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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: sk (@ 202.156.2.7) on: Thu Mar 20 19:17:46 EST 2003
  
  Saravanan:
  
  Yes, indeed I got confused between the two songs. Vedha has recycled the nice tune.
  
  MR:
  
  I look forward to your writing on kavinjar's interaction with Modern Theatres Ltd. and any interesting episodes related to that.
  
  
• From: Subbu (@ 203.200.198.10) on: Thu Mar 20 23:45:30 EST 2003
  
  The similar tune of "Nenjukku nimmadhi..." was used in "Naanoru Kuzhandhai nee oru khuzhandhai..". Of course, this is my perception ???
  
  
• From: raj (@ 202.54.137.90) on: Fri Mar 21 03:08:45 EST 2003
  
  Androru naal is by Vaali in Nadodi
  
  
• From: Vaathiyaar (@ 210.186.51.215) on: Fri Mar 21 03:46:28 EST 2003
  
  Athi mathuraa anu raathaa
  
  Can any one tell who sang this song? I remember it as AM Raja and konjum kuralon K Jamuna Rani. My friend says P Suseela. We have a wager on. I hope I will have a rich weekend. :)
  
  Any details about this song will also be welcome.
  
  
• From: sk (@ 202.156.2.7) on: Fri Mar 21 04:13:21 EST 2003
  
  athi madhuraa anuraadhaa is by AMR and Jamunarani in the movie engaL kudumbam perisu.
  
  
• From: R. Mahendra Raj (@ 210.186.2.200) on: Fri Mar 21 04:55:20 EST 2003
  
  Hi folks! An addendum to the Kannadhasan/MGR/Devar combination.
  
  Kaviarasar had had high regards for Devar for the latter came up in life with true grit and unwavering spirit. He quoted in one of his books that in order to be successful one should be hardworking as well as have strong faith in God. He went on to quote Chinnappa Devar as the living example and referred to a scene in the film 'Deivam'(1972)where Muthuraman who is penniless stumbles upon a cigarette packet with Rs 10 in it. With this money he works his way up to become an industrialist later all the while working hard and having strong faith in Lord Muruga. Kaviarasar revealed that this particular story scene was actually a re-enactment of Devar's personal experience when he was struggling to make it big. Kaviarasar also said that it was no surprise for Devar to have breathed his last on kantha sashti day - a day devoted to Lord Muruga - since he was a fanatic and ardent devotee of this Good Lord.[ I am not too sure of the auspicious day of Lord Muruga ]
  
  Devar was known to give financial advances to both MGR and Kannadhasan throughout his career - the former for his political funds. When MGR was hospitalised after the shooting incident with MR Radha in January 1967, Devar brought a cloth bundle along with him to visit MGR. He handed over the bundle containing wads of currency notes saying that it was an advance for his next film which booking MGR should not decline.
  
  MGR was overcome with emotion over Devar's gesture. Here he was lying on the hospital bed uncertain as to his future where some even wrote him off saying that it is the end of MGR's era. But Devar was brimming with confidence and optimism when he assured MGR, not with the usual words of comfort, but with hard cash!
  
  But there is one interesting incident involving these three which I find it amusing and wish to share with all of you.
  
  During the 100th day celebrations of Devar's 'Aattukkaara Alamelu' (1978) MGR who was the then Chief Minister and kaviarasar the aasthaana kavingyar were invited for the function.
  This was the last function when the three were seen together and there are some film clippings and exclusive photographs of these three at this function. Devar died in 1978.
  
  A few days before the function a common friend of both Devar and MGR went to the former's house on the morning of the above function. Devar was busy with his morning ablution and statutory prayers. When he came out of the prayer room he met this friend waiting for him and jokingly said that if he (the common friend) had gone to MGR's house at this time of the day he will see MGR in the prayer room. Devar further said if one his sharp enough he or she can spot the "vibuthi' on MGR's forehead which is normally in pink colour to camaflouge with his complexion! This friend found it hard to swallow Devar's comments.
  
  This common friend accompanied MGR in the latter's car to the 100th day function of 'Aattukaara Alamelu'. Whilst in the car this friend just could'nt resist his temptation to stare at MGR's forehead to verify Devar's statement. MGR noticed this and asked him as to his sudden keeness on his forehead. The common friend told him exactly what Devar had had told him. This upset MGR who was usually careful with his image in public. At the function when he addressed he repeatedly and deliberately referred to Chinnappa Devar as PU Chinnappa (another cine artiste of yesteryears) out of spite to show his displeasure at Devar for exposing his private spiritual life!
  
  Later, after the function kaviarasar had to be the go-between to settle this childish attitude of these two moghuls!
  
  Bye folks, I will try and give some inputs on MTL in the next thread. Have a nice weekend!
  
  
• From: Vaathiyaar (@ 210.186.51.138) on: Fri Mar 21 05:47:42 EST 2003
  
  Thanks a lot for the confirmation SK. I wish I can buy you a drink. burp! :)
  
  

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