Dear all,
Many a times we skip past a song because it doesn’t excite us immediately or because it has a sad tone. This week I picked one such Kannadasan song that didn’t catch my attention until recently, when I heard Kavignar Vali paying heaps of tribute to it’s lyrics.
This song features in the movie “பாதகாணிக்கை”.
Song is sung by the heroine after her love leaves her and is about to get married to another woman. P.Suseela as always, renders it with clarity in diction and depth in her emotions. One of the rare instances I have heard தவில் (in the marriage procession) merged with Shenoy to bring in the sadness needed – a MSV master stroke.
“எட்டடுக்கு மாளிகையில்
ஏற்றி வைத்த என் தலைவன்
விட்டு விட்டு சென்றானடி இன்று
வேறு பட்டு நின்றானடி”
( Most listeners don’t get the undercurrent meaning of the above lyrics and take the phrase “எட்டடுக்கு மாளிகையில்” in the literal sense. Here it is used to denote the human body – “எண் சான் உடம்பு” – meaning the human body – usually eight hand spans high {each handspan is roughly 22 cm}).
Hence “எட்டடுக்கு மாளிகையில், ஏற்றி வைத்த என் தலைவன்” – is a poetic depiction of the colloquially used expression “தலைக்கு மேல் தூக்கி வைத்த” என் தலைவன்.
Kannadasan has picked words that so beautifully and precisely explain the lovers’ split : “வேறுபட்டு (difference of opinion) நின்றானடி”.
All the three Charanams are gems.
The first Charanam is sublime in its சந்தம்
and its expression:
“தேரோடும் வாழ்வில் என்று
ஓடோடி வந்த என்னை
போராட வைத்தானடி கண்ணில்
நீரோட விட்டானடி”
The next Charanam is intensely philosophical:
“கையளவு உள்ளம் வைத்து
கடல் போல் ஆசை வைத்து
விளையாட சொன்னானடி என்னை விளையாட சொன்னானடி”
Then the punch line :
“அவனே விளையாடி விட்டானடி” (Suseela sings this last line in a slightly low pitch emoting the utter hopelessness of the situation).
The last Charanam is a wish aired in frustration for the sake of all women:
“காலங்கள் உள்ள வரை
கன்னியர்கள் யார்க்கும்
இந்த காதல் வர வேண்டாமடி எந்தன் கோலம் வர வேண்டாமடி”.
Good poetry is about placing the right words in the right sequence. Kannadasan was a master of this. A common movie situation of a lady lamenting her failed love made extraordinarily effective by Kannadasan lyrics.
Unfortunately these lines became prophetic and soon after this movie, the hero and heroine of this film (Gemini Ganesan and Savithri) started drifting apart in real life, before they finally separated from each other. Kannadasan felt terrible that his words came true and in subsequent years vowed not to use any negative words and consciously used words with positive vibes even in his sad songs (e.g. எல்லோரும் நலம் வாழ நான் பாடுவேன்…”).
A great poet and a human being indeed!!!
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