Anand Chandrasekharan, my friend who like me, is a geek, graduated from Stanford, and works at a wireless company he started in Silicon Valley, and is involved with Deeshaa a rural India focussed initiative. He is now in India. Listening to Aayitha Ezhuthu music, he was impressed and wanted to write a note on Vairamuthu’s genius in Aayitha Ezhuthu. Here it is. You can contact him at write2ak[at]stanford[dot]edu. Thanks Anand and I wish you to write many more such brilliant observations here.
Vairamuthu’s magAKK!
Multi-lingual movies, with their other challenges also bring with them the undeniable challenge of songwriting. With Rahman and other music directors making waves in multiple languages, one can’t help but compare the quality of lyrics in the hindi and the tamil versions of the same film.
Why this rant? Because of Mani Ratnam’s Yuva/Aayitha Ezhithu music release. Among other lyrical masterpieces by Vairamuthu, one line that stands out is “Kann Thondri Kann Kaana Kanneero” (Is this a tear that is out, yet unseen?) in the song Hey, Goodbye Nanba!
The movie itself is about identity. The letter AKK, which in Tamil can only be used in conjunction with another letter to convey any meaning; the three lead characters, who all come with different ideals and then learn from the other perspectives to define their own identity. Vairamuthu captures the essense of this dilemma concisely (in only 3 words) and yet leaves the listener with so many questions – Is the tear there? Is it gone? Is the sorrow still left after the tear is gone? Much as one hopes Aayitha Ezhuthu will leave the audience wondering about the identity of today’s youth.
One can’t help but sigh at the genius of Vairamuthu (not that that needed any mention), and at the same time compare it with the bland “Begana Begana” in the Hindi Version of the same song.
kirukkal.com 
16 responses to “Guest Blog 1 – Anand Chandrasekharan”
good catch by ur friend anand.Another line i liked is
Kaatukkul Nulaiginra kaatru edum
Kaalanigal Eduvum Annivathillai
from Jana gana mana song
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Vairamuthu’s lyrical quality was so obvious in ‘Jana gana mana’,and i was just wondering how this man can still get his lyrics fresh and meaningful,but that catchy phrase went unnoticed..
‘Kann thondri kann kaana kanneeroe’,..oh i realised it now,thanks Lazy and kudos to Anand.
In this same tamil industry we do have lyricist writing something like ‘Un samayal araiyil SALT a..SUGAR a’ kind of dry stupid lyrics.V.Muthu rocks.
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Hindi lyrics done by Mehboob,so one can’t expect anything great from him,Right? Mani must have assigned the job to Gulzar or any other sensible lyricists,i have heard this Mehboob as a lyricist who writes for dubbing stuff,When Mani chose V.Muthu for tamil,why did he choose Mehboob for Hindi is the big question,what an imbalance?
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Javed Akhthar would have done some justice to the Hindi lyrics or Gulzar, of course.
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Agreed with Ripples….Javed saab is for Hindi like our Vaira-vari-Vairamuthu for Thamizh! Ofcourse, in the usage of innovative lyrics none like our Thamizh kavi’s…bellwetherd by the legendary V.Muthu..
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the lyrics of “Puththam pudhu bhoomi vendum” are still fresh in my mind…and of course the visuals by Mani in Thiruda Thiruda…that song is perfect when you let your imagination venture out on what to do when money can buy anything…and Vairamuthu was amazing in wording that…
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I completely agree. The hindi lyric was a huge let down, especially after u have listened to the tamil version. Vairamuthu along with ARR have a weaved a magic. No wonder rediff.com dint have too many praises for Music of Yuvaa & it hurts ARR + mani fans.
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it was good catch and i agree with anand. v muthu is proabably the best after kannadassan in tamizh.
mani, arr and vairmauthu is doing magic in tamizh cinema since roja.
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Yes, it was a brilliant observation by Anand.
Choosing Mehboob wasn’t Mani’s choice, i think. it was Rahman’s choice to ask Mehboob take up the lyrics.offlate rahman has been liking mehboob’s lyrics.
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Hey, I just wanted to pitch in and say that I know Anand Chandrasekharan. I was in Chennai last week and I should have remembered to meet up with you.
Cheers,
Atanu
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‘Kann thondri kann kaana kanneeroe’ – clearly a masterpiece by Vairamuthu. As said by Anand Chandrasekaran, that the movie is abt the 3 individuals who discovers their own identity from other perspectives, this particular line is penned powerfully that their identity which has been existing with them all along but yet they are revealed to them only after they look at themselves from other perspectives.
i.e Something which is within me itself which has not been known to me earlier. Its something like saying ‘Ada naaney inda angle-la ennai partha thillaiye !’.A quality of mine which has been a freeflow yet i’m not aware of it – just like tears out of my eyes without my own eyes noticing it )
Reminds me of another Vairamuthu’s Magical line ( ‘Kannillai endralo niram parka mudiyathu- Niram parkum un kannai nee parka mudiyathu’ – Thulatha manamum thullum)
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Nithya, your comment reminds me of the part in Siddhartha (Herman Hesse) where he looks at his own reflection in the water.
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well, i really do admit tht Vairamuthu sir is
indeed d best after Kannadhasan sir. and esp
with a combo of AVM = ARR – Vairamuthu – Mani,
one will expect magic ‘n will experience them
when listening / visualizing d songs.
but its kinda of sad, of late, movies such as
Kuthu, Adi Tadhi have silly lyrics such as
“Ummah .. Ummaah” and “Pothu Takhu ..”
it seems like the lyric writters are facing
“dry season” w/out having any ideas on what
to write.
while Vairamuthu sir is able to come out with
such fine amazing lyrics, Vaali sir also seems
not to be left far behind (IMHO).
most of his songs (d latest i wud say; late 90’s)
Vaali sir has his own signature in it. one of it
tht i wud like to quote is from Boys – Break The
Rules”
“Panchum Nereppu, Sentha Thappu
Panchum Panchum, Sentha Thappu”
**(sorry if there is a typo-erro)
its a simple line but it certainly hits d msg
among d masses. well.. this is juz one of it.
but no doubt, Vairamuthu certainly has his own
qualities tht sets him far from d rest.
juz my few cents,
-prem-
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“Kann Thondri Kann Kaana Kanneero” (Is this a tear that is out, yet unseen?)
doesnt this actually mean – tears that appear from the eye ( kann thondri) – do they appear for the eyes to see
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I woeld like you, please send me a web side addresses about the tamil song writters.
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I would like you to send me the e_mauil address about the songs writters in tamil and the address, where can I sell my songs?
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