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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 (@ 203.121.0.9) on: Wed Feb 12 09:53:06 EST 2003
  
  I wish to add what Sankar has stated in the start of this thread. Besides 'antha sivagamiyin maganidam' Kannadhasan has also written the song 'sendru vaa magane sendru vaa' for Kamaraj when the latter was invited to attend a meeting in the United Nations. Being illiterate in English he had inferiority complex but Kannadhasan prompted him through this song. The other song was 'ambigaye easwariye ennai aalavantha koil konda kungumakari' in 'Pattikaada Pattanamaa' where the line 'sivagamayin umayavale muthu maari un selvanakkum kaalam undu muthu maari, maharajan vaazhga endru vaazhthu koori intha makkal ellam koora vendum kottaiyeri' was aimed at Kamaraj to recapture the Chief Minister's seat.('kottai'in this context means the CM'S fort). Another song in 'Paadikaatha Meythai'was also meant for Kamaraj. The song is 'padipathinaal arivu petror ayiram peyr undu aanal padikaatha meythai ellam paarinil undu'. When Kannadhasan fell out with Annadurai he wrote the song "annan kaatiya vazhi amma' for the film 'Padithal Mattum Pothuma'and the same year (1962) 'engiranthalum vaazhga' in the film 'Nenjil Oor Aalayam' also for Anna. When he lost the elections he wrote the song 'yaarai engey vaiputhu endru yaarukum theriyile' (Bale Paandiya)and when he temporarily decided to quit politics in 1962 he penned the song 'satti suttathadaa kai vittathadaa' (Aalayamani).
  
  
• From: R. Mahendra Raj (@ 203.121.0.9) on: Wed Feb 12 10:44:30 EST 2003
  
  Oops in my haste to add Sankar's topic on Vaali I wrote on Kannadhasan/Kamraj/Annadurai.
  
  Re -Vaali. A great poet who prefers to be in the low profile. When he was struggling, his pal the late actor V.Gopalakrishnan proposed to Vaali to be Kannadhasan's assistant and he will see to that he becomes one. But Vaali politely declined saying that he wants to carve a name for himself by being independent. At one stage he even contemplated suicide as the odds were against him and he was practically penniless. The day he contemplated suicide V.Gopalakrishnan came to visit him and narrated the stanza 'maayakama kalakkama' written by Kannadhasan which was recorded in the studio just a few moments ago and witnessed by him. Vaali on hearing the line 'unakum keeley ullavar kodi ninaithu paarthu nimmathi naadu' was deeply impressed and motivated. It was as though Kannadhasan wrote the song for him. He changed his mind. No returning to his village or even thinking about suicide. Whether it was part of divine's plan only heaven knows because what I am going to narrate hereafter will make you ponder. Around this time K.S. Gopalakrishnan and Kannadhasan were having a great time drinking to celebrate the success of the film "Sharadha". A friendly argument took place between the two buddies. Kannadhasan was of the belief that "Sharadha" became a success because of his songs whereas KSG was adamant that it was due to a very strong storyline and theme. During this fiendly banter an impromptu decision was taken. The next film by KSG will be without Kannadhasan but with a new songwriter to see whether it will run full house. Around this time when KSG heard about the struggling Vaali he invited him to pen all four songs for the film "Karpagam". It was a god-send invitation for Vaali. He penned the songs 'pakkathu veetu paruva machan', 'mannavane azhalaama', 'athai madi methayadi' and 'aayiram iravugal varuvathondu' (the latter was a novel song as in between gaps the choice was given to listeners to fill in ). The rest is history. The film became an instant hit and Vaali became a celebrity overnight. Kannadhasan accepted his defeat to KSG and had another round of merry making with him. Typical of him! But for his subsequent films KSG used Kannadhasan. A real gentleman. When Kanndhasan first heard the line "velli nilaavil vilakaai eriyum kadalthaan engal veedu" from the songs "tharai meyl pirakka vaithan" (Padahotti)he inquired from his driver as to whether he knew who the lyricist was for this song to which the latter replied in the affirmative. He immediately asked him to drive up to Vaali's abode which was a ramshackled rented room. When Vaali opened the door he could'nt believe himself that it was his idol at the doorstep. Without mincing any words Kannadhasan took out his gold chain and put it around Vaali's neck and blessed him. The latter was dumbfounded. He once remarked that his life time achievement was the endorsement given by Kannadhasan to him as a lyricist.This is why he is not keen in any titles. Many a time his songs were mistaken to be that of Kannadhasan's like 'kan pona pokkile kaal pogalama' (Panam Padaithavan)which he was proud of for he had achieved the status of Kaviarasar.He did'nt mind being misquoted. Both of them were buddies sharing the same bottle. In an immediate tribute to Kannadhasan during the mourning period he described him as 'meesai illatha bharathi, thaadi illatha tagore'. Was it divine's play after all? There is more to situations of Kannadhasan/Vaali which I will narrate later.
  
