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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 (@ 210.186.0.119) on: Tue Mar 18 05:09:15 EST 2003
  
  Actress Devika was an intimate friend of Kaviarasar and she used to discuss her personal and private problems with him.
  
  She used to fondly call him 'liar poet' over the way kaviarasar exaggerates especially those pertaining to women and love. This branding must have worked in his mind so much so he penned the song "Poyilae piranthu Poyillae valarnthu Pulavar Perumaane" (Ananda Jothi 1963). In that song MGR plays the role of a school drill master whilst also dabbling in poetry. The heroine (Devika) comes to know later as to the true identity of the poet thus the song.
  
  In another philosphical song ("Kadavul Irukindraar Athu Un Kannuku Therigindraatha") in this film MGR was a bit apprehensive whether it would click because he was active in DMK which sans religion, God. etc. But he did like the lyrics and gave the signal to proceed with the picturisation. That songs still stands out as amongst the best in philosophy.
  
  Incidentally this was the one and only film where both MGR and Devika paired not forgetting the young Kamalhassan.
  
  When kaviarasar died Devika was in a state of depression for a long long time.
  
  There are also two question & answer songs in this film i.e. "Pani illaatha Maargazhiyaa" and "Ninaika Therintha Maname".(Input to earlier query in this thread).
  
  
  
• From: Kupps (@ 203.199.209.101) on: Tue Mar 18 07:36:10 EST 2003
  
  Mahendra Raj Sir,
  
  Great going. Keep writing. We are all reading very interestingly.
  
  One more thing, your Q&A type of songs reminds me of this song. It is a song asking confusing questions like "hen came first or the egg".
  
  The song is "Kodiyasaindhadhum kaatRu vandhadhaa kaatRu vandhadhum kodiyasaindhadha".
  
  Can you write something about it? If you have already written then I beg your pardon for oversight.
  
  
• From: Sankar (@ 203.124.138.34) on: Tue Mar 18 09:04:28 EST 2003
  
  Dear Mahendraraj.. Do you have any news on Kavingyar's own version of his BEST SONGS ?? I am eager to know the list , if any ..
  
  
• From: Subbu (@ 203.200.198.10) on: Wed Mar 19 04:30:30 EST 2003
  
  Chain of questions is also another type of excellence in lyrics writing. I guess "Ninaikka therinda manamay unakku" is full of questions with the starting word picking up from the previous question. A great song rendered very well by Suseela. Was this written by Kaviyarasar?
  
  
  
  
• From: R. Mahendra Raj (@ 210.186.2.72) on: Wed Mar 19 05:06:31 EST 2003
  
  -Kupps & Sankar thanks to both of you.
  
  An addendum to the earlier thread.
  
  Before 'Ananda Jothi' the film 'Pana thottam' was released (1963). There are interesting similar anectodotes.
  
  When Kaviarasar wrote the song "Enna thaan nadakkum Nadakattumae Iruttinil neethi marayattumae" MGR was not apprehensive but appreciative although it had some spiritual connotations. MGR cleverly uses his signature hand gesture to point to the sky and to the gopuram of a temple when the words "Oru thalaivan irrukiraan mayangathae" and "Pinnalae therivathai adichuvidu Munnaalai irupathu AVAN veedu" appear in this song scene. He was very active in DMK and there were some who hated his meteoric rise. To teach them a lesson he used this song by Kannadhasan and he was not afraid to face the consequences in the DMK for being spiritual.
  
  Subsequently he sat with Kaviarasar to get the other songs namely "Oruvaar oruvaarai piranthom Iruvar iruvaarai inaninthom" where he insisted on a western choreography (his first) to boost the philosophy of this song; "Manathottam pothum endru maayavanaal kodutha udal Panathottam pottathenedi yen muthamaa" where kaviarasar lashes out at money conscious vultures and, of course, "Pesuvathu Kiliya Illai Pennarasi Mozhiyaa?" (Another q & a song, Kupps).
  
  Actually, the latter was the first song composed by kaviarasar for this film and when MGR, being an expert in Tamil literature himself, saw the draft he was overwhelmed. Why? The first stanza "Pesuvathu kiliyaa illai pennarasi mozhiyaa" referred to the then leading lady in Tamil films, Saroja Devi. She hailed from Bangalore and spoke Tamil with a high pitch Karnataka accent (like a parrot?).
  
  The second stanza "Paaduvathu kaviyaa illai parivallal maganaa" and "Cheranaku uravaa senthamzhilin nilavaa" were direct references to MGR. Kaviarasar cleverly put it on permanent records through this stanza of MGR who was noted for his literary ability as well his generosity. The words "cheranaku uravaa senthamizhilin nilavaa" denotes MGR as a Malayalee by birth but a Tamil at heart.
  
  MGR was known to interfere in the lyrics and music direction of all the films he worked with. But Kannadhasan had the ability to read MGR's wave lengths so there was actually no necessity for the latter to interfere. But there was an exception to this rule.
  
  Kaviarasar composed the duet song "Naan andru yaar varuvaar" for the film Mahadevi (1957)but MGR was not satisfied. He asked kaviarasar to come up with a different lyrics (kaviarasar also handled the screen play and scripting for this film) and on the spot the song "Kan moodum velayaliae kalai ennna kalayo" was composed. This song , of course, became a hit, thanks to MGR's insistence.
  
  But MS Viswanathan liked the earlier song so much so that he asked kaviarasar's permission to include it in the latter's own film 'Maalayitta Mangai' (1958). That song too became a hit sung by TR Mahalingam.
  
  Coming to the 'chicken & egg' matter it reminds me of another gem.
  
  As we are all aware the world is made up of atoms which in turn contains sub-atoms, nucleuii, proton. Although not visible to the naked eye it is the atom which is the matter in the entire creation of the universe.
  
  A reader once asked kaviarasar as to what amazes him most in life. Kaviarasar replied that it was the smallest of the smallest atom ,which can only be found under microsopic examination ,found in the spermatooza which in turn procreates all human beings. He concluded that to understand God one has to go back to basics and that even scientists can only study what is available to them but not the origins or roots.
  
  Do you remember the song "Bhoojiyathukulle oru raajiyathai aandu kondu puriyaamalae irruppan oruvan avanai purinthu kondaal avanthaan Iraivan"?
  (Valar Pirai 1962). The bhoojiyam (zero) in this context means the atoms. A simple scientific and spiritual explanation of the creation of the universe by the Lord penned by seer Kannadhasan. If you happen to hear the song again listen to the lyrics carefully. You will be equally amazed at the simple things which our kaviarasar observed scientifically. This is one song where no other poet can equalize.
  
  I will try and address the other queries later, bye for now folks!
  
  
• From: R.Mahendra Raj (@ 210.186.2.72) on: Wed Mar 19 05:20:41 EST 2003
  
  Subbu, yes all the songs in 'Ananda Jothi' including "Ninaika therintha manamae" are by kaviarasar.
  
  Sankar, as stated in my earlier threads kaviarasar was not known to be selective about the songs which he had had written. He seldom makes references to his songs. But he did say that he liked the song "Ponaal Pogattum Podaa" ('Paalum Pazhamum 1961) because of his belief that nothing is permanent in life. He also advised his fans to follow the contents of this song whenever they are in dire straits.
  
  I had come across two or three LPs (long-playing records) containing the label "Kannadhasan's favourites". But I am sceptical because of the above reasons. Perhaps the record producers wanted to commercialise it by giving such a title.
  
  

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