Gandhi Thatha
From Aandavan Kattalai · 2016
- Lyricist
- Darwin Guna
- Singer
- Darwin Guna
- Music directors
- Not listed
- Details
- Aandavan Kattalai2016
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Male | |
| Oor suthi vanthaa | If I roam around the town |
| Naattu rasa | like a local king, |
| En veera soora kadhaiya | my tale of courage and heroism, |
| Yaaru kettaa | who ever listened to it? |
| Anju paththu kaasu | Five or ten coins, |
| Serka pathaa | when I tried to save up, |
| Ada nakkala sirikkum | ah, he laughs sarcastically— |
| Gandhi thatha | Grandfather Gandhi (on the rupee note)! |
| Male | |
| Thalaiya koduthu ninnen | I put my head on the line and stood, |
| Prachanaiya sonnen | I explained all my problems, |
| Maanam roosam aththanaiyum | all my honor and self-respect, |
| Lorry yethi konnen | I crushed them under a lorry! |
| Atta onnu vanga | Just to get a passport booklet, |
| James bond-u nanga | we turned into James Bond, |
| Sattai uruvi vittu | stripping off our shirts and pride, |
| Ippo kodangi thaanga | now standing helpless like street fortune-tellers! |
| Male | |
| Oor suthi vanthaa | If I roam around the town |
| Naattu rasa | like a local king, |
| En veera soora kadhaiya | my tale of courage and heroism, |
| Yaaru kettaa | who ever listened to it? |
| Anju paththu kaasu | Five or ten coins, |
| Serka pathaa | when I tried to save up, |
| Ada nakkala sirikkum | ah, he laughs sarcastically— |
| Gandhi thatha | Grandfather Gandhi (on the rupee note)! |
| Male | |
| Thalaiya koduthu ninnen | I put my head on the line and stood, |
| Prachanaiya sonnen | I explained all my problems, |
| Maanam roosam aththanaiyum | all my honor and self-respect, |
| Lorry yethi konnen | I crushed them under a lorry! |
| Atta onnu vanga | Just to get a passport booklet, |
| James bond-u nanga | we turned into James Bond, |
| Sattai uruvi vittu | stripping off our shirts and pride, |
| Ippo kodangi thaanga | now standing helpless like street fortune-tellers! |
ஊர் சுத்தி
வந்தா நாட்டு ராசா
என் வீர சூர கதைய
யாரு கேட்டா அஞ்சு
பத்து காசு சேர்க்க பாத்தா
அட நக்கலா சிரிக்கும்
காந்தி தாத்தா
If I roam around the town
like a local king,
my tale of courage and heroism,
who ever listened to it?
Five or ten coins,
when I tried to save up,
ah, he laughs sarcastically—
Grandfather Gandhi (on the rupee note)!
தலைய கொடுத்து
நின்னேன் பிரச்சனைய
சொன்னேன் மானம் ரோசம்
அத்தனையும் லாரி ஏத்தி
கொன்னேன் அட்ட ஒன்னு
வாங்க ஜேம்ஸ் பாண்டு நாங்க
சட்டை உருவி விட்டு இப்போ
கோடாங்கி தாங்க
I put my head on the line and stood,
I explained all my problems,
all my honor and self-respect,
I crushed them under a lorry!
Just to get a passport booklet,
we turned into James Bond,
stripping off our shirts and pride,
now standing helpless like street fortune-tellers!
ஊர் சுத்தி
வந்தா நாட்டு ராசா
என் வீர சூர கதைய
யாரு கேட்டா அஞ்சு
பத்து காசு சேர்க்க பாத்தா
அட நக்கலா சிரிக்கும்
காந்தி தாத்தா
If I roam around the town
like a local king,
my tale of courage and heroism,
who ever listened to it?
Five or ten coins,
when I tried to save up,
ah, he laughs sarcastically—
Grandfather Gandhi (on the rupee note)!
