukhtha knocked on the door to remind kaviarasar about his lunch only to hear kaviarasar's voice saying that he is not hungry. Later in the evening again he knocked to remind about the tea time and when he got the same reply he was curious. He was worried that kaviarasar may be ill or sosmething like that because he had never stayed in like this before. He requested kaviarasar to open the door and upon entering saw kaviarasar with only a towel wrapped around his waist. Kaviarasar asked him whether the laundry had arrived to which Muktha replied that he will go and find out.
  
  Upon Muktha's insistence kaviarasar told him the truth. This distant relative had come that morning to borrow a laundered veshti as he had to go to some important place. Seeing that all his attire were with the laundry kaviarasar undid the veshti he was wearing which he had tied only that morning and handed over to the relative. He remained near naked just to help someone in need without any publicity of his magnamity. I have heard of such acts only through symbolic stories but this gesture by kaviarasar made me equate him with a saint. Can generosity be more meaningful than this gesture?
  
  More later folks, bye!
  
  
• From: R. Mahendra Raj (@ 203.106.49.79) on: Sat Mar 22 10:27:02 EST 2003
  
  Saravanan, thanks for the add ons. Such response will boost me further.
  
  Btw, talking about "Ponnuku Thanga Manasu" here is a trivial.
  
  The song "Raman Ethanai Ramanadi" ('Lakshmi Kalyanam' 1969 [ kaviarasar's own film ] spurned the film title 'Raman Ethanai Ramandi' (1970) and the song "Ammadi Ponnukku Thanga Manasu" from this film spurned the same titled movie. And from 'Ponnuku Thanga Manasu'(1974) the song 'Thean Sinduthae Vaanam' had the same title film ('Thean Sinduthae Vaanam 1975) and finally from this film the song "Unnidam Mayangugireyn". Aha, what a link! All the songs are by kaviarasar except the last ("unnidam mayangugureyn') which is by Vaali. After this I lost track of the link. Can anyone care to add on?
  
  

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