Kannadasan - King of Verse

Yes it IS a Long post.

I've been wanting to do this for a really long time. Got down to it just now - thanks to an exercise which my film team has undertaken to find an apt title for our forthcoming feature. The 1st thing most of the directorial groups do to 'trap a title' is to browse through Bharathiyar Kavithaigal or Kannadasan's Collection of Songs to pick out a proper, Tamil list of words that lend meaning to their story. Such is the range and variety that almost every genre of film will find its title in any of the two books. What I was able to do in this process is to pick out my favorite songs/verses from Kannadasan's work and list them down here - each of the lines convey & carry a special meaning for me, I'm sure they will have a unique imagery for each one of us! It is most certainly not an exhaustive list, it may not have the usual hit songs (some lines may find themselveshere but to put down a popular list is not the motive for this post!) nor does this list spell out beginnings, middles and ends of each song.

My list is just a sample of the greatness, the ingenuity, the sheer flow of language & metaphor of a Master Lyricist/Poet, unsurpassed from 1948 and whose work spans nearly three decades of lyrical genius - from the MGR/Sivaji era to the Kamal & Rajini one - from historical to social themes & of course romance, right upto village folk...! There is only one line I can think of when it comes to describing Kanndasan's prowess, that too taken from his own lines from the film 'Karnan' - much like the great warrior (yes, Karna for me is superior to Arjuna!) who never said 'No' to anyone in need, Kannadasan also never said 'No' to any situation...

"Varigal koduppaar, vaarthai koduppaar; pothaathu pothaathu endraal...Innum koduppar Ithuvum Kuraiendraal Engal...Kannadasan"... Enjoy!

P.S: The wonderful thing is, with each of Kannadasan's verses, the tune springs up alive thanks to MSV...! What a contribution to Tamil cinema!

- "Aattuvithaar yaathoruvar aadaathaare Kanna...Aasaiyennum Thottililey aadaathaare Kanna..."

- "Neeyum naanum sernthirinthoam Nilavum vaanum poale...
Naan nilavai pola theinthu vanthean nee valarnthathaale...."

- "Ithukku poyi alattikkalaama..." (Just that line will do for me!)

- "Yezhu swarangalukkul yethanai paadal...Ithaya churangarkul yethanai kelvi...
Kaanum manitharukkul yethanai salanam...Verum Karpanai santhoshathil avanthu gavanam..."
(specially root for the last line)

- "Kondaattam palavitham...naan athiley oru vitham..." (Too much...!)

- "Idaiyaa...Ithu Idaiyaa...Athu Illaathathu poal irukkuthu..." (For all the size Zeros around...!)

- "Nilavukku enn mel yennadi kobam...Neruppai yerigirathu... Kulungum munthaanai sirikkum aththaanai virattuvathenadiyo..." (This is a masterpiece of a 'making up' song, the thots hold true till date...the words have power over any woman even now!)

- "Mugathai mugthai maraithukondaal paarkka mudiyumaa..?
Indru paarthu paarthu mudithuvittaal naalai vendumey..!"

- "Odi vanthathum thedi vanthathum...Paadi vanthathum paarkka vanthathum...
Kaadhal enbadhaa...paasam enbadhaa..Karunai enbadhaa...urimai enbadhaa...!"

- "Maalaiyum iravavum santhikkum idaththil Mangiya oliyinai poley, mana mayakkathai thanthaval neeye..."

- "Anubhavam puthimai avalidam kandean..." (With that tune, this song is for all First Timers...)

- "Valartha kalai maranthuvittal keladaa kannaa..." (My Dad even now hums this along a sunday afternoon...!)

- "Paravai paranthu sella viduvenaa..Antha paramporul vanthaalum tharuvena..." (A leaf out of Satyavan - Savitri, so aptly suits Nenjil Oar Aalayam too..)

- "Yaarukendru azhathapothum thalaivanaagalaam...Manam...manam...athu kovil aagalaam..."
(Can Man truly become God? - With this song Kavingar says it is possible..!)

- "Aayiram vaasal ithayam...athil aayiram ennanngal udhayam...
Yaaro varuvaar yaaro poavaar...Varuvathum poavathum theriyaathu...."

- "Kalaiye enn vaazhkaiyai thisai maattrinaai...
Kovil kandean angu dheivam illai
Odi vanthean ingu nee irunthaai..."

