மலர்ந்தும் மலராதவை #12
சித்திரப்பூ சேலை...
Rajaram Theatres’ புது செருப்பு கடிக்கும் was based on a short story by Jayakanthan. The story was written in 1971, and came out as part of a collection of short stories, published by Meenakshi Puthaga Nilayam, Madurai.
The story revolves around three characters- Nandagopal, Girija and Vatsala. Nandagopal enjoys his bachelorhood till he is 30 years old. He harbours bitter memories of his father physically torturing his mother day after day, and thus he develops an aversion towards marriage. He meets Girija, who works as a sales girl besides doing various odd jobs to eke out a meager living. He is attracted to her cheerful disposition and caring ways. One day, when seeing her hungry state, he treats her to a meal and buys groceries for her. She suggests that he move in with her and share the monthly expenses. He readily falls in with the scheme, and their friendship assumes new dimensions. They share the expenses....and some more...
He tells her of his mother’s constant nagging, asking him to get married. Girija encourages him to take the step. He tells her of his cousin Vatsala who is very pretty. Girija masks her disappointment, and congratulates him on his decision. When the wedding day looms near, she suggests that he move out, as it would not be appropriate for them to share the same roof any more. There is a hint of tears in her eyes as she tells this….
Nandagopal finds marital life not at all what he had bargained for. Vatsala and he rarely see eye to eye, and arguments, unpleasantness and humiliations become a daily affair. One night, after some bitter exchanges, he suddenly remembers wistfully his carefree days with Girija. He takes a sudden decision to pay her a visit, even at that unearthly hour. Girija is surprised at his sudden visit, but gives him a warm welcome. To her eager queries on his married life, he responds by listing the complaints he had against Vatsala, and adds that he is suffering for the callous way in which he had treated Girija.
She admonishes him gently, and explains to him how Vatsala must have felt to leave all that is
familiar and dear to her, and come to a strange place and that even the male species may appear strange to her. Girija adds that Nandagopal was ‘experienced’ in the ways of women (in a wry reference to their living together), and she too was ‘trained’ in the ways of men- but men do not want “trained” wives! Nandagopal understands the truth. Presently, seeing that her foot is injured, tenderly enquires about it. She replies that she had bought a new pair of slippers, and was suffering from acute ‘shoe bite’ Then come her punch lines “A new pair of slippers necessarily hurts, but would that make anyone go in for an old pair”?!!! She smiles as she says this…. he breaks down….
What a moving, stark story- Jayakanthan had expanded it into an evocative black & white movie running for just more than an hour. I believe Srikanth & Saradha played the lead roles. Sadly, JK could find no distributors. The movie never made it to the marquee, while Jaganmohini, released around the same time, ran to packed houses.
However, பது செருப்பு கடிக்கும் remains in our memories for the two wonderful songs penned by Jayakanthan and tuned by the genius M.B. Srinivasan.
The first of them was a Radio Ceylon regular in the late 70s. A song of aching memories of a lost love, a wistful window of vistas of a past that is gone… the man remembers his lady love, and recalls in vivid detail his impressions of her striking appearance… The song is a sigh, a tender throwback…JK’s refreshing lines with the adjectives that are are truly inventive, sit so snugly into the MBS trellis. JK’s friend Mr. Kuppuswami recalled in an interview to The Hindu that the lines came to Jk when they were bathing in the Cauvery. SPB conjures up the wistful ache, the unhurried rumination that the mood demands…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oijasCnOmNg
The other is the haunting Vani Jairam solo ‘உடல் என்பார்.’ Vani renders it with great depth of emotion. I found the song to be tranquil, but more like the peace one finds in the company of a lingering sorrow. Alone and at a loss.
Has the sorrow of a girl whose love has gone unrequited, ever been depicted more poignantly- each line is redolent of this suffering- the suffering that only people who have loved and lost can understand……the wait is endless, futile, yet still she waits….
The lyrics are truly remarkable, of a kind seldom encountered in film songs. MBS adds spellbinding sheen to the lyrics by his unobtrusive and masterful use of Veenai, Flute and Violin- each interlude is a short but effective statement.
Vani brings to the song a Ghazal like aura- how much hushed pain peeps out in her song! The song is a celebration of heart-rending sorrow, of forlorn disappointment, of benumbing betrayal, of eerie emptiness that knows no solace...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhEp3aGfzGM
Discussion at:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1018417744856618/permalink/1832702163428168/
சித்திரப்பூ சேலை...
Rajaram Theatres’ புது செருப்பு கடிக்கும் was based on a short story by Jayakanthan. The story was written in 1971, and came out as part of a collection of short stories, published by Meenakshi Puthaga Nilayam, Madurai.
He tells her of his mother’s constant nagging, asking him to get married. Girija encourages him to take the step. He tells her of his cousin Vatsala who is very pretty. Girija masks her disappointment, and congratulates him on his decision. When the wedding day looms near, she suggests that he move out, as it would not be appropriate for them to share the same roof any more. There is a hint of tears in her eyes as she tells this….
Nandagopal finds marital life not at all what he had bargained for. Vatsala and he rarely see eye to eye, and arguments, unpleasantness and humiliations become a daily affair. One night, after some bitter exchanges, he suddenly remembers wistfully his carefree days with Girija. He takes a sudden decision to pay her a visit, even at that unearthly hour. Girija is surprised at his sudden visit, but gives him a warm welcome. To her eager queries on his married life, he responds by listing the complaints he had against Vatsala, and adds that he is suffering for the callous way in which he had treated Girija.
She admonishes him gently, and explains to him how Vatsala must have felt to leave all that is
familiar and dear to her, and come to a strange place and that even the male species may appear strange to her. Girija adds that Nandagopal was ‘experienced’ in the ways of women (in a wry reference to their living together), and she too was ‘trained’ in the ways of men- but men do not want “trained” wives! Nandagopal understands the truth. Presently, seeing that her foot is injured, tenderly enquires about it. She replies that she had bought a new pair of slippers, and was suffering from acute ‘shoe bite’ Then come her punch lines “A new pair of slippers necessarily hurts, but would that make anyone go in for an old pair”?!!! She smiles as she says this…. he breaks down….What a moving, stark story- Jayakanthan had expanded it into an evocative black & white movie running for just more than an hour. I believe Srikanth & Saradha played the lead roles. Sadly, JK could find no distributors. The movie never made it to the marquee, while Jaganmohini, released around the same time, ran to packed houses.
However, பது செருப்பு கடிக்கும் remains in our memories for the two wonderful songs penned by Jayakanthan and tuned by the genius M.B. Srinivasan.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oijasCnOmNg
The other is the haunting Vani Jairam solo ‘உடல் என்பார்.’ Vani renders it with great depth of emotion. I found the song to be tranquil, but more like the peace one finds in the company of a lingering sorrow. Alone and at a loss.
Has the sorrow of a girl whose love has gone unrequited, ever been depicted more poignantly- each line is redolent of this suffering- the suffering that only people who have loved and lost can understand……the wait is endless, futile, yet still she waits….
The lyrics are truly remarkable, of a kind seldom encountered in film songs. MBS adds spellbinding sheen to the lyrics by his unobtrusive and masterful use of Veenai, Flute and Violin- each interlude is a short but effective statement.
Vani brings to the song a Ghazal like aura- how much hushed pain peeps out in her song! The song is a celebration of heart-rending sorrow, of forlorn disappointment, of benumbing betrayal, of eerie emptiness that knows no solace...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhEp3aGfzGM
Discussion at:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1018417744856618/permalink/1832702163428168/
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