  
• From: Manisekaran (@ 161.142.100.86) on: Thu Feb 13 00:42:00 EST 2003
  
  R. Mahendra Raj,
  
  You may wish to lift so many other anecdotes of Kannadasan from Valis' Naanum Intha Nootraandum. The readers would enjoy every bit.
  
  Thanks
  
  Manisekaran
  
  
• From: Sankar (@ 203.124.138.34) on: Thu Feb 13 01:45:57 EST 2003
  
  Dear Fans, I am extremely delighted to see the good response this thread is evoking. When I posted this , i was a bit worried that , with today's tamil film music being written in tanglish ( combination of Tamil & English), is there any purpose in posting. Vaazgha Kannadasan Pugaz !
  
  Some interesting news:
  
  In the file ABHOORVA RAGAM, when KB approached Kavingyar for a song ( Song - YEzhu Swarangalukkul enthanai Paadal by Vani Jayaram) , Kavingyar gave as much as 50 plus charanams and KB was stunned as to which one to choose and which one to leave ! ultimately only 3 charanams were picked up and came in the movie.. Look at these lines:
  
  ENAKKAGA NEE AZALAAM IYARKAYIL NADAKKUM - NEE
  ENAKKAGA UNAVU UNNA YEPPADI NADAKKUM
  NAMAKKENDRU BHOOMIYILAE KADAMAIGAL UNDU - ADHAI
  NAMAKKA NUM KAIYAAL SEIVADHU NANDRU..
  ( to my understanding, this is what Lord Krishna Preaches in bhaghavat Githa under the chaper Karma YOGAM..!!!!!!!!!!!)
  
  What a great poet we had !!
  
  
  Similarly, the song ' Muthaana Muthallavo.. Mudirndu vanda Mutallavo..' in the film NENJIL OOR AALAYAM' was written in about 5 mts or so..When MSV had set everything for the recording, the lyrics did not reach.. when he contact Kavingyar's house, it was told that he is leaving for home town and will not be back for quite some time.. MSV had to rush to Egmore Railway station to see Kavingyar in the station and found him in the train compartment and the train already due for departure. He reminded kavingyar that he is yet to give the song and it is lined up for recording the next day.. Then, Kavingyar dictated the song in less than five minutes !.. No corrections or Looking back !
  
  
• From: Manisekaran (@ 161.142.100.86) on: Thu Feb 13 10:06:27 EST 2003
  
  Mahendraraj,
  
  Good job. Great!
  
  May I join you please. What Kannadasan himself said seem to be contradicted by his contemporaries who are still alive. MSV is one of them.
  
  
  KBalachander in his interview on TV has said that Kannadsan wrote 25 Charanams for the song 7 Churangalukkul. Then of course kannadasan forgot it altogether. One day kannadsan happened to tune on his radio and heard this song. Kannadsan was truly amazed at the quality of teh voice of VJayaram. He asked for her details. This song then won the arads for that year.
  
  Mutyhana Muthallavo was written in 10 minutes and happened to be the fastest composition til that date, so says Kannadsan in his book Cinemavil 30 Aandu kalaam.
  
  
  may I also say that Kannadasan has written many more songs outside the studio \environment.
  
  1) Aasaiye Alai Pole was written at a railway crossing while waiting in his car for the train to cross. He penned the lyrics on a cigaret packet. Trichy Loganathan who was there with him had requested to be made the singer when the song was to be recorded. So came the chance in Thai Piranthaal Vazhi PIrakkum
  
  2) Kadavul Orunaal Ulakai Kaana Thaniye Vanthaaraam in Shanthi Nilayam was composed in military hotel while waiting for delivery of omlet.
  
  3) Ore Oru Oorile Ore Oru Raaja of Padikkatha Methai fame was half written while on his way to the bank
  
  4) Satti Suttathada kai Vittathada that you had mentioned was conceived at the Eggmore court.
  
  
  Adding this masala just to establish a point that the incomparable Kanndasan, when approached in whatever dimension is a genius in every sense of the word.
  
  Keep going! Good work.
  
  Manisekaran
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

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