Presenting today the unusual ‘Vanakkam’ from Agni Saatchi (1982)
Sung by SPB & P. Suseela.
Vaali's verses set to tune by MSV.
* * * *
Deepavali fell on 14th November in 1982. And true to tradition, a host of movies were released, sending film crazy fans into feverish frenzy. Pareetchaikku neramaachu, Pagadai pannirendu, Adhisayappiravigal, GopurangaL saaivathillai, Oorum uravum, Nizhal thedum nenjangaL, Vaalibame vaa vaa, Kanmani poonga, Deviyin thiruvilaiyaadal and Darling Darling Darling were all unleashed on the public that day. Some were hits and many were misses at the box office, but Deepavali, ever associated with firecrackers, new clothes, sweets and new movies (not necessarily in that order), lived up to its expectations!
Also among the Deepavali releases was Agnisaatchi (kavithalaya). The film starred Sivakumar, Saritha, Arundhathi, Sivagami, Poornam Viswanathan and others. Kamalhasan and Rajnikanth chipped in with special appearances. K.Balachandar was at the helm, with his trusted B.S.Loknath and N.R Kittu lending reassuring support.
The story was stark and shocking; the theme heavy and heartrending; the handling sensitive and skillful. And Saritha, in the complex role of a woman carrying the baggage of a childhood trauma, stole the show with her splendid performance. Her character had a plethora of ramifications.a devotee of Tamizh in general and Bharathi's verses in particular, a connoisseur of creativity, a woman madly in love with her husband, a humane human whose indignation at the wrongs she witnesses comes in for derision, an innocent mind irreparably harmed. Saritha was awe-inspiring, frightening, brilliant, revolting, enthralling, puzzling, irksome, wonderful..in the end, leaving behind a lingering impact.
The film did not do too well commercially, though. The seasoned KB ought to have foreseen the fate of such a solemn saga. Years later, in a candid chat, he would express his hurt thus: “In my characterisation I like to paint the grey areas. Ideal women, like ideal men, do not exist, do they? I struggle with the character and situation. But often this is not appreciated. In Agnisaatchi, the heroine's righteous anger at the denigration of women was misunderstood as madness!"
But all was not lost. Agnisaatchi was adjudged the Second Best Film of 1982-83 by the TN Govt. (Engeyo ketta kural and Ezhavathu manithan won the first and the third places respectively). Saritha rightfully walked away with the Best Actress Award (Another honour that came her way that year was the Kalaimaamani citation ) and Sivakumar bagged the Best Actor Award. N.R.Kittu was pronounced the Best Editor, also for Agnisaatchi.
* * * *
One more award of the TN Govt. went to Agnisaatchi The Mellisai Mannar also scored. His score, worth many an encore and more, fetched him the Award for the Best Music Director of 1982-83. Stringing together the prose-like poetic lines of Vaali into simple and soulful songs was no mean task, and MSV proved his mettle even as his detractors were writing him off. 'Kanaa kaanum kangal mella' crooned by SPB, with Saritha reciting poetry in between, was the dazzling jewel in the crown. 'Adiye Kannamma amaithi ennamma', in the ageless allure of P. Susheela, was another winner. Saritha half-sang,half-recited some pudhukkavithai lines 'Aam. Bharathi pudhiya thamizhukku podappatta piLLaiyaar suzhi'; 'Kosuve unnakku kodi namaskaaram' , 'En thalaiva, en peyarai oru paper-il ezhuthi adhai thadavi paar', 'Aarambam, silapaadhigaarathin mudivil oraarambam' was another novel attempt, sung by MSV, L.R.Eswary and Vani Jairam. SPB's 'Unnai enakku pidichirukkirathu', originally composed for Agnisaatchi, was used later in Poikkaal Kuthirai.
* * * *
As far as my limited understanding goes, Pudhukkavidhai is all about letting the words flow, free from the shackles of grammar, rhyme or even meter. The choice of apposite words, the felicity of expression, the imagination strewn in the similes, the metaphors, the analogies are all what go into a good Pudhukkavithai. And the abrupt breaks in the lines store surprises in their very unpredictability. Such lines are generally not ductile enough to be set to tune, and hence do not find place in Tamil film music, where the lyricists write what is generally known as Isai Paadalgal. Hence to find a pristine Pudhukkavidhai form in Tamil film music is a rare treat.
