- Lyricist
- Idhaya Chandran
- Singers
- Suja Radhakrishnan, K. S. Chitra
- Music director
- Shankar Ganesh
- Movie name
- Mappillai Sir
- Movie release year
- 1988
- Lyrics added on
- 18 Apr 2021
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This playful song features children trying to appease their offended father who is refusing to eat his meal out of anger. They use sweet cajoling, apologize with traditional gestures of humility like touching his feet and slapping their cheeks, and remind him how much their mother cares for him.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Metaphor
“Sakkarakkatti neenga oththukkiromae naanga”
The daughters endearingly call their father 'Sakkarakkatti' (sugar block) and 'Santhanakkatta' (sandalwood block) to praise his sweet nature.
Ethiray (Second-letter Rhyme)
“Kaala thottu kettukirom / Kannaththila pottukkirom”
The second letters 'th' in 'thottu' and 'n' in 'nithila' or matching rhythmic structures create traditional Tamil poetic harmony across lines.
Did you know?
Trivia
The song portrays traditional South Indian expressions of apology, such as touching feet and cheek-tapping ('Kannaththila pottukkirom'), incorporated into modern 1980s Tamil cinema domestic comedy scenes.
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