- "Azhagumiguntha raajakumari megamaaga pogiraal...Jarigai neliyum selaikondu malaiyai mooda paarkiraal
Pallam silar ullam ena yean padaithaan aandavan
Pattam thara theduginrean...yengey antha naayakan...."
(Pattam - title for Kannadasan, I have given...thought I wonder what his lines would be to the movies of 2008!)

- "Kanne kalaimaane....(the whole song)"

- "Yenna kodupaan Yevai kodupaan...Yendrivargal yennum munney...Ponnum koduppaan...porul koduppaan...Pothaathu pothaathendraal....Innum...Kodupaan...Ivaiyum kurivaiendraal...yengal Karnan... Thannai kodupaan...thannuyiraiyum thaan kodupaan....Dhayaanithiye..."

- "Theeraadha villaiyaattu pillai...Ivan singaara manmadhanthaan santhegam illai..."
(The sheer panache of the lines so well etched out for Rajini)

- "Aadai illaatha maeni...avan paer annaalil gyaani...Indro athuvoru hobby...ellorum inimael baby..."
(loud Ha, Ha, Ha-s for this one..!)

- " Kadhalukku eedu solla kaaviyathil yaarumillai..Naan ondru nee ondru thaammaa...
Manmadhan vanthaanaa....namma sangathi sonnaanaa..."
(This Singaari has outlived many generations!)

- "Oru Aathikka naayagan saathikka vanthaal Adanguthal muraithaane..." (Kamban yaemaanthaan - what a title!)

- "Kannaal sollu malai yeduppean...Rendu kaiyaaley atha valaippean..." (albeit from Bharathidaasan's poem...but a lyrical variation and how..!?)

- "Punniyam ithvendru ulagam sonnaal..Antha punniyam Kannanukey...Pottruvaar pottralum thoottruvaar thoottralum...Pogattum kannanukkey..."

- "Thennai ilankeettriniley thalaattum thendralathu...Thennaithanai saayththuvidum puyalaaga varum pozhuthu..."

- "Paranthu sellum paravaiyai kaettean....Paadisellum kaattraiyum kaettean...
Alaiyum nenjai avanidam sonnean...Azhaithuvanthaar ennidam unnai..."
(If I could be the lady described in this song, If I could be the one soul in love...wow!)

- "Yaaro solla yaaro endru yaaro vantha uravu...Kaalam seitha kolam ingu naan vantha varavu..." (Was the tune made for the lyrics or was it the other way round...however it was, this one rhymes just by itself, right?)

- "Thanimaiyil gaanam sabaiyiley mounam...Uravuthaan raagam uyirellaam paasam...
Anbukonda nenjil anubhavam illai..." (Can a woman know another woman this well? How did Kannadasan know?)

- "Andru sendrathum maranthaai uravai...Indru vanthathey puthiya paravai...
Yentha Jenmathilum oru thadavai...naam santhippoam intha nilavai..."

- "Pani illaatha maargazhiyaa...padai illaatha mannavaraa...
Inipillaatha mukkaniyaa...Isai Illaatha muthamizhmaa..."
(Kannadasan illatha thirai isai paadalaa..?!)

- "Ithu naalai varum endru kaathirinthaal oru naall allavo veenaagum..."
(What a thought!)

- "Pesuvathu kiliyaa...illai pennarasi mozhiyaa... Sendaadum seiyizhaithaanaa...Dheiveega kaadhalithaanaa..." (Me, me - the last two words...how I just wish!)

- "Siragil ennai moodi arumai magal pola valartha kathai sollavaa... (The whole song - Malarthum malaraatha...)

- "Maaperum sabaigalil nee nadanthaal...Unakku maalaigal vizha vendum..."
Oru Maattru kuraiyaatha mannavan ivanendru pottri pugazha vendum..."
(Yet to read a 'Commandment' like this one!)

- "Ennai konjam thoonga vaithaal....Vananguvean thaaye...Indru mattum amaithi thanthaal...Uranguvean thaaye..."

- "Thaaikku nee maganillai...Thambikku annanillai...Oor pazhi yettraaiyadaa...
Naanum unn pazhi kondeanadaa...." (The whole song actually!)

- "Kadaisi varai yaaro...." (The whole song again..!)

- "Inbam kanavil thunbam ethiril...Kaanbathu yean thozhi..."
(Do you dream when you are feeling intoxicated with the evening weather...? You would want to with these lines..!)
- "Aayirathil oruthiyammaa neee..." (But obviously...My Blog you see!!)