Vaali and KB were old friends; they had worked together for the first time in Major Chandrakanth, way back in 1966. And in the years that followed, Vaali wrote the songs for many KB movies. However, after 1973, KB worked only with Kannadasan, till Thanneer Thanneer, where he got Vairamuthu to write a couple of songs. In the aftermath of Kannadasan's demise, KB returned to Vaali and it was a grand reunion indeed. Vaali's Pudhukkavithai efforts were intelligently harnessed by KB, for the Agnisaatchi’s heroine is shown to be a poetry enthusiast. And so Vaali's lines filled the frames, and lent a poetic touch to the poignant proceedings.
An adapatation of a Pudhukkavithai such as ‘Vanakkam…mudhal variyai ezhudhumun’ is remarkable in the annals of Tamil cinema. (MSV did it again in 'Oru indhiya kanavu'- he took a Pudhukkavithai from Vairamuthu's 'Thiruthi ezhudhiya theerppugal' and tuned the wondrous 'Anaamika'. When Vairamuthu expressed his amazement on listening to the song, MSV is said to have remarked smilingly that there was nothing in this universe that cannot be set to music!
Take this song as a case in point. The song is more of a musical recitation of the poetic prose. The music blends into the background unobtrusively. Vaali has let his imagination soar in the romantic lines (Remember Emily Dickinson's "Going to him! Happy letter!') That 'Uppukkadal karpukkeda' imagery is a stunning revelation of Vaali's poetic capabilities. Susheela has shown scintillating sagacity in her delineation of the convoluted lines, and I always thought her voice was well suited for Saritha. SPB is in his usual "make merry" mood and interprets the lines with perfect understanding. MSV strikes gold in this one, even while playing from the sidelines…..hark at the auspicious percussion in the end as she dreams of marital bliss. Bliss!
Sung by SPB & P. Suseela.
Vaali's verses set to tune by MSV.
* * * *
Deepavali fell on 14th November in 1982. And true to tradition, a host of movies were released, sending film crazy fans into feverish frenzy. Pareetchaikku neramaachu, Pagadai pannirendu, Adhisayappiravigal, GopurangaL saaivathillai, Oorum uravum, Nizhal thedum nenjangaL, Vaalibame vaa vaa, Kanmani poonga, Deviyin thiruvilaiyaadal and Darling Darling Darling were all unleashed on the public that day. Some were hits and many were misses at the box office, but Deepavali, ever associated with firecrackers, new clothes, sweets and new movies (not necessarily in that order), lived up to its expectations!
Also among the Deepavali releases was Agnisaatchi (kavithalaya). The film starred Sivakumar, Saritha, Arundhathi, Sivagami, Poornam Viswanathan and others. Kamalhasan and Rajnikanth chipped in with special appearances. K.Balachandar was at the helm, with his trusted B.S.Loknath and N.R Kittu lending reassuring support.
The story was stark and shocking; the theme heavy and heartrending; the handling sensitive and skillful. And Saritha, in the complex role of a woman carrying the baggage of a childhood trauma, stole the show with her splendid performance. Her character had a plethora of ramifications.a devotee of Tamizh in general and Bharathi's verses in particular, a connoisseur of creativity, a woman madly in love with her husband, a humane human whose indignation at the wrongs she witnesses comes in for derision, an innocent mind irreparably harmed. Saritha was awe-inspiring, frightening, brilliant, revolting, enthralling, puzzling, irksome, wonderful..in the end, leaving behind a lingering impact.
The film did not do too well commercially, though. The seasoned KB ought to have foreseen the fate of such a solemn saga. Years later, in a candid chat, he would express his hurt thus: “In my characterisation I like to paint the grey areas. Ideal women, like ideal men, do not exist, do they? I struggle with the character and situation. But often this is not appreciated. In Agnisaatchi, the heroine's righteous anger at the denigration of women was misunderstood as madness!"
