Home   Forum   Wiki   Notes   Register   FAQ   Sitemap   About Us   Contact Us  

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 ??

---

Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: sk (@ 137.132.3.10) on: Wed Mar 19 22:03:32 EST 2003
  
  Mahendra Raj:
  
  We are all enjoying your writings on kavinjar. Please continue the good work.
  
  Regarding songs that kavinjar liked, I have read somewhere that he liked the song 'nenjukku nimmadhi ANdavan sannidhi' from the movie, vallavanukku vallavan because of the sweet tune (Vedha), sweet rendering by PS and more importantly because it reflected his attitude towards life.. lines such as
  
  ondrai thErndhu edu, adhaich chErndhu vidu
  indha ulagaththin sugangaLai vAzhndhu vidu
  
  
• From: R. Mahendra Raj (@ 210.186.0.58) on: Wed Mar 19 22:36:02 EST 2003
  
  SK - thanks for the comments.
  
  Yes, I too remember reading that he liked the song "Nenjikku nimmathi Aandavan sannathi" which title ('Nenjikku Nimmathi' )he gave to one of his chapters of 'Arthamulla Hindu Matham".
  
  
• From: Manisekaran (@ 61.6.39.139) on: Thu Mar 20 00:46:23 EST 2003
  
  
  Mahendraraj
  
  Good work. Keep going. Just to add:
  
  
  1. K. Balachander in an interview was not decided on the ending of the film Aboorva Ragangal. Finally he called upon Kannadasan to compose a song to end the film and the story. So came Kannadasan with "Kelviyin Nayagane" Follwing the composition, Balachander requested Sri Vidya, he daugter in the film (Sutha?) Kamal, Major to do their best performance. He then told the cameraman to be in his best camerawork. When the film went well with the fans, Balachander said that the success of the film, especially the climax ending was much attributed to the penning ablility of Kannadasan.
  
  2. The incident where Poobalan and Bairoji went to see Kannadasan for a recording was the eve of Deepavali. Poobalan had announced that Kannadasan will speak on Deepavali day-even getting his prior consent. Both went to see him on the eve. Bairoji commented "Avan oru Paadalaasiriyar mattum" When they entered the room, Kannadasan was not that willing for the recording as his health situation was not good. Poobalan literally begged him saying announcements were already on the air and there was an air of excitement among the ardent fans ofKannadasan. Finally Kannadsan agreed, and asked "What is the title of my talk?" Poobalan said, "Naalai Deepvali. Neengale thernthedungal" Kannadasan said "Alright. I will speak on Kannanukku Dasan" He asked for the time limit. Poobalan said 28 minutes. Kannadasan swallowed a handful of pills and took out his watch and placed iton thetable to monitor the time. he started and went on on- stop for exactly 28 minutes. Poobalan was astonished at the flow of ideas and words and eloquuence of the great poet. bairoji was mesmerised and literally glued to the ground. When they came out fo the room, the same mouth of Bairoji said "Ivanthaanaiya Kavinyar.
  
  It never ended there. This talk of Kannadsan was aired on Deepavali day and repeated several times later. Bairoji went one step ahead. He re edited the talk by inserting suitable questions to make it appear as though he had done a fresh interview with kannadasan.
  
  When Bairoji retired, he was called back to Radio Malaysia to give a reminiscence of his experience in the station. He mentioned some and emphatically and cegorically mentioned about this interview with kannadasan.
  
  
  3.About Kodi Asainthathum Kaatru vanthata- Sankarachari Swamikal had given an explanation of the philosophy embedded in this good song.
  
  4.In fact it was the hindrance by MGR that actuated Kannadasan to start Kannadsan films and take Malayitta Mangai in 1958. You can see that the scene and situation for both Kan Moodum Velaiyilum and naananri yaar Varuvaar are the same. MSV had no role in the reproduction of the song, other than tune. (there are more stories in malaitta Mangai)
  
  5.Mukta Seenivasan has said clearly that MGR was never and atheist in his life, though for political reasons he portayed such a front. Deep inside he was always a firm believer in God.
  
  Mahendra raj,
  
  You may want to highlight background to Ethirpaaramal Nadanthathadi- Thanippiravi- that led to much controversies.
  
  
  SK
  
  Nenjukku Nimmathi is the most favourite song of Kanadasan, but he regretted that the song never appeared in the movie.
  
  Thanks
  
  Manisekaran
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• From: sk (@ 137.132.3.10) on: Thu Mar 20 02:52:36 EST 2003
  
  MR and Manisekaran:
  
  Thanks for the confirmation on 'nenjukku nimmadhi'. If one looks carefully at the numerous songs penned by Kannadhasan for Modern Theatres films, most of these were very good hit songs. An important reason for that is kavinjar's lyrics. It is amazing that kavinjar wrote excellent lyrics for these songs given that they were all tunes lifted from HFM and elsewhere. When kavinjar worked on these songs, he was simply told the movie situation and given a cassette containing the foreign tune for which he had to pen suitable lyrics. It seems kavinjar paid special attention to these songs because of his love for Modern Theatres. (In kavinjar's early days, Modern Theatres Sundaram showed a special love for the young Kannadhasan; he recognized the special talents in him and did all he could to help him grow. He was keen on keeping Kannadhasan within Modern Theatres eventhough several jealous people made efforts to project him to be an eccentric and mischievous person.)
  
  

---

List all pages of this thread

Post comments