- Lyricist
- Aalangudi Somu
- Singer
- Malaysia Vasudevan
- Music director
- Shankar Ganesh
- Movie name
- Oli Piranthathu
- Movie release year
- 1980
- Lyrics added on
- 7 Jul 2022
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
Ada kadangaara paavingalaa is a philosophical Tamil song infused with dark humor, delivered from the perspective of a graveyard observer. It delivers a stark, uncompromising reminder about the impermanence of earthly life, material wealth, and worldly ambition. The song reflects on how human beings engage in greed, falsehoods, and intense competition throughout their lives, only to be forced to abandon all riches the moment death strikes. Ultimately, regardless of how much wealth or status one acquires, life ends in the grave. The lyricist highlights the indifferent reality of the world: after a person dies, relatives and acquaintances will perform the funeral rituals, carry the body, wash themselves, and casually move on with life over a meal of biryani, proving that all earthly attachments are fleeting illusions.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Ethukai (Second Letter Rhyme)
“Ada kadangaara paavingalaa / Unga adangaatha aasaiyellaam”
The second consonant sound matches across lines, creating a rhythmic Tamil folk cadence (e.g., 'kadangaara' matching with 'adangaatha').
Satire and Irony
“Thamukkadichchu naalu peru thookkiduvaandaa / Thalai muzhugi briyani saappiduvaandaa”
Juxtaposes the gravity of death with the mundane indifference of the living who carry out funeral rites and immediately feast on biryani.
Personification
“Emanoruvan thookkaththilae muzhichchikkittaan / Aayul yaettapuratti ivan kadhaiya mudichchipputtaan”
Depicts Yama (the God of Death) waking up from sleep and flipping through the ledger of human lifespans to close a person's life story.
Did you know?
Trivia
Oli Piranthathu (1980) features a soundtrack composed by the popular duo Shankar-Ganesh. Lyricist Aalangudi Somu was renowned for embedding deep philosophical truths into simple, colloquial Tamil folk poetry, often sung during pivotal funeral or graveyard scenes in Tamil cinema.
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