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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: kiru (@ 192.138.150.249) on: Thu Mar 27 13:50:42 EST 2003
  
  Mahendran Sir,
  I appreciate your time and effort, in recounting all this for the benefit of newtfmpage audience. I eagerly look forward to your anecdotes. I have been in a read-only mode all along, but I thought, I would express my gratitude and appreciation to encourage you to keep going.
  
  The man is a genius and anybody who has an ear and heart for the poetry of our beautiful language will surely miss him.
  
  
• From: Manisekaran (@ 61.6.39.139) on: Fri Mar 28 00:33:47 EST 2003
  
  
  Mahedraraj,
  
  Just came back from overseas and am delighted to see so much postings and response, glorifying the immortal, incomparable and irreplaceable poet.
  
  Just to add- on the Tumpuan Minggu Program interview with MSV, Poobalan asked him to this effect towards the very end of the interview "Ippozhuthellam Kannadasan Paadalkal Munbu Pol Suvaippathillaiye?" to which MSV gave the explanation narrated by you. When Poobalan insisted on Kannadasan's lack of poetic lustre, MSV said "Ennai Vendumanaal Ethaiyum Sollungal, Aanaal kannadasanai Patri Onrum Sollatheerkal" with almost bloodshot eyes. At this climax scene, the interview time ended, and the camera was zeroed on Poobalan who immediately concluded the program saying "Nallathu Rasikarkale, Ithudan intha Nigazhchi Oru Niraivukku Varukirathu..Ini Adutha vaaram Santhikkum Varai, Anbu Vanakkangal"
  
  Poobalan, ardent supporter of Kannadasan as he is, had no malice in shooting this question. It was Kannadasan himself who had made an open remark, acknowledging that his songs were not more that promising. He said "naan Nambi Iruntha Cinema paattu ennai Sudukkaattukku Konduchendruvittahu"
  
  Yet, just look at some of his last few songs that he concluded with Maestro Ilayaraja like Thiayagam, Naan Vazha vaippen, and many more, and finally Moonram Pirai.
  
  
  In the 1978 interview of TR Mahalingam by Poobalan in Tumpuan Minggu Program, which I too watched, Poobalan asked TR M if it was true that Kannadasan's Malayitta Mangai gave him a new lease of life, at a time when TRM's fortune was dipping.TRM commented that that film gave TRM a boost and because of his own singing Kannadasan too was given a new lease of life. The second comment was unbecoming of TRM, as that was not the case. Definitely it was TRM who was quickened by Kannadasan.
  
  RAMKI,
  I did not see Naangu Killadikal. But Kannadasan did mention that the song did not appear in the film. I have just moved house, and once I find the book, I will quote the page as well. I am puzzled why kannadasan had to say that.
  
  Mahendra Raj, Oru Raaja Raaniyidam. You are right. MSV not only came out with different tunes, but also maximised the usage of instruments to give richness to the orchestration-next to Engey Nimmathi, Ninaithathai Nadathiye Mudippavan Naan Naan Nan. Sivaji Ganesan appears without make up ikn this song. Kannadasan also had tremendous liking for the song Paavai Yuvarani Kannoviyam of the same film.
  
  Mahedra Raj,
  We are aware you are experimenting a bottomless well-alla alla kuraiyaathu. Just keep going. Any aspect of Kannadasan brings out fragrance.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• From: R. Mahendra Raj (@ 203.106.163.151) on: Fri Mar 28 06:02:31 EST 2003
  
  Thanks for the comments and observations folks.
  
  Mani, re-the open remark by kaviarasar as to his position then. No one can deny the fact that the vagaries of life our kaviarasar went through was with a deliberate purpose by the divine. He had on one occasion remarked that the best part of his life was wasted due to his involvement in politics which in turn saw him facing all sorts of hardship. He regretted for not giving his fullest attention to the literary field which would have otherwise benefitted all and sundry.
  
  But then again, as mentioned earlier, it was the divine's plan to have our kaviarasar burn his fingers in politics so that the best would come out from him.(Literally, he came out with the song "Satti suttathaada Kai Vittathadaa" ('Aalayamani 1963') after having learnt a bitter lesson in politics! I presume he had to go through the various stages so that he could produce songs with life in them. And that songs also had some relevance to you and me in line with his decree that "at any one time or other the mortals living on this earth will find my songs relevant to the situation they are facing".
  
  Remember the lines "Engey vaazhkai thodangum Athu engey evvitham mudiyum - Ithuthaan paathai ithuthaan payanam endru yaarukum theriyaathu" ('Ninaipathellam nadanthuvittal' ['Nenjil Or Aalayam' 1962] )?
  
  Born in Chirukudalpatti and demised in Chicago thousands of miles away from his birthplace!(note the Tamil syallable 'chi' in Chirukudalpatti and Chicago). Was the song unwittingly meant for him?
  
  More later folks and awaiting your comments.
  
  
• From: Ram (@ 165.250.91.68) on: Fri Mar 28 15:28:41 EST 2003
  
  Mahendar Raj,
  It is simply wonderful that you have unlimited information about Kaviyarasar. I guess you should compile all these details and come out as a book. Definitely some publisher will release this book and proceeds from the sale can be donated to a good cause charities. By doing this, you can prove that Kaviyarasar still helps after his demise. As always, the poetic kaviyarasar always lives in the hearts of millions of TFM lovers....Ram
  
  

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