- Lyricist
- Bunrutti Lakshmanan
- Singer
- Manorama
- Music director
- Sankar Ganesh
- Movie name
- Panja Bootham
- Movie release year
- 1979
- Lyrics added on
- 12 Oct 2025
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This humorous yet cynical track from 'Panja Bootham' uses Tamil proverbs and folk lore about donkeys to critique human hypocrisy and opportunism. The lyricist Panruti Lakshmanan weaves popular idioms—such as feeding donkey's milk to infants for health and falling at a donkey's feet to accomplish a selfish task—into a lively satirical narrative. Sung with energetic comic flair by veteran actress-singer Manorama, the song highlights how humans flatter others when in need but discard them callously once their personal motives are satisfied.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Ethukai (Second-letter rhyme)
“Azhudha pullai sirikkumaam / Kazhutha paala kudikkumaam”
Matching second consonants in Tamil poetic structure: 'Azhudha' and 'Kazhutha'.
Iyaibu (End rhyme)
“Azhudha pullai sirikkumaam / Kazhutha paala kudikkumaam”
Rhyming verbal endings ('sirikkumaam', 'kudikkumaam', 'parakkumaam') create a rhythmic, repetitive chant.
Metaphor & Idiomatic Satire
“Kaariyam thaan aaganumnnu / Kazhudha kaalai pidikkiraan”
The donkey is used as a metaphor for human desperation, opportunism, and changing attitudes based on selfish needs.
Onomatopoeia / Scatting
“Driyadiritto driyadiritto driyadiritto”
Rhythmic vocal nonsense syllables ('Driyadiritto') add a playful, theatrical element characteristic of Tamil folk and comedy tracks.
Did you know?
Trivia
The song references the Tamil folk belief that donkey milk (Kazhudhai paal) has medicinal qualities that cure respiratory issues and soothe crying babies. Manorama, known for her unmatched diction and comic timing, delivered many such folk-style monologue songs throughout her legendary career.
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