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Role of Songs in Thamizh Movies

Topic started by Kanchana (@ ww-tb22.proxy.aol.com) on Mon Aug 4 10:42:41 EDT 1997.
All times in EDT +9:30 for IST.

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Responses:

• From: Kanchana (@ ww-tb22.proxy.aol.com) on: Mon Aug 4 10:55:11 EDT 1997
  
  Thamizh movies (Indian movies in general) are mostly musical extravaganzas similar to Broadway plays. Based on the older songs, I'd believed that the role of songs is to communicate intense feelings (positive & negative) through words which would sound stilted if set in a "vasana nadai"; setting the words to music made the intense words sound more natural & fitting and enhanced the moods/ emotions by multiple degrees by weaving prose, poetry, music and dance all in one.
  After reading some of the pages in this forum (refer to Patti Mandram & others), I feel that my interpretation of the role of songs is outdated. If that is the case, what is the role of songs in Thamizh (& Indian) movies?
  
  
• From: cp (@ 208.206.24.27) on: Mon Aug 4 13:11:24 EDT 1997
  
  Kanchana,
  Have you seen the movie "Avatharam"?. Before the climax scene a song is played where Revathi dances. This song goes like this. "Thondu thottru indru varai ezhai ennum jenmanthukku thumbam ayya". Nasser is the hero who loses Revathi is she was raped and murdered by the villian. Revathi is dead. Nasser is a kooththu kattugira aaL. He is blamed by the villian for Revathi's murder. The scene where this song is played is when Nasser creates a bommai which resembles Revathi when she was dead but it has a look like a kooththadi. Revathi dances like a doll and Nasser's disgust and lost-love for the heroine is tastefully narrated in the song. To me, the song is the haunting even now. The way they have picturised it was superb. This picture should have won a National award, but went unnoticed . I had to tell you this story because, I feel that TFM has still not lost good songs with great lyrics. I totally agree with your idea that lyrics play a very important role in explaining intense feelings and emotions. If you get a chance to see this movie, just go ahead and enjoy every bit of it.
  
  Tamil films made today are total crap. I would say that only a few films which are good like Avatharam are released. Most of the tamil films are made today for only one reason - to exploit women(rather I would say, it is sex). For example, in Gentleman what do you think the following songs conveyed "Usilampatti penkutti", "Pakkathe pakkathe panjangathe pakkathe"etc.
  So, to simply say, the role of lyrics in tamizh films is to write just some crap that will go with tune. Take for example, the song "telephone mani pol sirippaval ivala,melbourne malar poL melliya magaLa, digitalil cheduthika kurala, elizabeth taylorin magaLa.." - It looks like T.Rajendar's famous quotations, not like kavidhai anymore. Tamizh is famous for varunanai and edhugai, monai etc. But all of the greatness of tamizh kavidhai has gone into dust after Vairamuthu introduced the so called "pudhu kavidhai". Credit goes to Vairamuthu for having introduced such crap to the industry.
  
  
• From: Gokul (@ 204.76.131.140) on: Mon Aug 4 20:16:24 EDT 1997
  
  CP
  
  Interesting You should mention about Thondru Thottu from Avatharam. I saw the movie yesterday and was jolted by the force of that
  song. I was planning to write about that song.
  IlaiyaRaja Rules!! The movie was definitely
  superior and had great songs. Look at the song
  where Nazar begs Revathi for a chance in Koothu. This song has been written so well in a
  simple language (also Raja Takes a dig at other
  Music Directors!! Paatunnu solvadalam .. athu
  lesana vizhayamile.) The piece
  "kasukka perukka asai naan pattadu
  ennum etho solla varalai..!!"
  brings out the pristine quality in Nazar's desire to
  participate in koothu. (Naanum appadithan enru
  Raja sollavarugirar!! But Dont know why he demands Lakhs for Movies}. Antha Paatil velipaduthapatta Yekkam, panivu, aattramai
  nenjai romba nreudigirathu. Vaali appappa intha
  mathiri paatu ezhuthi - redeems himself. Ofcourse The Song "Thenral Vanthu Theendum
  Pothu Enna Vannamo Manasile" depicts the mastery Vaali has over the words. (Vairamuthuvvai vitirunda "Salavai Nilaa enna
  Vannamo , Dega Viyarvai theertham enna vannamo 'nnu poonthu vilayadirrupar!! Incidentally do you know the original pallavi
  for "Ilaya Nila Pozhigirado" was "Salavai Nila
  Pozhigirado"!!). The line
  "Ennagaluku ethapadi Vannamellam Marumamma!!" is so profound and thought provoking.
  
  Dont be so hard on Vairmuthu!! Puthu Kavithai
  is not what led to the deterioration of quality in songs.
  There are some excellent songs by Vairamuthu.
  
  Vizhiyil Vizhundu Idayam vizhundu Uyiril Kalanda
  urave - The use of words in this line is terrific.
  
  
  
• From: Aravind (@ 202.42.152.8) on: Mon Aug 4 23:25:19 EDT 1997
  
  I accept whole heartedly with CP that most of today's songs are primarily to exploit women, with some ecxeptions like 'gOkulaththil sIthai', 'pUvE unakkaaga' etc. There are virually no movies where the song blends with the movie's progress. I mean, there is no significance associated with the song.
  
  A recent releif was in 'minsaarak kanavu' in 'veNNilavE'. Whether one likes the song or not, the song had some significance in the movie. It reminded songs like 'sippi irukkuthu'.
  
  Another not-so-great situation was in dhEvadhai. The first kooththu song introduces Naazar and explains about his arrogance and veRi. Though the song as such is not appealing, it has some sence.
  
  BTW, the duet featuring Vineeth and Kirthi was another releif in terms of picturisation. It was decent, no (group) dances, no rains and no lip movements.
  
  

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