- Lyricist
- Siva Ananth
- Singer
- Antara Nandy
- Music director
- A. R. Rahman
- Movie name
- Ponniyin Selvan – Part 1
- Movie release year
- 2022
- Lyrics added on
- 27 Jul 2022
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
Alaikadal is a soulful sea-shanty style song sung from the perspective of Poonguzhali, the brave boatwoman in Mani Ratnam's epic adaptation 'Ponniyin Selvan: I'. The song captures her deep inner solitude, unfulfilled longing, and spiritual connection to the ocean. She compares the unreachable depths of her ocean love to the distant moon, asking if her silent emotions will ever be understood or answered before reaching the distant shore.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Extended Metaphor (Uvamaani)
“Alaikadal aazham nilavu ariyaadhoo”
The ocean depth and the moon are used as an extended metaphor for deep, unexpressed love and a distant, unreachable beloved.
Rhetorical Question (Aandugol)
“Adi mana dhaagam vizhil theriyaadhoo”
Poetic questions that highlight yearning and philosophical mystery rather than seeking literal answers.
Contrast & Transformation (Muran / Edhirnillai)
“Inbam thunbam rendum idam porul maarum”
juxtaposing night and day, clouds and rain, smile and tears to depict the impermanence and fluidity of life.
Second-Letter Rhyming (Edhugai)
“Pesadha mozhi ondril kaaviyama / Thaanaga uruvaana oviyama”
The second consonant sound matches across consecutive lines ('Pesadha' / 'Thaanaga' / 'Thaai').
Did you know?
Trivia
This marks singer Antara Nandy's breakthrough Tamil debut. The song showcases the character Poonguzhali (played by Aishwarya Lekshmi), popularly known as 'Samudrakumari' (Daughter of the Ocean) in Kalki Krishnamurthy's legendary 1955 novel Ponniyin Selvan.
Keep listening
Songs with a similar feeling
From the same album
More songs from Ponniyin Selvan – Part 1
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