But all was not lost. Agnisaatchi was adjudged the Second Best Film of 1982-83 by the TN Govt. (Engeyo ketta kural and Ezhavathu manithan won the first and the third places respectively). Saritha rightfully walked away with the Best Actress Award (Another honour that came her way that year was the Kalaimaamani citation ) and Sivakumar bagged the Best Actor Award. N.R.Kittu was pronounced the Best Editor, also for Agnisaatchi.
* * * *
One more award of the TN Govt. went to Agnisaatchi The Mellisai Mannar also scored. His score, worth many an encore and more, fetched him the Award for the Best Music Director of 1982-83. Stringing together the prose-like poetic lines of Vaali into simple and soulful songs was no mean task, and MSV proved his mettle even as his detractors were writing him off. 'Kanaa kaanum kangal mella' crooned by SPB, with Saritha reciting poetry in between, was the dazzling jewel in the crown. 'Adiye Kannamma amaithi ennamma', in the ageless allure of P. Susheela, was another winner. Saritha half-sang,half-recited some pudhukkavithai lines 'Aam. Bharathi pudhiya thamizhukku podappatta piLLaiyaar suzhi'; 'Kosuve unnakku kodi namaskaaram' , 'En thalaiva, en peyarai oru paper-il ezhuthi adhai thadavi paar', 'Aarambam, silapaadhigaarathin mudivil oraarambam' was another novel attempt, sung by MSV, L.R.Eswary and Vani Jairam. SPB's 'Unnai enakku pidichirukkirathu', originally composed for Agnisaatchi, was used later in Poikkaal Kuthirai.
* * * *
As far as my limited understanding goes, Pudhukkavidhai is all about letting the words flow, free from the shackles of grammar, rhyme or even meter. The choice of apposite words, the felicity of expression, the imagination strewn in the similes, the metaphors, the analogies are all what go into a good Pudhukkavithai. And the abrupt breaks in the lines store surprises in their very unpredictability. Such lines are generally not ductile enough to be set to tune, and hence do not find place in Tamil film music, where the lyricists write what is generally known as Isai Paadalgal. Hence to find a pristine Pudhukkavidhai form in Tamil film music is a rare treat.
Vaali and KB were old friends; they had worked together for the first time in Major Chandrakanth, way back in 1966. And in the years that followed, Vaali wrote the songs for many KB movies. However, after 1973, KB worked only with Kannadasan, till Thanneer Thanneer, where he got Vairamuthu to write a couple of songs. In the aftermath of Kannadasan's demise, KB returned to Vaali and it was a grand reunion indeed. Vaali's Pudhukkavithai efforts were intelligently harnessed by KB, for the Agnisaatchi’s heroine is shown to be a poetry enthusiast. And so Vaali's lines filled the frames, and lent a poetic touch to the poignant proceedings.
An adapatation of a Pudhukkavithai such as ‘Vanakkam…mudhal variyai ezhudhumun’ is remarkable in the annals of Tamil cinema. (MSV did it again in 'Oru indhiya kanavu'- he took a Pudhukkavithai from Vairamuthu's 'Thiruthi ezhudhiya theerppugal' and tuned the wondrous 'Anaamika'. When Vairamuthu expressed his amazement on listening to the song, MSV is said to have remarked smilingly that there was nothing in this universe that cannot be set to music!
Take this song as a case in point. The song is more of a musical recitation of the poetic prose. The music blends into the background unobtrusively. Vaali has let his imagination soar in the romantic lines (Remember Emily Dickinson's "Going to him! Happy letter!') That 'Uppukkadal karpukkeda' imagery is a stunning revelation of Vaali's poetic capabilities. Susheela has shown scintillating sagacity in her delineation of the convoluted lines, and I always thought her voice was well suited for Saritha. SPB is in his usual "make merry" mood and interprets the lines with perfect understanding. MSV strikes gold in this one, even while playing from the sidelines…..hark at the auspicious percussion in the end as she dreams of marital bliss. Bliss!
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