The camouflaged message
Dear all,
This week picked a வாலி song that seems ordinary at first look. But if one dwelled deeper it leaves you astounded.
Imagine a director placing the following conditions to a lyricist before a song writing:
- The song should be plain and simple since it’s sung by a young naive girl brought up by a brother who is poor.
- It should reveal the excitement and the simultaneous unease the character feels.
- The song should be a happy one but should leave traces of hints of the reasons for impending tragedy.
- The sudden twist of events in the movie should shock the audience and hence they should not be able to pick up on the hints provided.
- Retrospectively every line should make the audience realise what the message in the song was clearly.
Imagine the pressure of time and the need to match the tune on top of it. Then add to the mix the extremely difficult and delicate situation given for this song.
Enough of the suspense. So what is the song about? A young girl is brought up by her brother who is a poor tailor. She succumbs to the desire of a man who takes advantage of her vulnerability that her age and curiosity brings about. She trusts him and is mostly excited, but equally apprehensive about her transgression. She respects her brother and immensely loves him. Every instinct of her, wants to reveal the truth to her brother but she doesn’t know how?
The song is a favourite of mine from the movie “Major சந்திரகாந்த்”. KB as always has created this tough movie situation and Vaali has penned a beauty. To distract the audience from the lyrics, KB almost like a master magician builds in humour in his picturisation. Nagesh and his assistant use various household stuff to create noises akin to instruments. V.Kumar again Stamps his class with a delightful song. P. Suseela very elegantly renders it making this song an all time classic.
Incidentally this is the only movie Ms. Jayalalitha and worked with KB and she is austerely beautiful in this song.
Now the song: – read and listen to it with the above conditions and context in mind – you will be amazed by how the message now reveals itself in every line:
ஒரு நாள் யாரோ
என்ன பாடல்
சொல்லித் தந்தாரோ
கண்ணுக்குள் ராகம்
நெஞ்சுக்குள் தாளம்
என்னென்று சொல் தோழி
(Vaali uses the word “பாடல்” to imply her secret relationship and the temptation offered by it).
“கண்ணுக்குள் ராகம்
நெஞ்சுக்குள் தாளம்” – refer to her dreamy eyes and the pounding heart that the memories bring.
Now the first charanam reveals the events:
உள்ளம் விழித்தது மெல்ல
அந்த பாடலின் பாதையில் செல்ல
மெல்லத் திறந்தது கதவு
என்னை வாவென சொன்னது உறவு
நில்லடி என்றது நாணம்
விட்டு செல்லடி என்றது ஆசை
( Look at the precise order of events –
“மெல்லத் திறந்தது கதவு
என்னை வாவென சொன்னது உறவு
நில்லடி என்றது நாணம்
விட்டு செல்லடி என்றது ஆசை”
So her “ஆசை” trumped her “நாணம்”. Retrospectively one wishes it could have been the other way around).
The second Charanam reveals her dual state of mind – a state of trance oblivious to the world but well aware of her error in judgment. Polished lyrics also express the duality in her wanting to reveal the truth to her brother but a sense of hesitation and guilt that stems from concealing it.
செக்க சிவந்தன விழிகள்
கொஞ்சம் வெளுத்தன செந்நிற இதழ்கள்
இமை பிரிந்தது உறக்கம்
நெஞ்சில் எத்தனை எத்தனை மயக்கம்
உன்னிடம் சொல்லிட நினைக்கும்
மனம் உண்மையை மூடி மறைக்கும்
ஒரு நாள் யாரோ….
Retrospectively everyone including the brother gets the full message but no one could decipher it when seen in the movie. A master stroke from KB and well executed by the team.
Many years later KB so attached to this movie, used the name of a character in the movie to name a new comer with whom he was mightily impressed with. Thus Shivaji Rao became Rajinikanth!!!!
Vaali deserves a lot of recognition for writing lyrics that serve as the fulcrum around which this story revolves. Unfortunately this song passes by innocuously as one of his many songs, with his effort and skill largely under appreciated.
வாலி(யின்) வலிமை எளிமை!!!
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