Saravanan Natarajan writes:
உயிரே உனக்காக....
Two wondrous wedges from a vibrant rainbow, a magnificent rainbow that made a fleeting appearance before being hidden forever behind the swirling clouds of time……I was among the blessed to have savoured the delectable wedges…. These are two songs from ‘உயிரே உனக்காக’. Sung by SPB and S.Janaki. Lyrics by Vairamuthu. Music by Ilaiyaraja.
And before anyone starts wondering if Raja composed two songs in an album that had music by Laxmikant-Pyarelal, let me hasten to clarify that this film is not the Mohan-Nadiya starrer உயிரே உனக்காக (1986/ Motherland Pictures).
This was an earlier venture commenced with the same name. Sri Manickam Films’ உயிரே உனக்காக is destined to lie hidden in the cans forever. It had Prabhu and Sulakshana playing the lead roles. It was produced by Kallakkudi Manickam and directed by S. Kumar.
* * * *
I go back again to the summer of 1983 when all schools were shut down for an extended period to express solidarity with the Srilankan Tamils. Having nothing else to do apart from reading the books borrowed from Easwari Lending Library in the afternoons and playing with friends out in the street for a while in the evening, I fell back upon my old ally- Radio Ceylon. My day started with பொங்கும் பூம்புனல் and ended with இரவின் மடியில்.
I can never forget the songs that were aired regularly during that unexpected vacation, and along with songs like ‘தென்னங்கீற்றும் தென்றல் காற்றும்', ‘நினைவிலே மனைவி என்று’, ‘யாரது சொல்லாமல்’, ‘சிரிச்சா கொல்லிமலைக் குயிலு’, ‘ஓ வெண்ணிலாவே வா ஓடி வா’, ‘தென்றல் என்னை முத்தமிட்டது’; there were these two songs that would found place unfailingly in பொங்கும் பூம்புனல்.
The songs were never aired after that summer, as album after album of Raja filled with new delights kept coming up week after week. I could not let go of them however, and clutched on to them in a precious nook of memory. Many years later, these two songs from உயிரே உனக்காக were on my wish-list each time I discovered a new recording center. But when after days of delicious anticipation, I brought back the cassette home, I would be dismayed to find 'I want to be a rich man' or 'கவிதைகள் விரியும் விழியிலே' from LP’s உயிரே உனக்காக recorded in the place of my requests! All my protests elicited was a flat denial of the existence of another movie by the same name for which Ilaiyaraja had composed the songs ….
The dream ensemble of Ilaiyaraja, Vairamuthu, SPB & Janaki collaborate here to put together an exquisite duet. Janaki’s enticing humming is invitation enough, and SPB’s pallavi hints at lusty longings hiding behind the air of laid-back romance. ‘மார்கழி பார்வை'…. What a mataphor… a glance that sends delicious shivers down the spine, a look that brings a refreshing zephyr to a heart parched for love? Janaki makes a sly entry into the charanam - hark at her irresistible exclamation of pleasure at his ‘உள்ளங்கையில் தேனிருக்க’ --And just when you expect SPB to bring back the pallavi after Janaki’s surging end to the charanam, like an unexpected cascade of summer showers, Raja takes you on a mesmerizing musical odyssey….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iO-62OrrP7g&feature=youtu.be
The other enchanting duet from this film, ‘பூ என்பதா பொன் என்பதா’ (lyrics again by Vairamuthu) was another favourite among Radio Ceylon listeners. Serenaded by female chorus voices, a bashful Janaki lifts the curtains to a ballad of an unhurried courtship, a romance whose languorous lilt is festooned by SPB’s impassioned wooing. Gorgeous arrangements by the Maestro…listen to how he commissions his lead singers to commence the second interlude…. Rapture!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMy69H7iECc&feature=youtu.be
Happy Birthday, Sir! Our lives are richer with your music.
And, SPB Sir, our advance wishes!
Discussion at:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1018417744856618/permalink/2013711081993941/
No comments:
Post a Comment