தலைய கொடுத்து
நின்னேன் பிரச்சனைய
சொன்னேன் மானம் ரோசம்
அத்தனையும் லாரி ஏத்தி
கொன்னேன் அட்ட ஒன்னு
வாங்க ஜேம்ஸ் பாண்டு நாங்க
சட்டை உருவி விட்டு இப்போ
கோடாங்கி தாங்க
I put my head on the line and stood,
I explained all my problems,
all my honor and self-respect,
I crushed them under a lorry!
Just to get a passport booklet,
we turned into James Bond,
stripping off our shirts and pride,
now standing helpless like street fortune-tellers!
Oor suthi vanthaa
If I roam around the town
Naattu rasa
like a local king,
En veera soora kadhaiya
my tale of courage and heroism,
Yaaru kettaa
who ever listened to it?
Anju paththu kaasu
Five or ten coins,
Serka pathaa
when I tried to save up,
Ada nakkala sirikkum
ah, he laughs sarcastically—
Gandhi thatha
Grandfather Gandhi (on the rupee note)!
Thalaiya koduthu ninnen
I put my head on the line and stood,
Prachanaiya sonnen
I explained all my problems,
Maanam roosam aththanaiyum
all my honor and self-respect,
Lorry yethi konnen
I crushed them under a lorry!
Atta onnu vanga
Just to get a passport booklet,
James bond-u nanga
we turned into James Bond,
Sattai uruvi vittu
stripping off our shirts and pride,
Ippo kodangi thaanga
now standing helpless like street fortune-tellers!
Oor suthi vanthaa
If I roam around the town
Naattu rasa
like a local king,
En veera soora kadhaiya
my tale of courage and heroism,
Yaaru kettaa
who ever listened to it?
Anju paththu kaasu
Five or ten coins,
Serka pathaa
when I tried to save up,
Ada nakkala sirikkum
ah, he laughs sarcastically—
Gandhi thatha
Grandfather Gandhi (on the rupee note)!
Thalaiya koduthu ninnen
I put my head on the line and stood,
Prachanaiya sonnen
I explained all my problems,
Maanam roosam aththanaiyum
all my honor and self-respect,
Lorry yethi konnen
I crushed them under a lorry!
Atta onnu vanga
Just to get a passport booklet,
James bond-u nanga
we turned into James Bond,
Sattai uruvi vittu
stripping off our shirts and pride,
Ippo kodangi thaanga
now standing helpless like street fortune-tellers!
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
This song from 'Aandavan Kattalai' serves as a satirical commentary on the protagonist's desperate plight to escape poverty by obtaining a passport/visa to go abroad. It depicts the tragicomic reality of a young man who considers himself a local hero in his hometown, yet struggles to save even a tiny amount of money, feeling mockingly judged by the face of Mahatma Gandhi on the Indian currency note.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Personification
“Ada nakkala sirikkum Gandhi thatha”
The image of Mahatma Gandhi printed on Indian currency notes is personified as a grandfather sarcastically laughing at the protagonist's poor attempts to save money.
Hyperbole
“Maanam roosam aththanaiyum Lorry yethi konnen”
Exaggerates the act of sacrificing one's dignity and pride by describing it as running over self-respect with a lorry.
Ethugai (Second-letter Rhyme)
“Atta onnu vanga / Sattai uruvi vittu”
The second consonant sound 'tt' ('ட்') in 'Atta' and 'Sattai' creates a traditional Tamil rhythmic rhyme.
Metaphor / Irony
“Atta onnu vanga James bond-u nanga”
Compares common men indulging in shady, stealthy acts to get passport paperwork ('atta') to secret agents like James Bond, emphasizing the irony of their desperation.
Did you know?
Trivia
'Aandavan Kattalai' (2016) is a critically acclaimed Tamil satirical drama directed by M. Manikandan, starring Vijay Sethupathi and Ritika Singh. The soundtrack was composed by K (Krishna Kumar). The song captures the core film premise: rural Tamil youth resorting to fraudulent brokers and degrading circumstances just to obtain a passport cover ('atta') and escape financial troubles.
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