- Lyricist
- Kannadasan
- Singer
- Vani Jairam
- Music director
- Sankar Ganesh
- Movie name
- Panja Bootham
- Movie release year
- 1979
- Lyrics added on
- 16 Oct 2025
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
Alai Paayum Kaatrae is a sensual and poetic song from the 1979 film Panja Bootham, featuring music composed by Sankar Ganesh and lyrics written by Kaviarasu Kannadasan. Sung with delicate grace by Vani Jayaram, the song features a heroine addressing the restless wind as a surrogate for her beloved, inviting it to come close and gently play among tender jasmine blossoms. She weaves a scene of natural splendor, where monsoon clouds invoke musical ragas and bees hum new melodies resembling the sacred sound of conch shells. In the latter verse, Kannadasan draws upon rich Hindu mythological imagery, comparing the maiden's eyes to Goddess Rathi's and her lover's features to Manmatha's floral bow. The song encapsulates romantic yearning, nature's harmony, and the eager anticipation of intimacy.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Metaphor (உருவகம்)
“Alai paayum kaatrae”
The wind is metaphorically described as surging waves ('Alai paayum kaatrae'), capturing its restless and rhythmic nature.
Personification (தற்குறிப்பேற்ற அணி)
“Ila malli poovil vilaiyada vaarayoo”
The wind is treated as a sentient lover who is invited to come near and play on tender jasmine flowers.
Second-letter Rhyme (எதுகை - Edhugai)
“Mazhaikaala megangal / Azhaikkindra raagangal”
The second consonant 'zha' aligns between 'Mazhaikaala' and 'Azhaikkindra', creating rhythmic Tamil prosody.
Alliteration (மோனை - Monai)
“Engae undu ingae undu”
Repetition of initial phonemes 'E' and 'I' sound harmony across words in the line.
Classical Allusion (புராண உவமை)
“Rathi devi nayanangal / Malar maaran puruvangal”
References to Rathi Devi (goddess of love and beauty) and Malar Maaran (Manmatha/Cupid) to elevate the imagery of ideal romantic beauty.
Did you know?
Trivia
Panja Bootham (1979) was an action-drama movie scored by the veteran duo Sankar-Ganesh. Kannadasan's use of classic imagery like 'Malar Maaran' (a reference to Kamadeva who uses five flower arrows) and 'Rathi Devi' showcases his deep mastery of traditional Sangam and epic Tamil literary tropes blended into modern film music.
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